Messages

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Antique Questions Forum / porcelain vase - please help identify

« on: January 09, 2011, 12:07:31 pm »

I have been trying to find information on this but I am coming up empty. This vase appears to be creamy white with extensive paintings and has extensive crackling. There is a chip on the rip. It stands about 12 inches and has a glossy glaze. The artwork looks handmade. There are no signatures or other marks. Does anyone know what kind of pottery this might be? Is it Middle Eastern? What would this kind of pottery be called? How old might it be? What would those figures mean? What would something like this be estimated at? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

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Antique Questions Forum / Re: copper umbrella stand

« on: December 13, 2009, 10:49:12 pm »

Thank you VERY much! I used "scuttle" as a search term and found one just like it that was sold on the European version of eBay. That one was dated to 1910.

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Antique Questions Forum / copper umbrella stand

« on: December 13, 2009, 08:21:28 pm »

I was told that this might be an umbrella stand. I'm not sure. It stands 21 inches and is about 10 inches wide. I cannot find any identifying marks on it. It looks like copper. I did some Internet searching and found virtually nothing.
So, here are my questions.
Question 1: What is it?
Question 2: How old is it?
Question 3: Where did it come from? (eg, country, type of household)
Question 4: Should I clean it or leave it in its natural state?
Question 5: What is the estimated value?

I would appreciate your assistance.
Thank you.

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Antique Questions Forum / Re: Weird chair with carvings

« on: November 20, 2009, 08:11:08 pm »

Thank you, Tim. I looked up Homer and Mitchell. Stunning work. I don't have a clue if this chair is made by them. But yes, R&B, it is worthy of being checked by an expect. It has the cracks and wear that one would expect from an antique. I really treasure it and value any information that I can gather. Thank you very much.

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Antique Questions Forum / Weird chair with carvings

« on: November 18, 2009, 08:03:43 pm »

I posted this before but didn't get any responses. So I am trying again. The person who sold me this chair thought it was from 1870 or so and described it as a lodge chair. He had no other information on it. It has a number of carvings and some applique. The applique carving at the bottom of the chair appears to be the north wind. At the top of the chair, there are two dragons and two other male faces with fruit coming out of their mouths. The carvings at the top appear to be handmade. I don't know about the applique work at the bottom. It also has some sort of crest. The seat has been redone. I am guessing it was originally leather.

So here are my question. What was its use? How old might it be? Where would it have come from? Who might have used it? What do the carvings symbolize? What about its value?  

Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you!

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Antique Questions Forum / Re: Sikes Desk Chair

« on: November 18, 2009, 07:54:49 pm »

Thank you very much!

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Antique Questions Forum / Re: Sikes Desk Chair

« on: November 17, 2009, 06:29:43 pm »

Thank you very much. Is this a rare chair? I can't find it on any Web sites, including eBay. Also, is restoration of chairs such as these expensive? What would this have been used for? 

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Antique Questions Forum / Sikes Desk Chair

« on: November 16, 2009, 07:27:56 pm »

I have recently acquired this desk chair. I was told it was from the 1920s. The tag is from Sikes Furniture Company, Buffalo, New York. The chair is very solid and heavy. It appears to be oak. Perhaps tiger. The top part pivots. Does anyone have a guess about age and rarity? Also, does anyone know about the Sikes Furniture Company's history? Would this be expensive to refinish? Would refinishing diminish the value?

Thank you!

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Antique Questions Forum / Chair with carved dragons and faces

« on: November 03, 2009, 05:55:57 pm »

This chair is made of a dark wood. It has three faces and two dragons (with their tails). The men on the top of the chair have leaves and pears coming out of their mouths. The man at the bottom of the chair has wings. (I am guessing he is the North Wind.) The carvings on the front were glued onto the surface. The chair is low to the ground. There is also a crest at the top of the chair.

Can anyone tell me anything more about this chair? What was its purpose? What do the carvings symbolize? What country is it from? What would be its age? What would be the value?

Thank you!

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Antique Questions Forum / Re: Chair with carved lion heads and rounded design

« on: October 31, 2009, 06:42:05 pm »

Thank you!

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Antique Questions Forum / Chair with carved lion heads and rounded design

« on: October 30, 2009, 07:11:41 pm »

I suspect this chair is probably from the 1930s or 1940s, but I am not sure. It has the appropriate signs of wear on the arms and the lion heads. Some of the wood appears to be veneer, and the arms appear to be solid wood. I am not sure what kind of wood this is. All the decorative elements have been glued onto the piece by the manufacturer. The seat has springs, which are sagging and need to be replaced. The original nail heads are flat. I know that this is the male version of the chair because I saw its female counterpart when I bought this. The female version was much smaller and less ornate. It did not have lions.

This chair also appears to be shorter than modern chairs.

I have searched on eBay for similar chairs and haven't been successful at all. So if anyone can tell me anything about this chair, I would be very appreciative. I would like to know its estimated age and how unique this might be. I also wonder it would have been made.

Can anyone help?

Thank you!

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Antique Questions Forum / Re: Steamer Trunk: Need Date for Museum Donation

« on: October 11, 2009, 07:41:30 pm »

Hi Tales,
It's great that you want to donate it to a museum! Very kind of you. I started collecting some antique steamer trunks. Based on what I have learned so far (mind the disclaimer), I think your estimate about the age is correct. So many of them deteriorated throughout the years. Trunks, except the louis vittan trunks, aren't really worth much. If one would buy one unrestored and "messy," it would generally cost about $35 or so even with the original lithographs, paint, and tray. Once restored, the price tag escalates, as I noticed. Yours seems unique to me because of the stickers, canvas, condition, and  interior. The hardware is also interesting. I would contact someone who restores them to get their opinion regarding age. Here are some links.
http://www.eagletrunks.com/antiquetrunkhistory/trunkhistorystyles.html
http://www.thisoldtrunk.com/history/index.html

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Antique Questions Forum / Re: A silk tapestry of a Chinese dog?

« on: October 11, 2009, 07:10:02 pm »

WOW! Thank you! I really love learning about my treasures. I am just getting into antiquing. So it's nice to be understand these beauties better.

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Antique Questions Forum / Re: Made in Japan

« on: October 11, 2009, 11:21:32 am »

Thank you! 

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Antique Questions Forum / Re: Made in Japan

« on: October 11, 2009, 10:21:27 am »

Thank you! Very gracious of both of you! I am new to antiquing, so I greatly appreciate the insights. Any thought as to whether the pattern on the jug was done free hand by the craftsman?