TRENTON, N.J. – Visit the Trenton City Museum in Cadwalader Park on Sunday, Feb. 7 from 2 to 4 p.m. and bring one to two antique items for review and discussion. You may be surprised by what you learn about Grandma’s dusty old stuff in the attic. Bring items with a personal story, or artifacts that illuminate details of life in the past. Many items will have monetary value while most will be simply irreplaceable to you.
This one-day event is an occasion to learn about the old things of importance to you and an opportunity to contribute to the Trenton Museum Society, an organization dedicated to promoting art and preserving history. There is a $10 fee for each item reviewed with a maximum of two items per person. The money generated by the event will be used by the Trenton Museum Society to fund ongoing exhibit openings, music series events and educational programs.
Our panel of antique experts includes Robert Cunningham, Chris Casarona, Tom and Donna Rago, and Eugene Pascucci. This group of collectors, antique dealers and authors represents many years of experience and knowledge. American antiques and items from Trenton are of particular interest, but members of this panel are equally passionate about all antique genres and will be happy to share their insights. Antiques from every category and nation are welcome. Firearms are excluded, however, and will not be permitted on the premises.
For details call the Trenton City Museum at (609) 989-1191.
The Trenton City Museum is located at the Ellarslie Mansion in Cadwalader Park. Hours are Tuesdays through Saturdays, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Sundays, 1 to 4:00 p.m. The Museum is closed on Mondays and Municipal Holidays. Visit www.ellarslie.org for more information and directions.
‘The Night Cafe’ by Vincent Van Gogh. Image courtesy Wikipedia.NEW HAVEN, Connecticut (AP) – The ownership of tens of billions of dollars of art and other goods could be thrown into doubt if a lawsuit seeking the return of a famous Vincent Van Gogh painting is successful, according to a court filing by Yale University.
The university sued in federal court in March to assert its ownership rights over The Night Cafe and to block a descendant of the original owner from claiming it. Pierre Konowaloff is the purported great-grandson of industrialist and aristocrat Ivan Morozov, who bought the painting in 1908.
Russia nationalized Morozov’s property after the Communists seized power. The painting, which the Soviet government later sold, has been hanging in the Yale University Art Gallery for almost 50 years.
“Invalidating title to the painting would set U.S. courts at odds with the Russian government and cloud title to what Konowaloff concedes is at least $20 billion of art in global commerce,” Yale’s attorneys wrote in court papers filed Wednesday.
It also would “imply the invalidity of title to countless billions of dollars more of other sorts of property expropriated and sold” by Russian authorities, Yale’s attorney wrote.
Any federal court invalidation of Russian nationalization decrees from the early 20th century would create “significant tensions” between the United States and the Russian Federation, Yale argues. Russia continues to possess, display and defend its title to many artworks that were nationalized, including against Konowaloff’s litigation and threats of litigation in France and Britain, Yale says.
Yale says the court does not have the authority to evaluate the legality of a Russian nationalization. The university says former owners have challenged titles to artwork and other property seized from them in Russia, but their claims were rejected by the U.S. Supreme Court and state, federal and foreign courts.
Konowaloff’s attorney, Allan Gerson, said in an e-mail that the argument was “ridiculous” and that the lawsuit was not against Russia. He has argued that the court does not have to determine the lawfulness of the Russian confiscation of the painting, saying Yale cannot establish that it has good title.
Yale received the painting through a bequest from Yale alumnus Stephen Carlton Clark. The school says Clark bought the painting, which shows the inside of a nearly empty cafe, with a few customers seated at tables along the walls, from a gallery in New York City in 1933 or 1934.
Konowaloff has filed court papers calling Yale’s acquisition of the painting “art laundering.” He argues that Russian authorities unlawfully confiscated the painting and that the United States deemed the theft a violation of international law.
Konowaloff alleges Clark knew of the painting’s ownership history and that “Yale engaged in a policy of willful ignorance” when it accepted the piece in 1961. Konowaloff wants the immediate return of the painting as well as damages.
Yale says the Russian nationalization of property, while sharply at odds with American values, did not violate international law. The university also says Konowaloff’s claims should be dismissed because they are time-barred by a statute of limitations.
Konowaloff said he became the official heir of the Morozov collection after his father died in 2002, and he began to try to document the inventory. He said his grandfather did not try to do so “for reasons of personal security and due to the lack of any available judicial remedies at the time.”
Copyright 2009 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
This original 1972 Blythe doll, 11 1/2 inches tall, sold in an online auction for $920. She has a tagged dress and eyes that change to four different colors, but her face is slightly damaged and her hairdo is incorrect.
Quirky fads or unexpected favorites sometimes appear in the world of collecting. Prices go up based on supply and demand, but what creates the demand can be a mystery. Lunchboxes, plastic purses, plastic radios and Beanie Babies are all recent examples. Tulip bulbs in 17th-century Holland are the most famous. A single bulb was selling for more than a house as prices for rare bulbs rose, then prices fell and created chaos. Today’s newest amazing prices are for Blythe dolls, first made in Hong Kong by Kenner in 1972. There were four versions of the doll. Each had a big head and large eyes that changed color. They sold only for a year in the United States. Some slightly different dolls were also made and sold in Japan. There were Blythe wigs and clothing accessories, too. The dolls were soon forgotten by most people, but in 1997 a TV producer in New York began to carry and photograph her Blythe doll. In 2002 she had her photos published in a book, which led to new popularity for the doll. In 2001 Hasbro, which by then owned the Kenner trademark, had given Takara and Cross World Connections (CWC), Japanese companies, a license to make a new “neo” Blythe doll that became so popular it even appeared as a character in some Japanese ads. Toys ‘R’ Us has sole rights to sell CWC’s annual limited-edition Blythe doll every Christmas. The new doll’s success led Ashton-Drake Galleries to make a Blythe doll to sell to adults. These sell today for less than $100 apiece. All of this interest has led to amazing prices for the first dolls. Originally $25, today a 1972 doll in great (but not perfect) condition can sell for $2,000. In an original package, doll clothes can be worth $300 to $400. Doll collectors are very concerned about a Blythe doll’s skin color, hairdo, original accessories and original clothes with original labels. Although there were originally blondes, redheads and black-haired dolls, the highest prices are for dolls with original black hair.
