It is so interesting to know that so many readers know what these items are. Yes, they are ocarinas. These pictured include a bass (top), a tenor (right), a red alto and a soprano. The rare bass, probably russian-made, is valuable. Ceramic ocarinas have been around morethan 12,000 years. Ancient examples have been cited —small whistles shaped like birds or […]

The four hatpins shown to the left are all fashioned from natural materials. From left they are carved bone, a tooth (probably from an elk) mounted in gold, carved ivory, and two small deer teeth in a silver setting. The most valuable of the four is the ivory-elephant hatpin.  We had several correct guessers for February’s What Is It. They […]

We had one correct answer to our January What Is It. Dottie Unruh of Lakewood, Colorado said, “It is a feeding device for feeding liquids to infants or to the ill.” Dottie has won a year’s subscription to the Mountain States Collector. Congratulations! Pictured to the right is an early Roman glass nursing bottle. It is extremely rare. After the […]

We had one correct answer for our December’s What Is It. Norman Thompson of Louisville, Colorado correctly identified the object as an apple peeler or parer. The object to the left is an apple parer. This particular one is a painted Pennsylvania Dutch decorated 2-foot-long apple parer. It is meant to be straddled. It includes the name of Samuel Skann, […]

We had one correct answer for our october’s What Is It. Dennis Thode of broomfield, Colorado correctly identified the object as a holder for powder papers. It is a 19th Century pharmacy tool —a powder folder used to hold meds in the days before solid tablets. He is correct! It is a brass powder folder which was listed in an […]