Invention • Function • Art By Ben Rapaport To open, tobacco was native to the Americas as early as 6,000 B.C. The uninterrupted consumption of tobacco in a variety of forms in almost every corner of the civilized world for more than 400 years—the custom of pipe smoking is at least that old—spawned a plethora […]
Antiques Found Gilty by Jessica Kosinski Overlaying is a process of coating one substance with another substance. The two most common types of metal overlay are silver and gilt (gold). Silver and gilt overlay processes (gilding) have been used for many years to add decorative touches to various other materials, including glass and porcelain. The […]
Results of Recent Auctions From Near and Far by Ken Hall A Red Hat Royal 400 Gasoline porcelain sign with red hat graphic sold for $66,000 at an Automobilia & Petroliana Auction held October 8th by Morphy Auctions in Denver, Pa. Also, a 1913 Indian Model 30.50 motorcycle, serial #E43213, sped off for $45,000; a […]
Results of Recent Auctions From Near and Far by Ken Hall A 17th century Chinese Qing dynasty blanc de chine porcelain seated figure depicting Guanyin, the goddess of compassion, with the seal of potter He Chaozong, sold for $760,500 at a Summer Auction held Aug. 25-26 by Thomaston Place Auction Galleries in Thomaston, Maine. Also, […]
by Deborah Abernethy and Mike McLeod $4,850 (22 bids, 11 bidders): Antique 1914 Arizona License Plate, Original 3″ X 7 1/2″. Bidding on a 1914 Arizona motorcycle license plate number 948. Plate is rusty but very legible. It measures 3 x 7 1/2 inches. 1914 is two years after Arizona became a state in 1912. […]
Auction Items Worth a Look Horse Weathervane Sharon Boccelli & Company – March 28: Three dimensional running horse weathervane. Copper with zinc head, from an Alstead New Hampshire farmhouse. Auction Estimate: $850-$1,200 sbauctioneers.com Decorated Box Pook & Pook, Inc. Auctioneers and Appraisers Antique Toy Auction – April 14: Attributed to the Lancaster County, Pennsylvania craftsman […]
Results of Recent Auctions From Near and Far by Ken Hall An early Marathon Products (“Best in the Long Run”) double-sided porcelain sign, with iconic running man graphic, sold for $6,900 at the premiere auction of Route 32 Auctions (based in Crawfordsville, Inc.) in Indianapolis, Indiana. Also, an En-Ar-Co White Rose double-sided porcelain sign went […]
By Judy Gonyeau When Queen Elizabeth was preparing to celebrate her 90th birthday, a beautiful set of china was commissioned by the Royal Collection Trust, which is dedicated to preserving European royal art collections. But how does one go about creating exquisite tableware fit for a Queen? With regard to commemorating key events, the final […]
J. Pierpont Morgan Hartford native John Pierpont Morgan (1837-1913), founder of a banking dynasty still in operation today, was one of the great financial figures of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Well known for his successes as a banker, railroad tycoon, and steel magnate, he was also an important philanthropist and avid art […]
Ceramics, in its broadest term, defines the art of making any object from clay by baking it. Just as the term “vehicle” can mean car, airplane, or spaceship, the term “ceramics” includes a like number of variations, either in design or materials. Basically, the chemical composition of china is a combination of clay, kaolin, feldspar, […]
