Sunday, June 19, 2016
Part of the fun of collecting is learning something extra about the history of the piece.
This fish-shaped vase was sold at a Cowan auction in December 2015. It was described as “a hand-painted porcelain Chinese Export vase in the shape of a fish in water amid lotus blossoms.” It is 16 inches high. The condition description mentions some minor paint loss and damage to the fins.
Fish have special meaning to the Chinese, so a search for the story led to an extra explanation of the vase. The color and shape of the fish identifies it as a koi, a variety of carp. The breed originated in China and was named about 500 B.C. Chinese invaders took the fish with them to Japan, and by the early 1800s, Japanese farmers bred the koi as pets and for food in winter.
But there is more to koi history. Legend says a school of koi swam upstream to get to the top of the “Dragon Gate” mountain. Most of the fish turned back at the waterfall but one reached the top, and the gods rewarded it by turning it into a dragon. It is now thought to be the image of power, strength, perseverance, longevity, good fortune and a fulfilled destiny.
Putting the vase in a home brings all these traits. And it adds beauty while displayed on a table.
Q. I’ve heard that 1950s-’60s furniture is now collectible. We have a coffee table stamped “Declaration by Drexel” on the bottom. It also has numbers and “3/61.” There is a circle of 12 inlaid wood dots in the middle of the top. The top is 60 inches by 22 inches, and the table is about 15 inches high. What is it worth?
A. Midcentury modern is collectible now. It seems people want what their grandparents had, not what they grew up with. The Declaration line of Drexel furniture included dining room, living room and bedroom furniture. It was designed by Kipp Stewart and Stewart McDougall, popular California designers. Drexel Furniture Co. was founded in Drexel, N.C., in 1903. Drexel is now part of the Heritage Home Group in High Point, N.C., and the brand is called Drexel Heritage. The numbers indicate your walnut table with rosewood inlay was made in March 1961. If it’s in good condition, it will sell for a good price, but prices vary depending on where it’s sold. Some dealers in midcentury modern pieces price this table at more than $1,000, but one sold at auction a few years ago for $275, and it’s been offered online for less.
Q. I have a rectangular pressed-glass holder about 3 inches high, 2 inches wide, and 2 inches deep. It has embossed decorations on three sides and crosshatches on the back. What was it used for?
A. Glass holders like yours are sometimes sold as toothpick holders and sometimes as match holders. Toothpicks and matches were common household items in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Decorative toothpick holders made of glass, china or metal were pretty enough to use on the dining room table or nearby shelf. Matches were needed to light the fire in the kitchen stove, so a match holder was usually kept in the kitchen. The crosshatched back on your holder is the striking surface, so it could have been used as a match holder.
Q. I bought some stainless-steel flatware at a house sale and would like to know more about it. It has a flat finish and horizontal grooved lines on the handles. There is black inside the grooves, but it’s worn off on most pieces. The pieces are marked “Dansk Designs Germany” around an emblem that has four swimming ducks on it. When were these made?
A. Dansk is an American company started by Ted and Martha Nierenberg in 1954. The couple asked Danish designer Jens Quistgaard to design a line of flatware they could sell in the U.S. Your flatware is Variation VI, which was first made in 1957 and was made in Germany, Denmark and Finland. It was made both with and without black accents in the grooves. The black often wore off after long-term use. Quistgaard designed other flatware patterns as well dinnerware, serving pieces, and other items for Dansk. After several changes in ownership, Dansk became part of Lenox in 2009.
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