Q: I just bought a mysterious silver spoon that’s 15 inches long. It has a small deep bowl and a long twisted handle with 3-D grape leaves and bunches of grapes at the top. The grapes made me think it was used for wine. It’s marked with the letters “G” and “X” and the word “sterling.”
A: You have a brandy ladle. It was used to scoop up some brandy, light it, then pour it on a flaming dessert like cherries jubilee. The G is the mark of Gorham Manufacturing Co. of Providence, R.I. The X is a date symbol for 1886. Because it’s a one-purpose serving utensil, it usually sells near meltdown price, perhaps $100. But a wine collector or a gourmet cook would pay much more.
Q: What can you tell me about a Mission settee that has been in my family for more than 65 years? It’s oak with no upholstery. The back has vertical slats and the seat lifts up on hinges to reveal a storage area. The printed label on the bottom says, “R.S. Nicholson Co., Jax., Fla.” and “Warsaw Furn. Mfg. Co., Warsaw, Ky.”
A: Warsaw Furniture Manufacturing Co. was in business from around the turn of the 20th century until at least the 1930s. The company is listed in a 1937 Grand Rapids, Mich., furniture show magazine. R.S. Nicholson was probably the retail store where the settee was originally purchased. The Mission style (also called “Arts and Crafts”) was at its peak of popularity during the first two decades of the 20th century, so that’s probably when your settee was made. Settees with storage under the seat were meant to be kept in a front hall. You could sit on the settee to remove your boots, then store them with your hat and gloves under the seat. Mission settees by famous makers like Gustav Stickley sell for thousands. Yours, by a relatively unknown maker, is worth a few hundred dollars.
Q: I have a small collection of calendar plates from the early 1900s. I’ve just come across some calendar towels and wonder if you know anything about their history.
A: Stevens Linen Associates of Dudley, Mass., which was founded in 1846, claims to have made the first calendar towels in 1954. The company is still at it and wholesales to various online and on-land stores across the country. Each towel has a picture and a full 12-month calendar. Colorful calendar towels from the 1950s through the ’70s sell for about $30 each.
Q: My old vase has a circular mark on the bottom with the words “National Brotherhood of Operative Potteries, Union Label, Affiliated AFL.” Beneath that, it’s marked “Goldra, E. Palestine, O.” This vase was around when I was growing up and now I’m 80 years old. It must have been a gift from my great-grandparents, who lived in Youngstown, Ohio. I would appreciate information about it.
A: Goldia and Ray Fitzpatrick began making pottery in East Palestine, Ohio, in 1939. Novelties and artware were made under the name “Goldra,” a combination of their first names, from 1941 to 1947. The National Brotherhood of Operative Potters was founded in 1890 by pottery workers in and around East Liverpool, Ohio. The name of the union was changed to the International Brotherhood Operative Potters in 1951, and in 1969 it became the International Brotherhood of Pottery and Allied Workers. Your vase is worth $10 to $20.
Tip: To avoid break-ins, be sure the hinges on your exterior doors are on the inside of the door.
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CURRENT PRICES
Current prices are recorded from antiques shows, flea markets, sales and auctions throughout the United States. Prices vary in different locations because of local economic conditions.
Art Deco silver-plated coffee spoons, black leatherette case with gold tooling, engraved “C.P. Walker Co. Ltd. EPNS,” circa 1920, set of six, $75.
Pet Milk carton bank, wax-coated cardboard, Palmer Cox-style Brownies, circus animals, teddy bears and clowns, Pet Dairy Products Co., 1955, 2 7/8 x 3 1/2 inches, $80.
Little Orphan Annie Ovaltine Shake-Up mug, image of Annie and Sandy dancing, blue Beetleware mug, red lid, 1938, 2 3/4 inches, $170.
Roseville Pine Cone ashtray, green ground with pinecones in corner, marked “Roseville USA,” 1935, 4 3/4 x 4 inches, $180.
Panama California Exposition banner, “Grand Opening,” Jan. 1, 1915, San Diego, white letters on black felt, black tassels, Art Nouveau woman wearing tiara with word “California,” 35 1/2 inches, $200.
Georgian English writing desk, mahogany, hidden drawer, brown leather writing surface with gold tooling, sloping top, 20 x 9 1/2 x 5 1/2 inches, $495.
Rita Hayworth as Carmen doll, composition, socket head, blue eyes, ruby lips, auburn wig, five-piece body, red nylon taffeta gown, Uneeda, 1948, 15 inches, $650.
Legras cameo glass biscuit jar, enameled winter scene, snow-covered village, satin finish, church, woman trudging in snow, pewter cover and handle, France, 7 1/2 inches, $725.
Salesman-sample potbellied stove, black cast iron, floral pattern on three sides, nickel finial on top, four isinglass panels, patented March 12, 1888, 20 x 8 1/2 inches, $4,600.
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