German figurines depict where babies come from

Where do babies come from?

Explaining this to a child has required many imaginative explanations.

During the 19th century in the U.S. and Europe, the most popular answer was “the stork brought him” or “he was found in the cabbage patch.”

There are stories dating well before the 1600s that say a baby was found under a large cabbage leaf or was delivered by a flying stork.

For centuries, each country had a story.

The baby was brought from midwives, wild women of the forest, owls, foxes, a male water sprite, a raven or a crow.

The baby could be found under a gooseberry bush, or a lime tree in countries that didn’t grow cabbages.

No one really knew where babies came from until the 1680s, when the microscope and other discoveries helped scientists figure it out.

It was not until the 1830s that most people were convinced a man and woman, not a stork, made a baby.

In Germany, there was the legend of Der Kindlbringer, the bringer of babies. He carried a bundle of babies in a bunting, in a basket or on his back. He was dressed like a harlequin.

Several different German porcelain figurines that were made in about 1850 were sold at a Theriault auction on July 26, 2016, in Washington, D.C. The five-inch porcelain figure of a man carrying six babies sold for $513.

Q. I would like to get vintage champagne glasses to friends as an anniversary gift. I have been told that new glasses are flutes, but old ones are coupe-shape with round bowls.

A. Wine connoisseurs will tell you to serve champagne in a flute. That shape became popular about 1950, and blown-glass hollow-stem champagne glasses banned from many restaurants. The stems were too hard to clean. The flute replaced it for sparkling drinks. However, there recently has been a new way to serve champagne. Use a regular wine glass, probably a Bordeaux glass that has straight sides and tapers a bit to the rim. Some experts say these glasses let the aroma last longer. The bubbles look best in a flute, but any of these glasses can be correct for less-formal parties. The flute probably is expected for a diplomatic or royal affair. Remember: Fine crystal is thin and breaks easily. It must be carefully placed in a dishwasher, or better yet, washed by hand.

Q. We were recently given a collection of hatpins. They were passed on to us from my fiancee’s grandmother. We believe they are from around 1921. We’d like to sell them as a whole collection or individually to collectors. What is the best way to do this?

A. Women wore bonnets that tied under the chin until about 1860. Hatpins came into use when hats without ties became fashionable and the pins were needed to hold them on. Hatpins also were used to pin hairpieces on to create the puffy hairstyles popular in the late 1800s and early 1900s. When smaller hats and shorter hair became popular in the 1920s, hatpins were no longer needed. Hatpins have been made of a variety of materials, can be simple or ornate, and can be as long as 12 inches. They sell today for less than $15 to a few hundred dollars. Their value is determined by workmanship and the materials. Gold, silver or valuable jewels increase the hatpin’s value. The American Hatpin Society, (www.americanhatpinsociety.com) may be able to help you find someone interested in your collection.

Q. I have a doll that belonged to my mother, who was born about 1882. It’s a girl doll with long reddish-brown hair. The head and lower arms are ceramic, and the rest of the body seems to be thin leather. The eyes open and close. A leg once broke, and some stuffing came out that looks like sawdust. I can’t find any markings, so information would be greatly appreciated.

A. Your doll’s head and shoulders are made of bisque. It has glass eyes that open and close, which are called “sleep eyes.” Its body is made of kid leather. Dolls with kid bodies were popular in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Sheepskins were moistened, stretched and cut. The pieces were sewn together, first by hand and by the early 1900s, by machine. Then, the bodies were stuffed. Your doll probably was made by the J.D. Kestner & Co., which was active 1805 to 1938 in Waltershausen, Thuringia, Germany. About 1902, Kestner advertised dolls with bisque heads, sleep eyes, flowing hair wigs, teeth and kid bodies stuffed with sawdust, cork or hair. Kestner marks are on the back of the dolls’ heads, so maybe hair is hiding your doll’s markings. Your doll is worth about $400 to $600.

Q. I have a set of Crooksville China that was my mother’s. There are about 70 pieces, including serving pieces. All pieces are in good condition. The dishes are white with blue laurel leaves and green ribbons around the edge and a laurel wreath in the center of the plate. I’d like to know something about the dishes and value, if any, other than sentimental.

A. Crooksville China Co. was in business in Crooksville, Ohio, from 1902 to 1959. Most patterns did not have names. Sets of dinnerware are difficult to sell. Individual pieces are offered online for about $4 for a cup and saucer and $10 for a dinner plate. Serving pieces sell for more. You can see if a resale shop in your area is interested in them or you can donate them to a charity and take the tax deduction.

Tip

Remove dripped candle wax on a tabletop with a credit card. Scrape with the grain of the wood. When finished use furniture polish or wax to restore the top’s luster.

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