ANSWER: IDENTIFYING MARK & PIECES

QUESTION: Thank you for your response to my Ask Yahoo question. The link you suggested was one I've checked and it didn't help. Since you invited me to ask you directly, here it is. Concerning antiques, my mystery ceramic mark is an arrow crossed with a sword, beneath is an L in script? The mark is in blue and the number, 6794 is below that. It's on the bottom of a sugar and creamer set, very elaborately decorated with flowers and leaves. The top edges of the pieces are sawtooth on both sides with goldleaf.
The last two pictures are also something I'm puzzled about…I think it's a sugar spooner, fairly hefty. On the bottom it says, The Henry Bruml Co. curved over an XIV, then a level New York...all of this engraved in the center of the bottom of the container.
Thanks so much for your help.
Maxine Booth

MARYANSWER:
Hi Maxine. As far as your porcelain sugar & creamer, they are pretty, but not very old. The pattern is transfer, note the mismatched seam in the pattern. These pieces are the Paisley Fantazia pattern sugar & creamer made by or imported by, Lefton in the 1970s. The mark on your item, the blue cursive L and the crossed sword & arrow mark is the 1971 trademark used by Lefton. There was most likely also a paper sticker on them at one time. The number is a production or pattern number. A cup & saucer in this pattern recently sold for $35.
The George Lefton Company was founded in Illinois in 1940 by George Lefton, a Hungarian Immigrant and fine porcelain collector. Lefton imports a wide variety of porcelain, glass and other products into the United States mostly from Japan.

Regarding your other photos, first it is a covered sugar. The Henry Bruml Company was an Advertising Novelty Company at 42 Warren Street, New York. Most of their pieces were found in and marked with the names of hotels, pharmacies, etc. Yours is a bit unusual because it does not have an advertising name. It may have been a restaurant piece. Most pieces marked Bruml are silver plate, so I assume yours is also. In a quick search, the only registered date I could find for Henry Bruml Company was 1930; they may have been in business for years before and after. From the looks of the photograph, the design of your piece fits in the 1920s-1930s art nouveau period. Most Bruml pieces sell within the $20-30 range.

Thanks for submitting your question.

ASK maryantiques.com
GET maryanswers!
antiques vintage mod & more
http://www.maryantiques.com/
we've got your ERA!

ANSWER: LIQUIDATING AN ESTATE

Another question maryanswered on a different Q&A...

QUESTION: How can I liquidate my mother's estate?

MARYANSWER: I am sure your Mom would have wanted you to benefit from her collections. If you live within 90 miles of New York City we handle estate liquidation http://www.maryantiques.com. If not I am sure there is a local service similar to what we offer, search , search, search....As others suggested, you might try a local auction house, they will auction entire house contents or entire collections. They will usually come to the house and evalulate it, no lugging... they take a commission, well worth it --they publicize your items and I agree, since their commission is based on the sale of your item, they work to sell it. Of course, if your items do not sell, you do have to bring them home yourself, but most will sell! Try http://www.auctionzip.com/cgi-bin/auctio... they list local auctions. Antique dealers will most likely offer you 30% or less of the items value. You might also try consigning at local shops too. Hope I've helped!

ASK maryantiques.com
GET maryanswers!
antiques vintage mod & more
http://www.maryantiques.com
we've got your ERA!

ANSWER: IDENTIFYING A SILVER HALLMARK - WB

QUESTION: I would like to identify the hallmark on an antiques silver plated gravy boat with 5 hallmarks, WB & Co S EPNS?


MARYANSWER: Without a photo it is hard to tell. WB or W.B. is also the mark for William Brearley - 1863 - 1872. W.B & Co is the mark for William Briggs & Co - 1875 - 1922. You would have to compare your mark to items made by all of these companies to be certain. There are wonderful silver and silverplate hallmark sites out there. These have photos of many makers marks, http://www.silvercollection.it and www.925-1000.com also Abes Silver (he charges a $3.00 fee - well worth it if you need to research!) The Silver Forum is also a valuable tool for learning about and researching silver / plate hallmarks. We have more resource links at http://www.maryantiques.com - resources & links page.

