The Hundred Treasures theme was popular in Chinese art during the Qing dynasty (1644-1911). Many objects of daily life that impart symbolic meaning were incorporated into artwork. A single vase can be a symbol of female fertility, yet this red Chinese porcelain has several small relief vases on its surface to suggest even more meaning.
Flowers are not only painted to decorate the small raised vases, but are also painted on the red ground to look like they are floral arrangements in the raised vases. Flowers are eternal symbols of beauty, and the brilliant red color of the vase has many associations to China.
The country’s flag is red, which is associated not only with power, but with luck, happiness and celebrations. Traditional Chinese brides wear red for luck, and the Lunar New Year is celebrated with red lanterns and many other red decorations. The blue seal mark on the bottom of the base is like those on Qing dynasty porcelain.
Q: I’d like to know the value of a set of two deck chairs (possibly teak) from the SS Oceanic. They have their original blue cushions with “Home Lines” and a logo in gold. What do you think they are worth?
A: Home Lines was an Italian company that operated cruise ships and ocean liners. The company was in business from 1946 to 1988, when it merged with Holland America Line. SS Oceanic was one of Home Lines’ cruise ships from 1965 to 1985, when it was sold to Premier Cruise Line. Most deck chairs don’t sell for high prices. Chairs by important makers or those with a connection to an important or historic event do sell for high prices. A deck chair from the Titanic, one of seven known and with a letter of authenticity, sold for almost $150,000 in 2015. The value of your deck chairs depends on condition and the history of the boat. They sell for $100 to $1,000.
Q: I’d like some information about the company that made a baby doll marked “1964, Royal Doll, 10.” She’s made of hard rubber, has a rooted blond wig and has eyes that open and shut. There is a hole in the doll’s mouth and another in her lower back. She came with a little bottle. When the bottle is filled with water and put in her mouth, water comes out the bottom.
A: Morris Bonet started the Royal Toy Manufacturing Co. in 1914. After Henry and Rose Frankel bought the company, Rose designed the dolls. Dolls were marked “Royal Doll” or “Royal Toy.” The company merged with Jolly Toy Company in 1973 and some dolls were marked “Jolly Toy” and “Royal Doll.” The company closed in 1977. The marks on your doll indicate it was made in 1964 and is 10 inches long. Dolls like this are sometimes called “drink & wet” dolls. The first drink & wet dolls were made by Effanbee Doll Co. in 1933. They became one of the company’s most popular dolls, and many other companies began making similar dolls. You should be able to find a similar doll for $25.
Q: My daughter bought a wicker doll buggy for my birthday. She paid $25 for it. It’s in perfect condition. There are wooden spokes in the wheels, and it’s marked “Gendron Wheel Co., Toledo, Ohio, U.S.A.” Can you tell me more about it? How old is it and what is it worth?
A: Peter Gendron was granted a patent for a wire-spoked wheel for baby carriages in 1874. The Gendron Iron Wheel Co. was incorporated in 1880. It became the Gendron Wheel Co. by 1896. The company made doll carriages, bicycles, tricycles, pedal cars, wagons, wheelchairs and hospital equipment. Children’s toys were not made after 1941. The company became Gendron Inc. in 1975 and was bought by Graham-Field in 2020. The mark shows your doll buggy was made after 1896, and the style suggests 1930. Other similar buggies have sold for about $50.
Q: What is a Tiffany ballpoint pen with a felt pouch worth? The pen is 4½ inches long. The brass band in the middle is marked “Tiffany & Co. Germany.” The pen and pouch are light blue.
A: Tiffany can refer to many different things. Louis Comfort Tiffany was the famous designer known for his stained glass lamps and windows. He is also known for iridescent glass, pottery and other artwork. Tiffany & Co. is a store in New York City that sells luxury jewelry, accessories and gift items. It was started by Louis Comfort’s father, Charles Louis Tiffany, in 1837. It became Tiffany & Co. in 1845. The small pen is called a purse pen. The color is known as “Tiffany Blue.” The pen and felt pouch originally came in a matching blue Tiffany & Co. box. Several versions of the purse pen have been made, including some in sterling silver with diamond-textured brass and Tiffany Blue lacquer finish. They sell at the store for $250. Your small “purse” pen sells for $100 to $125 if in the blue bag and box. A used pen without the bag or box sells for about $30.
TIP: Some experts say you should restring pearls and other valuable beads every other year. Sooner or later, the stringing will break if the pearls are worn a lot.
On the block
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.
Jewelry, pin, porcelain, painted, courting scene, man playing guitar, seated woman with flower basket, multicolor, Limoges, France, 1¾ inches, $24.
Toy, Star Trek model kit, Galileo II Shuttlecraft, The Original Series, 25th Anniversary, box, 1990s, 9 by 10 inches, $50.
Royal Doulton figurine, weasel, pine marten, head and front paws raised, porcelain, brown, cream and black glaze, Chatcull range, J. Ledger, HN 2656, 1960s, 4 inches, $113.
Furniture, screen, four-panel, silk, watercolor, riverbank scene, fishing boats, water birds, script and seals in upper right corner, brocade border, flower pattern back with black ground, wood frame, brass mounts, Chinese, 35 by 39 inches, $123.
Cut glass goblet, Tramore pattern, faceted stem, star cut foot, Waterford, 7 inches, eight pieces, $300.
Wood carving, bowl, dough, pine, single board, green painted exterior, dated, 1870, 6 by 33 by 18 inches, $360.
Lamp, floodlight projector, kerosene, portable, painted metal tripod, label, instructions, wooden box, Tilley, Hendon, England, WWII era, 26 by 14 inches, lamp, 57 inches, tripod, $420.
Furniture, desk, Chippendale, slant front, mahogany, serpentine edge, four graduated drawers, fitted interior, pigeonholes and drawers, ogee bracket feet, circa 1780, 43 by 32 inches, $1,375.
Rug, Hariz, geometric flower stems, dark blue field, red border with medallions between two multicolor minor borders, handwoven, wool, Persian, circa 1930, 12 feet 3 inches by 9 feet, $2,356.
Vase, Della Robbia, double gourd shape, wide blue bands, puffins around lower body, decorator’s initials, Rozane, Frederick Hurten Rhead, circa 1906, 8 ½ by 4 ½ inches, $4,375.
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