Ringing Up a Buckeye Bell
TP has a larger bronze bell, which, with its handle, measures 3 ft. The bell bears the mark for The Buckeye Bell Foundry, Cincinnati. I suspect this bell, at 12-inch …
Market for DINING objects DOWN
This month I experienced the honor of an interview for NerdWallet (really!) with Liz Weston, Associated Press and LA Times columnist. She welcomed my opinions on downsizing, especially for folks …
The Story Behind this Picasso
BP from Montecito sent me a Picasso print he picked up at a local estate sale. He knows the image is a print, but felt so enchanted by it that …
Signed Celebrity Photos Fraught with Pitfalls
MC’s friend BD, a dancer still at 88, owns a collection of celebrity autographs from when she danced the “floor shows” in old Las Vegas (1952-56). BD performed at the …
An Australian Dream Painting for $10
JS from Santa Barbara sent me a “dotted” dream painting, with what she describes as illegible signatures. I asked her to bring it to my office for me to identify …
Martin Luther Bible, a Family Treasure
NW owns an old family Martin Luther bible passed down to her from her great grandfather’s family in Leipzig. The frontispiece reads: Martin Luther’s Kirchen-Postille, published by Stottmeier, Braunschweig, Germany, …
For the Love of Chinese Fingernails
JF sends me this image of what she thinks is a guard for Chinese fingernails, smuggled out of China by her great aunt in the 1950’s. JF wonders what it …
1950’s Ceramic Dachshund a Matter of American Taste
JE sends me this delightful 1950’s ceramic dachshund, which she received as a gift. She asked me what it actually represents in the history of American TASTE. Because I am …
A Remington? See/Smell it First
Imagine you’re an appraiser and TB sent you what appeared to be a copy of a famous painting “Caught in the Circle” by Frederic Remington (1861-1909)? TB’s painting sports a …
Sewer Tile Made Use of Leftover Clay
SP owns a primitive ceramic sculpture of a recumbent lion at 5” x 10”. Is it a bookend? No, it’s a sewer tile, although not a tile at all. This …