Thanks for submitting your question!
ASK maryantiques.com
GET maryanswers!
antiques vintage mod & more
http://www.maryantiques.com/
we've got your ERA!

ANSWER - CLEANING ANTIQUE GLASS

Linda P said...
wow -- I found your answer about cut vs. pressed glass really informative. Now I'll have to check all my vintage glass to sort out what's what.

QUESTION:
Does anyone know how to remove scale or lime deposits from glass vases? I have one square piece that must have been used as an aquarium and I can't get the scale out of it. Thanks for any suggestions!


MARYANSWER:
Thanks Linda P!
Chemicals in water causes lime scale buildup in glass... Your vase might have been used as an aquarium, it may have been in the ocean, under the kitchen sink or just used to hold flowers!! Any water residue may cause buildup: Glass must be cleaned and dried thoroughly to preserve its luster.

A good scrubbing with a soft brush and warm soapy water will remove most dirt, but is usually ineffective in removing scale stains. There are professionals whom clean antique glass. I have a few tricks you might want to try first.

Before we get started, a few don'ts ... First, never use hot water or any extreme temperature, you may crack the glass. Never scrub flint, flashed or stain glass, you will rub the finish off. To avoid scratching your glass, do not use abrasives. Do use a soft bristle brush which will not scratch your glass. Keep in mind, wet glass is slippery, wet soapy glass is an accident waiting to happen! Try wearing planter gloves with rubber grips and wash glass carefully over a soft plastic tub or foam liner in the sink.

One of the first things I try on scaled glass is Efferdent Denture cleaner (this also works on some porcelain stains...another post!) Follow the directions, let it sit. Then, use a soft brush or cloth and gently scrub the remaining lime away. From your vase description, you may have to try this more than once. Glass stovestop polishing creme with a soft brush may also work. Some use Lime Away or other bathroom lime remover. In extreme cases the chemical, muriatic acid will almost always work. If you chose this method to remove the scale, be sure to follow the directions and read all cautions on the label; wear heavy protective gloves and a mask to protect yourself from harmful fumes. Most chemicals do not mix with water and two chemicals may be dangerous if mixed together, so be sure your vase is clean and dry beforehand.

I glanced through a 1912 issue of The Houswife offered at maryantiques.com and found what could literally be called an, "old wives tale" ... A copper penny with a little white vinegar and some good but careful shakes. Of course, Bon Ami was the most advertised cleaner of that era. A newer tale ... rinse it with some Coca Cola: Another is to soak it with bicarbonate of soda /antacid. I have not experimented with these methods yet.

Remember to wash and dry your vase thoroughly after any treatment. Keep in mind, water residue .... and ceramic tile floors, are potentially damaging to your glass! Oh, for those who aren't sure … antique glass is not a good place to store your fish!

Thanks for submitting your question!

ASK maryantiques.com

GET maryanswers!

antiques vintage mod & more

http://www.maryantiques.com/

we've got your ERA!

ANSWER - Cut vs. Pressed Glass

QUESTION: Hi.
I have a question about identifying glass. How can you tell if a piece is cut or pressed glass and which is worth more?

Thanks for the help.

Linda

PS -- Great site by the way!

MARYANSWER:

Many people are confused about the difference between cut and pressed glass!

Cut glass is usually higher quality glass. Held to the light you will see a refraction of light that breaks into a prism color effect. However, there were some pieces of pressed glass that were very high quality and made to imitate cut glass. They may be mistaken for cut glass at first, but close inspection will reveal the difference…

Pressed glass is also sometimes referred to as Pattern glass, as it was a method that could be used to manufacture many pieces in the same style (pattern) in various colors. Pressed glass has the pattern pressed into the glass when it is molded. Pressed or Pattern glass will nearly always show the mold marks, a very thin raised line caused by glass filling the very small gap where the mold parts come together. Most pressed glass were made with three or four part molds, few were two. In other words, if you see two to four - or any - thin raised lines on your piece, it is pressed or pattern glass. Look closely, some pressed glass may have the mold mark disguised by part of the pattern.

