MILANO, Italia – Nato a Milano l’1 gennaio 1937, Gianni Colombo appartiene ad una famiglia di imprenditori milanesi. Ha due fratelli di cui uno, Cesare, diviene un importante designer degli anni 60 con lo pseudonimo di Joe Colombo.
BIRMINGHAM, UK – The cover star for Fellows’ first monthly watch sale of 2016, which will be Jan. 26, is an exquisite Audemars Piguet Royal Oak with skeletonized movement. Its distinctive bold case design contrasts with the delicacy of the exposed movement.
BEACHWOOD, Ohio – Every household had a person who could make, alter and mend clothing before the sewing machine was invented in 1842. Learning to darn, mend and make samplers was part of the education for girls rich enough to go to school in a city. So every family had a sewing basket or table with all of the needles, thread, scissors and other small items used when sewing.
The main room of the house, near a fireplace or stove, often was the place chosen to keep the sewing supplies, and the wife did the sewing in the evening while chatting with her family.
The sewing box was attractive, often a skillfully crafted wooden box or even a table with a lift top that opened to a bag that held fabrics. But sometimes the sewing box was imaginative, made in the shape of a house or covered in painted designs.
At an auction last year a decorated folk-art Victorian sewing box was offered for sale. The house-shaped box had a fabric-covered pincushion in the center of the “roof,” which opened to expose a compartmented lift-out tray. The house had a brick foundation, front porch and windows with shutters. It was in a 20-by-2-inch “yard” with a picket fence. It looks like a dollhouse, so it must have been tempting for children to try to see inside. It sold for $3,075 at the Skinner auction in Boston.
Q: We got this personal Camel cigarettes tin ashtray from my husband’s aunt several years ago. We still have the original box it came in. His aunt came from a time when women didn’t smoke in public and she had to sneak her cigarettes. What is it worth?
A: This portable tin Camel “cigarette case” is small enough to fit into a pocket or purse. When you push in the bottom of the box, the retractable ashtray slides out and the cigarette rest pops out. They sell online for about $6 to $12.
Q: I have a large cup with a handle that has writing and pictures on it. There is a poem on one side. On the other side is a bundle of wheat sheaves in a circle and the words “In God we trust, The Farmer’s Arms.” Four pictures of farm implements are around the circle. The cup is marked on the bottom “Adams, Est. 1657, England.” Is it old or valuable?
A: Your cup was made by William Adams and Sons, which was founded in Staffordshire, England, in 1769. The date in the mark refers to an earlier pottery founded by John Adams, a relative. William Adams and Sons became part of the Wedgwood Group in 1966. The name “Adams” was used on some items through 1998. This large cup is sometimes called a “mush cup” and sometimes just a large coffee cup. It was made in the late-19th or early 20th century, and sells today for about $30, double if there is a saucer.
Q: I’m looking for information on a chair made by the B.L. Marble Chair Co. of Bedford, Ohio. Can you help?
A: The company was founded by Barzilla L. Marble. He worked at two other Bedford furniture makers before going into partnership with A.L. Shattuck to found The Marble and Shattuck Chair Co. in 1885. Marble founded the B.L. Marble Chair Co. in 1894, making wooden chairs. The company made office furniture beginning in 1910. It merged with the Dictaphone Corp. in 1965 and the name became the Marble Imperial Furniture Co. The company went out of business in 1985.
Q: My mother was given a pewter vase as a wedding gift. It’s inscribed on the bottom “Pewter by Calatoff, hand wrought 5075.” My mother is 95 years old, so I know the vase is very old, though not necessarily valuable. What can you tell me about its age and value?
A: The maker is Galatoff, not Calatoff, and it probably was made in the early 1940s, assuming your mother was married when she was in her early 20s. We couldn’t find any information about the maker, but Galatoff pewter items sell for moderate prices. An ice-cream bowl was listed for $20, a two-handled centerpiece bowl for $30, an incense burner for $20 and a jug for $75.
Q: My dad was given a wooden boat model built by prisoners when he was the administrator of the Leesburg Prison Farm in Leesburg, New Jersey, in the late 1940s. It was a gift. It’s a cabin cruiser, 36 inches long, and is in good condition. I’d like to know where I might be able to sell it.
A: Prison art is collectible. If you search the words “prison art” online, you’ll find several sites that sell prison art or buy it. Some prisons offer art therapy or art lessons for prisoners, while others provide the time or materials for the prisoner to produce art on his own. A Tennessee art college worked with prisoners on death row to create work for a gallery showing. Those who sell prison art must buy it first. One of the sites might buy your boat.
Tip: Candle drippings can be removed from fabric or furniture with the help of ice cubes. Rub the wax with the ice until the wax hardens. Scrape off the hard wax with a credit card or stiff cardboard. If some wax remains, put a blotter over it and then iron with a cool iron.
Terry Kovel and Kim Kovel answer as many questions as possible through the column. By sending a letter with a question, you give full permission for use in the column or any other Kovel forum. Names, addresses or email addresses will not be published. We cannot guarantee the return of any photograph, but if a stamped envelope is included, we will try. The amount of mail makes personal answers or appraisals impossible. Write to Kovels, Auction Central News, King Features Syndicate, 300 W. 57th St., New York, NY 10019.
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.
New! There is hidden value in contemporary pottery. You find it at shops and garage sales at low prices, because the marks are unknown. Kovels special report “Kovels’ Identification Guide to Contemporary American Pottery 1960s to Present” (available only from the Kovels) includes more than 180 marks and 60 featured artists. Each artist’s biography includes a mark, a pictured piece and this year’s price. Available only from Kovels for $19.95 plus $4.95 postage and handling. Order by phone at 800-303-1996, online at Kovelsonlinestore.com; or mail to Kovels, Box 22900, Beachwood, OH 44122.
© 2016 by Cowles Syndicate Inc.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Art and antiques from the antebellum South mix with artifacts and art of the Old Southwest at the Winter Case Antiques Auction, set for Jan. 23 at the company’s gallery. The 900+ lot auction will also include the William Zarnan estate collection of Continental decorative arts including art glass and paintings, plus outstanding Asian antiques, trade signs and folk art, historical and presidential memorabilia, and a trove of silver items and estate jewelry.
BEVERLY, Mass. – Kaminski Auctions’ 2016 auction schedule kicks off with an unreserved estate auction on Jan. 17. The auction features an extensive collection of fine art collected over a lifetime from the estate of Harold “Harry” Everson of Marblehead, Mass. There is also a selection of 20th century and modern items featured in the sale.
DALLAS – An 1894-S Barber dime realized $1,997,500 at auction on Jan. 7 as the centerpiece of Heritage Auctions’ Platinum Night event at the Florida United Numismatists (FUN) Convention in Tampa.
ISTANBUL (AFP) – Turkish authorities have detained two people who were caught smuggling a painting which experts suspect is by the 17th-century Flemish artist Anthony van Dyck, reports said Sunday.