Today, “zero waste” may be a movement, but in the past, it was a necessity. Scraps were repurposed not out of environmentalism, but because they were too valuable to throw away. Folk art and crafts turned discarded material into useful and beautiful items.
For example, a colorful wallpaper box with a pincushion top sold for $468 at the Conestoga Auction Division of Hess Auction Company. It was made in Pennsylvania in the 19th century. At 4 1/2 inches tall by 7 1/2 inches long, the oval ribbon box must have taken small amounts of wallpaper and fabric. It was probably made from scraps of both, giving them new life as something with multiple purposes.
Sewing was a necessary household skill, making the pincushion an essential tool and ensuring its maker had the skill to create it. The box, described in the auction listing as a ribbon box, may have held more sewing supplies.
Wallpaper boxes were also a popular craft at the time. They are often called bandboxes, after their early use for holding collar bands, but were made in many sizes for storing all sorts of items. They were usually made of pasteboard, covered in wallpaper, and often lined with newspapers. Some wallpaper companies made their own, possibly as a way to promote their products or use up remnants, but many people made them at home, too.
Today, some people are learning these old-fashioned crafts as ways to repair and reuse material that would ordinarily be thrown away and end up in a landfill. Another way to keep things out of landfills, of course, is to shop vintage and buy antiques!
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Q: My grandmother, who passed away in 1976, left me a vase that I would like to identify. It is a heavy black pottery that I have not seen anywhere else. It is about 10 inches tall and has raised designs, and there is a mark on the bottom, but it’s too blurry to read.
A: Your vase sounds like basalt, a type of fine-grained, unglazed stoneware pottery that Josiah Wedgwood invented in the 18th century. The most famous pieces are by Wedgwood, but many other potteries, especially in England, have made it since then. It is usually black, but can be made in other colors.
It is difficult to determine its value without a date or known maker, but black basalt vases in similar sizes to yours usually sell for about $150 to $250. The basalt pottery that gets the highest prices is usually modeled after antique Greek and Roman vessels or has raised designs, especially human figures or flowers, in another color, which are often called cameo or jasperware.
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Q: I have an unusual framed picture with a raised image of a woman and a horse. It is a silver gray color, and I think it’s made of aluminum or cardstock. The picture is about 10 by 6 inches. I suspect it may be from about the time of World War II. Do you think it has any value?
A: You are probably right about the date of your picture, especially if it is aluminum. The aluminum pieces popular with collectors date from about 1900 to 1950.
Aluminum was extremely valuable in the 19th century; it was more expensive than gold until industrial production became possible in about 1850. Later production methods made it even less expensive and more readily available, making it a favorite material for decorative arts in the early to mid-20th century. It is especially popular in art deco and mid-century modern styles.
Aluminum postcards, often with embossed designs, were a novelty in the early 20th century. Some companies made embossed aluminum business cards or even playing cards as promotional materials. It is likely that your picture is a copy of an artwork, possibly made as a souvenir. Equestrian art is always popular with collectors. Based on the size and material of your picture, it is probably worth about $50 to $100.
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TIP: Restoring and reusing old things is the purest form of recycling.
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Kovels answers readers’ questions sent to the column. Send a letter with one question describing the size, material (glass, pottery) and what you know about the item. Include only two pictures: the object and a close-up of any marks or damage. Be sure your name and return address are included. By sending a question, you give full permission for use in any Kovel product. Names, addresses or email addresses will not be published. We do not guarantee the return of photographs, but if a stamped envelope is included, we will try. Questions that are answered will appear in Kovels Publications. Write to Kovels, (Name of this newspaper), King Features Syndicate, 300 W. 57th Street, 41st Floor, New York, NY 10019, or email us at collectorsgallery@kovels.com.
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CURRENT PRICES
Current prices are recorded from antiques shows, flea markets, sales and auctions throughout the United States. Prices vary in different locations because of local economic conditions.
Pyrex, dish, divided, lid, Early American, oval, brown base, gilt motifs, 13 1/2 inches, $30.
Office technology, counter, mechanical, metal, key, marked, Durant Mfg. Co., 1920s, 3 x 8 1/2 inches, $45.
Textile, tapestry, Aubusson style, scenic, Les Amours Pastorales, Pastoral Love, figures in nature scene, 1800s style dress, bird cage on tree branch, frame, France, c. 1950, 43 x 48 inches, $110.
Print, Robert Rauschenberg, Earth Day, 22 April, collage of black and white photos, center perching bald eagle, block lettering, offset lithograph, limited edition, signed, frame, 36 x 27 1/2 inches, $175.
Window, leaded, large center flower medallion, red and orange, green leaves, light green arch, France, art nouveau, 26 x 46 inches, $190.
Jewelry, bracelet, silver, Aztec style, interlocking scroll panels, pin closure, Hector Aguilar, Taxco, mid-20th century, 7 x 1 1/4 inches, $260.
Bank, baseball player, holding bat, painted, red cap, blue uniform, coin slot on back, cast iron, A.C. Williams, 6 inches, $290.
Chinese Export, vase, bottle shape, flared scalloped rim, blue and white, landscape, calligraphy on reverse, blue seal mark, 20th century, 36 1/2 inches, pair, $540.
Furniture, desk, Widdicomb, model 4034, mahogany, white lacquer, open shelf, four graduated drawers, brass pulls, marked, c. 1950, 29 1/2 x 40 inches, $725.
Clock, tall case, D. Elias & Son, carved wood case, swan’s neck pediment with crest, turned columns, iron dial, painted, landscapes, moon phase arch, Wales, early 1800s, 91 inches, $1,320.
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