Cut glass has the pattern cut after the basic shape has been molded. Cut glass will not show any mold marks, as they are cut away or polished off during the process of cutting the pattern.
Generally, even on the small intricate patterns, cut glass will have very well defined patterns, whereas pressed glass nearly always has a slight blurring on the details.
When you run your fingers over pressed or pattern glass the edges feel rounded. The feel of cut glass is sharper, as the glass was actually cut with a wheel to make the pattern.

As far as value, though cut tends to be slightly higher, there are significant collectors of each. As always, the maker, quality and demand determine the value!

Other Glass Notes:
EAPG is Early American Pattern Glass. EAPG period was about 1850 to 1915. Before that, most glass was not grouped into families with shared design (known as a pattern!). EAPG implies that the item belongs to one family or pattern. You can search for matching patterns online using maryantiques resources and links page

ABC is American Brilliant Cut glass. ABC is usually referred to as ABP, American Brilliant Period was about 1875-80 to 1920.

For more articles and information on this topic subscribe to our newsletter. Register (free) at www.maryantiques.com

THANKS FOR SUBMITTING YOUR QUESTION.
ASK maryantiques.com
GET maryanswers!

antiques vintage mod & more... www.maryantiques.com...we've got your ERA

ANSWER - Using Your Senses! - Testing Bakelite…

QUESTION: I just bought a bracelet and was told it is bakelite. How can I tell if it really is? Is there a test?

MARYANSWER:

Using Your Senses! - Testing Bakelite…

Many recommend using a hot needle or hot water to test items. Others use Dow Scrubbing Bubbles and Formula 409 for testing Bakelite.

Unless you really don’t care about your item maryantiques does not recommend these methods!!

A hot needle test will leave a hole or a tunnel if your item is plastic. Hot water may destroy an item made from celluloid. A little Dow Scrubbing Bubbles or Formula 409 rubbed on the item may determine if item is Bakelite (the rubbing cloth will turn yellow). However, if it is ivory or bone it may stain it. Also, you must make sure to wash all of the chemicals off and dry your item thoroughly to ensure no damage is done to your item.

In fact, other than using your senses … sight, hearing, touch, smell … there are no safe methods of testing Bakelite.

Use your sense of sight. A Bakelite item may be cast, laminated, inlaid, carved, and tinted almost any color of the rainbow. Bakelite can be transparent, translucent, or opaque. Bakelite colors, however, do change with age. The surface color tends to darken, and a patina develops. For instance, white Bakelite may become creamy ivory or a light yellow color. Very fine pits and scratches are also produced with wear.

Use your sense of touch. Feel the item. Bakelite tends to be heavy. It is heavier then plastic, celluloid and most of other similar materials. It is dense, once it has been heated and formed, it can not be melted down and re-formed.

Use your sense of hearing. When two pieces of Bakelite are tapped together they make a distinctive deep clacking noise, later plastics produce a high pitched clicking noise.

Use your sense of smell. Rub the item aggressively with a finger until it gets hot. Smell your item or finger. If it is Bakelite, you’ll notice an odor….an unforgettable carbolic acid smell.

THANKS FOR SUBMITTING YOUR QUESTION!
ASK maryantiques.com
GET maryanswers!

HOW TO SUBSCRIBE OR REGISTER

TO SUBSCRIBE TO OUR BLOG: you may either attach this blog to you’re My Yahoo or My Google, or subscribe to receive emails of new posts.
To subscribe please click on the Subscribe to Blog link in the top right corner or use the subscribe to post link at the bottom of this page. Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)

TO REGISTER AT maryantiques.com: this entitles you to receive our blog updates, our newsletter with more informative articles, information plus our latest collectible news!
To register please click on this link: Register at maryantiques.com

You may also bookmark these pages and check back often.

To leave a comment click on comments (next to the date under a post). On the comment screen, if you aren't a Google user or Blogger account holder choose Anonymous and you may leave a comment without registering....

THANKS!

mayantiques.com
we’ve got your ERA!
antiques vintage mod & more!