19th Century Miniature Salesman’s Sample
LW owns a miniature pine dry sink, the type, when in large scale, was used before indoor plumbing. They typically lined the basin with zinc, soapstone, or copper. The dimensions …
Meaningful Hindu Temple Shrine Tapestry
IP met me at Avalon Conservation Labs in Goleta with an antique piece of tapestry, about forty-two-inch square, framed inside a Lucite box. He got it from a family involved …
Exquisite Newel Post Gaslighting Fixture
BC in Carpinteria owns an ornate lamp. In the late 19th century people considered it an exquisite newel post gaslighting fixture, beautiful yet deadly. First let’s talk about the symbolism …
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 …