Antiques
Q. Can you quote pieces on wooden carousel figures? – Andy, Raleigh, N.C. A. A top price paid for a carousel figure of a St. Bernard dog by a master carver from the Philadelphia Toboggan Company was $174,900 at auction. Nearly 4,000 carousels were carved between 1880 and 1929. It wasn’t until the 1970s that collectors really began buying them up. Other manufacturers includes Gustave Dentzel, Allan Hershell and Daniel Muller. Usually animals from the outside row of this amusement were more detailed than those from the inside row and these bring higher returns. It is rare to find an animal with its original paint. When collectors use the term “park paint” in reference to the finish it means layers of paint that has accumulated over the years. A Dentzel pig can fetch $12,000 and Philadelphia Tobaggan Co. deer, $20,000.
Q. What is meant by the term “trundle bed”? – Carrie, Columbus, Ohio.
A. This low bed, with or without wheels, was capable to fitting under a higher bed when not in use. The ancient trundel bed experienced a revival in England and America during the 18th and 19th centuries. They were usually made for children and due to their diminutive size could be safely tucked away without occupying storage space. They are also known as “truckel beds.” They are considered scarce on today’s market. If you stumble upon a trundel, don’t fumble, buy it! Value guide: trundle bed, square posts, $450.
Q. Any data on needlework pictures? – Lucy, Margate, N.J.
A. Pictures created in needlework first became popular in the early 18th century. Printed fabrics forced embroiderers to turn their skills elsewhere. Many of the pictures depicted pastoral scenes and were worked on a linen canvas using woolen thread. Memorial or mourning pictures became popular a century later following the death of George III. An embroidered picture of Queen Esther and King Ahasuerus worked in colored woods with silk thread features the couple wearing crowns. Dated “1693” and embroidered in seed pearls, it sold for $4,200 at auction.
Current Prices
– Handbag, Lucite, inner mirror, stamped “Myles Originals of Miami,” $450.
– Tablecloth, Battenberg lace, round, 52 inches in diameter, $60.
– Chest, pine, painted, American, inscribed Uniontown, Pa., 1843, $2,100.
– Fishing, japanned box with 246 salmon flies, 1920, $3,000.
– Autograph, catalog page of paintings of Mao Tsetung, by Andy Warhol, $1,100.
– Miniature, portrait, oil on copper, signed “CHMP,” 17th century, $1,450.
– Paperweight, St. Louis, Modern, doily on turquoise, 1972, $700.
– Doll, Shirley Temple, vinyl, jointed wrists, 36 inches, 1960, $1,000.
– Clock, Huck Finn, United, moving fishing pole and fish, $175.
Write to Charles Mather in care of the Herald-Standard at Crown Syndicate Inc., P.O. Box 99126, Seattle, Wash. or call 206-285-1888.