Warming Up Under a Coverlet
JU sent me an American Jacquard coverlet from the 1840s when almost all rural households owned one of these blankets. Quilts took a long time to make, and NOT from …
Saint Barbara Patron of Gunners
I begin my story of a 20th century two-foot long porcelain plaque of Saint Barbara, owned by JS, with this poem celebrating our city’s patron Saint, written in 1922 by …
American Brilliant Cut Glass Only a Fad?
It all began in 1876 with a rich dinner party hostess who viewed the Centennial Exhibition in Pennsylvania. There American glass blowers and cutters exhibited exquisite American Brilliant Cut Glass. …
The Book of Form and Emptiness
Have YOU experienced the phenomenon of psychometry? This is the ability to sense the ownership, relevance, and history of an object by TOUCH. If so, I want to hear from …
Baking: A Competitive Sport
HG owns a beautiful bronze medal, finished with French blue enamel, from the Institute International de la Boulangerie. A five-pointed star hangs from a blue enameled crown which hangs from …
Firefighter Medal with Deep Meaning
JR owns a vintage (1910-1920) firefighter brass medal, composed of a pin bar in the shape of an elongated bugle. A miniature fireman’s helmet accurately rendered dangles from it. They …
Silver Stirrups Helped Spread Culture
RF collects unique pieces of South American silver. He sent these photos of a pair of ceremonial lady’s silver stirrups, very tiny, and a solid sterling cuff bracelet. At four-and-a-half …
Meisterwerke of German Art Raises Questions
For years FR lugged around a pair of old, twenty-pound books, Meisterwerke of German Art by Carl Thonet Jutsum, 1883-4. He wonders if the collection of art pictured in these …
Donating or Selling China and Crystal
“ELIZABETH!! Where do I sell vintage China and crystal?” Well, the market doesn’t want MUCH of that stuff, but SOME folks out there do. There’s actually something for everyone. It …
Raise a Toast to this Ale Mug
PT sent me a VERY old cider or ale mug, which dates from (I believe) before 1820. In those days, what happened all around this large vessel? What did it …