Q: This is a photo of a hard rock maple dresser with an adjustable mirror. It has an image of a spinning wheel in relief on the top drawer. The set includes the dresser; a full bed with a headboard, footboard and side rails; and a chest with four drawers. The image on the footboard is of a woman at a spinning wheel. The set has been in my family for at least 75 years and is in excellent condition. I could not find a manufacturer’s mark.
I would like to know whether it is an antique or it is simply old and also any other information you could provide.
A: Your set of hard rock maple bedroom furniture was made around 1950. Several furniture factories made pieces decorated with a variety of motifs in relief. A few of the most popular designs included spinning wheels, stagecoaches, covered wagons, nautical themes and Davy Crockett. At first glance, your furniture appeared to be made by Virginia House. But because Virginia House always marked its furniture with a trademark, it is unlikely that Virginia House made your set. Several other factories produced similar lines of bedroom sets, including Ethan Allen, Tell City and Huntley-Hill-Stockton.
Your set would probably be worth $600 to $1,200. If you could identify the maker, it could be worth more.
Q: This mark is on the bottom of a porcelain vase that I have. It is decorated with pastel flowers and green leaves, all in relief against a cream background. My vase stands about 8 inches tall, has gold trim and is in perfect condition. It was a gift from a great-aunt and has been sitting in my china cabinet for years.
I don’t know anything about its history. If you could provide some information about its vintage, maker and value, I would be grateful.
A: The mark you enclosed was used around 1910 by Amphora Porcelain Works. The pottery was founded by Hans and Carl Reissner, Rudolf Kessel and Edward Stellmacher in Turn-Teplitz, Bohemia, in 1892. They produced hand-decorated porcelain and earthenware that appealed to both Europe and the United States. Your vase was made in the late 1800s or the early 1900s and would be worth $250 to $325.
Address your questions to Anne McCollam, P.O. Box 247, Notre Dame, IN 46556. Items of a general interest will be answered in this column. Because of the volume of inquiries, she cannot answer individual letters.
