Page 48 - sept_2022

on Antiques & Collectibles

By Terry Kovel and Kim Kovel

saw a beautiful antique Chinese porcelain bowl at an auction. It was
Collecting Tip:
blue and white with painted dragons, and it had an unusual shape –
I rounded with a flared rim. The description called it a “zhadou,” but Use an old nylon stocking bunched into a ball
did not say what that meant. to clean a rough-surfaced mirror frame, carved
A zhadou is a bowl for discarding used tea leaves and other table wooden piece, or other irregular surfaces.
scraps. They usually have a globular body, shoulders, a flared rim and a Terry Kovel
short foot. The shape resembles a squat vase. They are often porcelain, Q: I have an antique clothes iron that belonged to my great-grandmother. It’s
but some are made from pottery or cloisonne. Some auctions may list cast iron with a wooden handle. It weighs 5 pounds and shows its age. Can you
them as spittoons. In the early 20th century, the word “zhadou” was tell me anything about the iron and its value?
translated into English as “leys jar” from a Dutch term. Now, it is usually
translated as “waste bowl” or “slop jar,” but these are not the same thing. A: Irons like your grandmother’s were heated on a stove burner or in a fire.
European and American waste bowls, often part of 19th century silver The wooden handle made the hot, heavy iron easier to use. A feature of solid
or porcelain tea sets, are shaped like conventional bowls with straight cast iron is heat retention. Today, they are often used as decorations.
They make great doorstops and bookends because of their heavy weight and
sides and a round base. Some may be more elaborate, with features like
a pedestal base, flared rim or side manageable size. A flat iron similar to yours recently sold for $30.
handles. Slop jars are not part of a ***
table setting. They usually have Q: I have an old, framed print with three women in period clothing. It says “La
handles and often have lids. They are Mode Illustree” below the figures. The artist is Heloise Leloir, and it was made in
used in a bathroom. 1870. Can you tell me anything about the print and is it valuable?

A: La Mode Illustree was a successful French fashion magazine in the late
A zhadou is a bowl for discarding table 1800s. It was known internationally and was the most popular fashion
scraps. This one sold for $7,680 at Nadeau’s magazine in the world. Heloise Leloir was the magazine’s well-known fashion
Auction Gallery. illustrator and painter. Many of her illustrations for the magazine were made
into collectible prints, like yours. Leloir also illustrated the famous novels The
Three Musketeers and The Count of Monte Cristo. Some of her original illustra-
arly 20th-century farms and households had many unusual tions are in the permanent collections of museums. Framed prints similar to
appliances with identities and purposes yours have recently sold for $12 to $20.
Ethat have been lost to time. Look at this ***
device with toothed wheels and a hand crank Q: I have a very old chest that was already an antique when we bought it 40
that sold for $266 at Conestoga Auction years ago. I was told it was called a “bonnet chest.” It’s 56 inches high and has
Company in Pennsylvania. Is it a kitchen nailed rabbet dovetailed joints. I don’t know much about it or how to find out.
gadget – perhaps a fruit or vegetable peeler? I might be willing to sell it.
Some kind of grinder or chopper? In fact, it’s a
mechanical rope twister. A: Bonnet chests have a compartment or drawer large enough to hold a
In the early 1900s, farmers made their own woman’s bonnet. Large bonnets were popular in the 1800s, but bonnet chests
rope. Most people buy it ready-made today. were made even after the fashion changed. Rabbet joints have a recess in the
The buyer probably intended to keep this rope edge of the wood, where it is joined to another piece of wood. This technique
twister as an antique instead of using it as a tool. has been used since the 1400s and is still being used, so it doesn’t help date the
But someone crafty, curious or very dedicated piece. Without a maker’s name or provenance, it’s not possible to tell the age
to “do-it-yourself” can buy modern, usable rope or value of your bonnet chest. Value depends on the style, wood, and condi-
twisters or kits online. tion. A mahogany English Regency chest with two bonnet drawers, c. 1850,
56-inches high, sold for $406. A walnut and poplar chest, c. 1825, 49-inches
high, sold for $175. You can get an idea of value by searching online to see
Antique tools can be interesting collectibles. This gadget, what similar bonnet chests have sold for at auction. It is easier to sell furniture
a mechanical rope twister, has a patent date of 1901. locally and save on shipping.

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.
CURRENT PRICES
Pottery, plate, Mashiko, stylized fruit tree, speckled Jewelry, bracelet, bangle, wood, eight applied Clothing, pocket, patchwork, brown binding and
ground, tan and brown triangles around rim, diamonds, brilliant cut, stepped 18K gold settings, ties, white backing, blue opening, New England,
Sakuma Totaro, 10 inches, $25. interior plaque, Christian Dior, 1 inch wide, 8 1/2 19th century, 12 1/2 x 10 inches, $820.
inches, $1,250.
Toy, Road Grader, driver, orange paint, cast iron, Peking glass, vase, white, carved, high relief dragon
nickel-plated grader blade, white rubber tires, Handel, lamp, desk, bronze, pink slag glass shade, scrolls, low relief leaves on neck, flared rim, round foot,
Kenton, 1920s, 7 1/2 inches, $125. eight panels, trees, curved stem, adjustable, round engraved mark, Chinese, 10 1/2 inches. pair, $340.
foot, fabric label, 15 inches, $490.
Majolica, urn, on pedestal, relief grapevine around Steuben, centerpiece bowl, Pomona green, blown
rim, relief lion’s masks on pedestal, four-lobed base, Trivet, horseshoe shape, three legs, shoe-shaped feet, glass, flared lip, applied black rim, round foot, ground
multicolor, 22 x 9 inches, $190. early 19th century, 2 x 5 x 6 inches, $160. pontil base, early 20th century, 5 1/2 x 12 inches, $60.
Paper, ticket, Woodstock Music and Art Fair, black Textile, rug, Navajo, yellow ground, flowers, birds, Advertising, poster, Levi’s, two cowboys lighting
print, red numbers, unused, $7.00, Sat. Aug. 16 & red and black serrated borders, attributed to Ason Ti cigarette, “Without A Match,” multicolor, painted,
Sun. Aug. 17, 1969, 2 x 5 inches, pair, $775. Yellowhair, 1968, 126 1/2 x 76 1/2 inches, $3,075. Velvetone Poster Co., 72 x 29 inches, $4,305.
Terry Kovel and Kim Kovel answer readers’ questions sent to the column. Send a letter with one question describing the size, material (glass, pottery), and what you know about the item. Include
only two pictures, the object and a closeup of any marks or damage. Be sure your name and return address are included. By sending a question, you give full permission for use in any Kovel product.
Names, addresses, or email addresses will not be published. We do not guarantee the return of photographs, but if a stamped envelope is included, we will try. Questions that are answered will appear
in Kovels Publications. Write to Kovels, Journal of Antiques and Collectibles, King Features Syndicate, 628 Virginia Dr., Orlando, FL 32803, or email us at collectorsgallery@kovels.com.
46 Journal of Antiques and Collectibles