Stoneware with a Salt Glaze
J owns a German saltware pottery ewer that couldn’t be more German if it tried. That style of blue relief decoration with a shiny surface dates back to the 14th …
Is it a real Van Gogh?
My 2024 article on how to decipher an illegible artist signature became a big success. Many people send me art to authenticate with questions of fakes and frauds. Gloria wishes …
Appraising Art for Homeowner’s Insurance Purposes
LW called while her friend’s house in the Palisades still smoldered. She asked this important homeowner’s insurance question: “Elizabeth, W didn’t have an appraisal for his contemporary lithography and modern …
Copeland-Spode Contained Delicacies
JE sent me photos of two pieces of a five-piece set of Copeland-Spode covered dishes circa 1900. Both the style and the form of the dishes point to the late …
Cruet Stand Tells Delectable Stories
This 1880s cruet stand, once the rage, tells delectable stories. HU sent me a round swiveling carousel of silver plate inset with five crystal cruets, topped with an elaborate silver …
Crystal Singing Bowl in G#
The Boys and Girls Club Thrift Store in Ventura seemed an unlikely place to find a Kundalini yoga ‘sound bath’ practitioner’s quartz crystal singing bowl. JE wrote me that her …
Aunt Frances’ White Damask Tablecloth
My daughter-in-law Meredith asked for the gift of the early 20th century white Damask banqueting tablecloth once owned by my great-aunt. Perhaps your family set tables this past season using …
Hotel Art
My family treated each other to two nights over the holidays at a bougie hotel experience in Encinitas instead of forcing one member to host Christmas. The pricey hotel experience …
Traditional Japanese Woodblock Prints by Yoshida
RF owns two exquisite Japanese woodcuts. She couldn’t make out the signature, but I did. Hiroshi Yoshida (1876-1950) became a leading artist of the Shin-hanga “new print” movement of the …
Connection to Order of Knighthood Medal
This early 19th century medal, an Order of Knighthood, may share a connection to my partner’s family history. You see, my partner’s last name is Flandrick, Province of Flanders, with …