Antiques & Collecting

With the invention of the mechanical glass press in the 1800s, the glassmaking industry moved away from free-blown, hand-decorated pieces and embraced new ways to mass-produce inexpensive decorative glass. But not everyone wanted to leave the old ways behind.

Spatterware and spongeware pottery are often grouped together, with the names used interchangeably. While they look similar, with color applied in patches of tiny dots instead of brush strokes, they are different techniques.

Father’s Day is a good time to remember that many design firms of the 19th and 20th centuries were family businesses.

The phrase, “Stop, Look, Listen,” comes from the 1800s, specifically from the advent of railroads.

Garden gnomes are some of the most popular garden decorations and have been since the 1800s. They were first made in Thuringia, Germany, a region known for its ceramics.

A charm bracelet can be a thoughtful gift for Mother’s Day. Historically, bracelets have been linked to motherhood and family.

Nancy Dinelli-Prill, 90, passed away on April 26. She wrote a column for AgriNews, sharing her Italian roots and relating how a city girl learned to help “The Farmer.”

Talk about May flowers! The bright colors of the tulips on this charger could rival the real ones growing outside. And to think they’re over 300 years old.

In present-day houses, tile is usually a humble building material, limited to bathroom or kitchen surfaces for its durability and ease of cleaning.

Ceramics collectors know Newcomb College for its famous pottery. From 1895 to the 1940s, students at the college, which was, at the time, Tulane University’s coordinate women’s college, decorated the ceramics that Newcomb Pottery sold

Solar eclipses have fascinated observers for thousands of years. The ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle pointed to the round shadows that appear during eclipses as evidence that the Earth is round.

Many of us have a bread box in the kitchen. It’s usually a simple, purely utilitarian affair made of metal or plastic; nothing as fancy as a carved panetière like this one that sold for $1,408 at Neal Auction.

Glass can be notoriously difficult to identify. Signatures, if there are any, can be faked, molds can be reused, and glassmakers often imitated one another’s decorations. Stiegel-type glass is an excellent example.

Snakes and snake shapes often show up in decorative arts. They are among the oldest, most common symbols in history, standing for concepts like wisdom, healing and renewal.

Historically, there have been many ways to track time and account for the changes in daylight hours that come with the seasons.

According to author Arthur C. Clarke, “any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.” Look at magic lanterns, which even have “magic” in their name. They were used in Europe by the 1650s.

It’s probably no surprise that the tea trolley emerged in Victorian England.

Avid readers, do you find yourselves in a pickle when you lose your place in a book? All right, maybe that’s a little labored. Still, a brightly colored pickle-shaped bookmark can get your attention no matter what you say about it.

He’s not an official symbol of Valentine’s Day, but it seems like the right time to have the King of Hearts make an appearance. This King of Hearts enamel was made in 1946 by Kenneth Bates.

Amethyst, a variety of quartz with a vivid purple color, is the birthstone for February. Purple is a highly sought color for decorative glass.

Snails have a lot of negative associations. Their slow movement makes them a symbol of laziness and inefficiency. They are garden pests, eating plants and oozing slime. And yet they often appear in decorative arts.

It’s a current trend to buy inexpensive old furniture and alter it into something new. Some people may see this as disrespectful to history, but it’s a practice that has been going on for hundreds of years.

Now that we have electric lights and heating, lighting a fire in the fireplace feels like something special. Spend a few minutes in front of one, though, and you’ll remember why technology has moved on.

When the clock strikes midnight on Jan. 1, it’s time to open your new calendar and look ahead. Or, maybe you have a clock like this one, with a built-in calendar.

Would you believe that one of the most prominent figures in American art pottery came from England?

“Fantasy furniture” usually refers to postmodern pieces with whimsical shapes and unusual colors made from unexpected materials. Like many furniture styles, it’s older than you might expect.

As nights get longer and the days darker, it’s no wonder so many holiday traditions involve lights, from the Hanukkah menorah to strings of Christmas tree lights to Kwanzaa candles.

With a colorful image of a majestic turkey, this platter is ready for Thanksgiving.

One of the most popular and often most expensive categories of collecting is known as design.

Thanksgiving will be here soon, and while the best organizers among us may already have everything in place, most of us are probably still working through our shopping lists.

Veterans Day is a time to reflect on American history and those who made it. Fighting in World War I ended with a ceasefire on the 11th hour of Nov. 11, 1918.

Despite the antiquated greeting and old-fashioned art style, this card has familiar Halloween icons you might see on today’s decorations: a child in costume, jack-o’-lanterns, an owl, black cats and a full moon.

Collecting ceramics may be seen as traditional, even old-fashioned, but there is plenty of room for eccentricity.

If a piece of furniture is described as having paw or claw feet, it usually means they were carved or molded. For some pieces, like this table, furniture “legs” and “feet” can be taken literally.

Online grocery shopping and same-day delivery have exploded since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. Of course, delivery services are nothing new.

Fall is traditionally a time for harvest, and grapes are one of the fruits frequently picked in early October.

When we reach the autumn equinox, summer is officially over. That doesn’t mean you have to put sunshine and vacation fun entirely out of your mind. Isn’t that what mementos and souvenirs are for?

With its carved giltwood trim and rich velvet upholstery, this sofa would look right at home among the opulent baroque and extravagant rococo styles of the 18th century.

Identifying antique glass isn’t always easy. If you’re lucky, a piece may be marked, like this Phanomen vase, which is signed “Loetz Austria” on its pontil.

Trade unions played a crucial role in establishing Labor Day as a holiday. “Union Made” has long been a point of pride for American industries, as in this sign advertising Sweet-Orr clothing, which sold for $7,380.

Before the use of electric lights, lamps were designed to cast as much light as possible.

Enamel has been used in decorative arts since at least the Middle Ages. It was especially popular in Europe and Asia in the 18th and 19th centuries.

Memorial Day is a time to both honor individual memories and reflect on American history. Designers have drawn inspiration from American history for over 100 years.

Collectibles don’t need to be utilitarian. In fact, many of today’s collectibles have a purpose that has been lost to time.

Perfume is always a popular Mother’s Day gift. It combines luxury and sentiment and lasts much longer than a bouquet of flowers.

May means warmer weather, flowers blooming and more time spent outdoors, especially in the garden. It’s a place to sit, relax and enjoy the view of your beautiful plants and the birds and butterflies they attract.

Textiles are fragile and need special care. Dust, light, insects and moisture can damage them. Antique textiles in good condition are rare and often sell for high prices.

Furniture revivals have taken place since at least the 19th century and probably earlier. New technology made earlier ornate styles easier and less expensive to make — and, therefore, more accessible to the average buyer.

Collectors and makers alike know that there are many ways to decorate silver. It can have an engraved design or monogram. It can be pierced or reticulated with lace-like cutouts.

The Bonhams Skinner auction where this chair sold listed it as a Harvard University Windsor chair, bringing together two icons of colonial America.