#Middlebury #Antiques
An auction catalog called this strange dish a vide poche. It’s a French term, but the English translation – “trinket box,” “pin tray,” “empty pocket” or “glove compartment” – wasn’t very helpful. It looks like a lopsided bowl made out of cloudy cameo glass with a bug, spiders and leaves molded on both inside and outside. The thick glass is brown, green and orange. It is 6 inches wide, 5 inches in diameter. The bottom has the signature “Daum Nancy” and a cross.
No, it is not a bowl that was overheated and melted. It is a vide poche, a French dresser storage dish, a vintage form that is no longer popular. It was made by Daum, a famous French glass company that is now called Cristalleries de Nancy.
But we know what, where and why it was made. Do you empty your purse or pockets each night? This is a sophisticated storage dish for money and keys used in about 1900, a sort of storage dish for things needed frequently. Daum is a glassmaker who worked in Nancy, France from 1875. The company used the Cross of Lorraine as a mark. This vide poche was estimated at a New England auction for $4,000 to $6,000.
Q: How do you tell a reproduction from the original when it comes to a bank? I have a Jonah and the Whale cast iron bank. It reads “Shepard Hardware Co., 1890” on the bottom.
A: The Jonah and the Whale mechanical bank was made by Shepard Hardware Co. of Buffalo, New York. The patent for the design was issued in 1890. Reproduction banks usually are slightly smaller than the originals. Check any iron that has lost its paint. Old cast iron is darker than new cast iron. If you see any rust, it’s new cast iron. Paint on an older bank should show some wear. If the paint on your bank is too bright to be old, it probably is a reproduction. An old, authentic Jonah and the Whale bank sold at auction for $1,650 in 2016. Reproductions sell for $50 to $75.
Q: How much is a book called “National Encyclopedia of Business and Social Forms” worth? It was published in Chicago by G.W. Borland & Co. in 1882. The book has a leather cover.
A: You can buy an 1880 edition of this book for $30-$85. The 1882 edition with hard cover, not leather, sells for $15-$37.
Current Prices
Mary Gregory, bell, amber cut to cranberry glass, girl, hills, Fenton, 6 inches, $20.
Rug, hooked, wide striped border, multicolor, grey center, black edge, c. 1900, 39 x 72 inches, $70.
Ceremonial hermit dance mask, painted and carved wood, bearded man, Mexico, 1950s, 10 x 6 inches, $200.
Silver basket, reticulated, pierced swing handle, repousse, garlands, baskets, swags, Germany, 13 3/4 x 10 1/2 inches, $600.
TIP: Most old majolica pieces have a colored bottom. The newer pieces have white bottoms.
For more collecting news, tips and resources, visit www.Kovels.com.
© 2019 King Features Synd., Inc.
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