Ask Beverly

Spoons

askbeverly — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 16:20:25 +0000

Last week I wrote about spooners. This week a bit about the history of English spoons. In English silver, the spoon is of ancient origin and dates back to the time of the Egyptians. Until around the middle of the 17th century the bowl of the spoon was more or less fig-shaped with the narrowest part near the short stem. The stem was generally round or square and terminated in a knop of different forms, such as an acorn, a diamond point or a sitting lion with legs upright. Between 1625-1649 the bowl became broader next to the stem and narrower at the end. By 1660 the bowl became ovoid. In about 1660 a spoon was introduced which had a flat thin stem. The stem was wider than ony of the earlier stems and the stem end was much wider and thinner than the other part of them stem. The stem end was divided into three parts and the spoon was called a trifid-end spoon. At the end of the 18th century the end of the stem became considerably thicker and rounded but still curved forward. Around the second quarter of the 18th century a spoon was introduced which had the stem end curled back in the fashion of an Ionic volute. This design was called the Onslow pattern. The curving back of the stem end became the general form during the third quarter of the 18th century. The stem end was rounded as in the earlier spoons. This pattern became known as the Old English pattern and has continued until the present time. This information is from The Dictionary of Antiques and the Decorative Arts. Examples of these spoons may be found in the book or online at stores selling English silver.

What’s a Spooner?

askbeverly — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 16:19:00 +0000

My grandmother had a “spooner” on her table. I didn’t know it had a specific name – spooner. I just thought she put her spoons in this glass thing and left it on the table. As I grew older and learned more about antiques I discovered a “Spooner” had a purpose. It was just what she called it – a spoon holder. The knives and forks were kept in a drawer, but the spoons were kept in the spoon holder next to the sugar bowl that was left on the table. There wasn’t a centerpiece, just necessary items on the kitchen table.

A number of pattern glass spooners were made including the “Strawberry” or “Fairfax” patterns by Bryce Walker & Co. circa 1870, “Sprig” c. 1880, and different shapes including a bell form.

Why have a spooner today? There are other uses for spooners besides to hold spoons although if you have a collection of old spoons, there is no better place to display them than in a spooner. Spooners can be used to hold makeup brushes, cotton balls, decorative soaps, artificial sugar packets…use your imagination. Next time you are in an antique shop, mall or at an estate sale, look for a “spooner” for your glass collection. They are still generally under $100.00 with many in the $25-$50.00 range.

"Strawberry" and "Sprig" pattern spooners

Steuben Glass Closes

askbeverly — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 21:52:25 +0000

For Steuben glass collectors a unique American tradition has come to an end. According to a report in the New York Times on September 15, 2011 the 108 year old glassmaker shut down its factory in Corning, New York and its flagship store on Madison Avenue in Manhattan is closing. Roy Sykes, a spokesman for Schottenstein Stores Corporation, which bought Steuben from Corning Inc. three years ago said, “We did not see an increase in new consumers or established collectors.”

Steuben Glass Works was founded in 1903 when Thomas G. Hawkes persuaded Frederick Carder to leave his employment at Stevens & Williams in England and move his family to Corning, NY. Carder established a glass factory to manufacture fine quality blanks for cutting by the Hawks firm. In addition the factory started making a wide variety of art glass items that competed with many other glass companies including Tiffany, Quezal and Kew Blas.

In Glass Shards, the newsletter of the National American Glass Club, it is reported that Corning, Inc. has purchased the rights to the brand name Steuben, but has stated that they have no plans to revive the product line. Another center of excellence in glass making is lost to future generations.

Help Your Heirs Settle Your Estate

askbeverly — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 16:08:30 +0000

Have you recently experienced a death in your family? Now you have to dispose of the assets. Where did that vase come from? Whose Bible is it? Why does this gold bracelet have charms on it with no one in the family’s name? What do we do now!

You can alleviate a lot of these questions by taking the time NOW to put an identifying note on the bottom of the vase, inside the Bible, under the chair, behind the antique chest, in the silverware box…..anywhere not necessarily obvious but where it can be found with the history of the piece. You can even designate who you would like to have it. This is an easy and simple part of estate planning.

An appraiser can help you establish the provenance of your assets when an appraisal is done whether it is for equitable distribution, insurance, or market value. It can be valuable information for your heirs. We all want to make things simple. Plan ahead with a will, visit an estate planner and call an appraiser.

Is it old or is it new – Meissen Blue Onion

askbeverly — Sat, 22 Oct 2011 21:20:06 +0000

There are many marks for the Meissen Blue Onion pattern. This is the best known, most widely distributed and most copied porcelain created in Meissen. At the turn of the 18th century white and blue porcelain from the Orient was very much in demand. According to Robert E. Rontgen in his book The Book of Meissen Second Edition, the model for the Onion Pattern was probably a flat bowl from the Chinese K’ang Hsi Period (1662-1722). The Meissen painters closely followed the original model, but they did not fully understand the Chinese pattern. Therefore, they adapted it to a more familiar pattern. This pattern was also called the “bulb pattern” with the center flower described as an aster, peony or chrysanthemum. The original fruits around the border were alternating peaches and pomegranates, not onions. The large blossom with the bamboo cane is often called an aster. It may have originally been the tree or mountain peony, common in China but which the Meissen painters would not have been familiar. The “onion pattern” as it became known was very popular and a large amount of it was manufactured. Manufacturers in France, England, Switzerland, Belgium, Denmark, Japan and Germany copied the pattern.The Royal Prussian Manufactory in Berlin was one of Meissen’s important competitors. In the 1880′s production of the blue onion pattern wares included table clothes and napkins, enamelled cooking pots and metal boxes, skirts, shawls, and blouses. Because of increased demand a number of European factories copied the pattern and reproduced it not only on porcelain but also on stoneware.

As I initially wrote, there are many Meissen marks relating to the different factories that produced this pattern. How do you know if it is German Meissen? Much early Meissen was not marked although the name “Meissen” was impressed on early pieces which were not of the highest quality because the best method of firing and formula for the porcelain had not been perfected. These pieces had a slightly greyish tint. Because the onion pattern was not protected by a trademark, every one could use the pattern. In1888 after the Meissen Stove and Fireclay Factory registered a trademark that contained the name ”Meissen” in 1882, the Meissen Manufactory decided to protect its name. To make their product easily identifiable a mark of crossed swords with pommels was placed on the base of the bamboo cane on the front of the piece as well as the crossed swords on the back. Although this helps to date the piece, the variety of Meissen marks and copies of Meissen marks can be very confusing without a good reference book.

AMERICAN CERAMICS CIRCLE SYMPOSIUM

askbeverly — Sat, 08 Oct 2011 17:01:39 +0000

The American Ceramics Circle 2011 Symposium is in Birmingham, Alabama this year. The theme of the symposium is “Function and Fancy: Ceramics from across the globe.” The symposium is November 3-6, at the Sheraton Hotel, Birmingham. In addition to the symposium a preconference tour includes a trip to historic Columbus, Mississippi, a tour of the Tennessee Williams home, a personal tour of a private 1837 home with the opportunity to see an extensive collection of Parian and Paris porcelain. From there we visit Whitehall, an 1843 former plantation home, and a tour of Rosedale, one of the finest examples of Italianate architecture in the South. Speakers for the symposium include Dr. Anne Forschler-Tarrasch, The Marguerite Jones Harbert and John M. Harbert II Curator of Decorative Arts, Birmingham Museum of Art, Dr. Don Wood, Senior Curator of Asian Art, The Virginia and William M. Spencer III, The Birmingham Museum of Art, Roin FuchsII, Curator Reeves Collection Washington and Lee University, Lexington, VA, Dr. Maurice Hillis, Independent Ceramics Scholar, Chester, England.

WHO INVENTED TRANSFERWARE?

askbeverly — Sat, 20 Aug 2011 21:01:31 +0000

Transferware, the art of transferring prints to pottery is most often associated with the English as a means of developing a more affordable mass produced pottery. Wendy W. Erlich, in the magazine “Antiques” raises the question of whether Benjamin Franklin actually invented transferware.

In 1773 Franklin wrote a letter to Peter Perez Burdett, a young engraver based in Liverpool, thanking him for sending his recently produced specimen of transfer-printed chinaware. According to Franklin he had pursued his idea of transferring pictures to pottery twenty years earlier to the English pottery trade who had laughed at him. Although long debated by academics, credit for developing this process as a means to compete with Chinese export porcelain was ultimately given to Saddler & Green of Liverpool.

The district of Staffordshire had been the center of the pottery industry in England. In 1830, an estimated 50,000 people worked in the potteries in Stoke-Upon-Trent, the major city in Staffordshire. Potteries were also located in the surrounding towns of Tunstall, Burslem, Hanley, Cobridge, Fenton and Longton.

Following the Revolution and War of 1812, many of the citizens of the new republic wanted to show their patriotism to the United States. The English potters recognizing this potentially new large market began producing wares with historical views on china. Although this process involved obtaining drawings of the buildings, engravers to prepare the copperplates, and a separate engraved copperplate for each shape and size of ceramic ware to be decorated, multiple firings, transfer paper and glazing, these wares were soon available in America. Initially the transfers were applied over the glaze. This was not found to be satisfactory as the design rapidly deteriorated and frequently disappeared over a period of time. The underglaze technique prevented damage to the design and many of these wares remain in mint condition.

Early transferware exported to the United States featured designs portraying prominent individuals in the cause for independence. Other patterns found on early transferware included those of banks, college buildings, courthouses, hospitals and battle monuments. Initially transferware was blue and white, but J & J Jackson of Burslem perfected the use of black, brown, green, purple, pink, yellow, mulberry and light blue.

For more information on transferware visit the Transferware Collector’s Club website. A special exhibition of spode ceramics is available free of charge at http://spodeceramics.com., a Web-based interactive online exhibition.

Like all collectibles value reflects condition, desirability, maker, and the current market.

ASIAN AUCTIONS DRAW HIGH VALUES

askbeverly — Sat, 13 Aug 2011 20:25:36 +0000

The next auction at Dallas Auction Gallery in Dallas, Texas is September 7 and 8, 2011. It is an auction of Asian Antiques and Fine Art. There are some very interesting pieces in this auction including this Chinese Qing carved canopy bed. Dallas Auction is open to bidders both in house and on the internet. It will be interesting to see how the auction results compare to previous Asian art and collectible auctions.

According to Wes Cowan of Cowan’s Auction in Cincinnati, Ohio, the Asian art market has exploded. China is reported as being the number one art market in the world. Between 2009 and 2010, the art market has doubled. Cowan’s May auction of 80 pieces of Chinese carved ivory, porcelain and jade brought in nearly $400,000.00. Their next Asian Art Auction is scheduled for August 26 and 27, 2011.

We Don’t Know Everything

askbeverly — Mon, 25 Jul 2011 15:58:47 +0000

Appraisers are frequently asked to participate in fund raiser Appraisal Fairs. This is a real challenge as even though an appraiser may specialize in a particular item, that item may not show up at the appraisal fair. Instead you see various items from Grandma’s teapot to Uncle’s picture that hung on the wall forever. If you are under thirty, forever may only be you remember it being there for 20 years! The Appraisal Foundation has adopted The Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice requires an appraiser to be “qualified” to conduct an appraisal. Among the qualifications required are education, experience, membership in a recognized appraisal or auction association, and product knowledge. Few of us can give an estimated value off the top of our heads. Just as we do research in preparing written appraisals, research is often required in estimations of value. Because few people remember the low end of a value, the appraiser must be very careful to document what the individual was told. According to USPAP an appraiser who gives a verbal appraisal is as liable as one who has a written, research appraisal with notes and documents to back up the value. Next time you want an appraisal, ask the appraiser what standards do you write to and are you experienced in valuing this kind of item. Remember the tv show appraisers have access to computers and other appraisers to assist them in estimating value.

Antique Coffee Table??????

askbeverly — Fri, 24 Jun 2011 01:13:36 +0000

Have you ever seen an “antique coffee table”? You know the ones with marble tops? Some are even called “Victorian”. While they may be a Victorian style table, if they are low they are usually a cut down table. Coffee tables did not exist in the eighteenth or nineteenth century. Tea was served by the hostess from a tall table in front of a tall-backed chair or sofa. Coffee tables we know today did not come into existence until the 1920′s. These tables were often referred to as “cocktail tables” as they were used as places for cocktail glasses, coffee cups or the “coffee-table” book!