The antiques auction catalog stated there was a rare and valuable “veilleuse” in the next sale. That is a descriptive word a seasoned auction-goer would understand, but the antiques meaning is not in most dictionaries.
It is a French word that, when translated to English, means “sofa.” The second meaning in large dictionaries is “small nightlight.” But the current meaning for antiques buyers is an object that is used to warm drinks near a bedside as well as serve as a nightlight.
A small teapot was added to the veilleuse in the early 1800s. The teapot was heated by an oil lamp. A three-part Gothic Revival veilleuse, made in about 1840, was auctioned in May 2015 for $1,476. It was decorated with hand-painted views of people inside a cathedral. The teapot and borders were covered with gold glaze. White beading was on most horizontal edges.
The auction catalog said it might have been decorated by Darte. A search online gave no information about Darte. But a 1950s French book about French porcelains identified the Darte brothers as makers and decorators of porcelain vases and serving pieces, which would include a veilleuse, in Paris after 1825.
Q: I found a set of six bent plywood chairs tagged “Thonet.” They look midcentury modern, and have a molded seat and an upright piece that supports a shoulder-height backrest. Do they have any value?
A: Mid-century modern furniture is popular today. Thonet is a well-known maker known for its bentwood furniture. Michael Thonet (1796-1871) began making bentwood furniture in the 1830s. He and his sons opened a factory in Vienna in 1853. The company still is in business and makes modern furniture and a modernized version of the original chair. A set of six molded plywood chairs recently sold for $350.
Q: I have a shadow box with the “Mysteries of the Rosary” below a picture of the Blessed Virgin. A knob on each side turns and scrolls through the different Mysteries. The box is 17 by 26 inches. On the back it says “Koenig Bros. 1912.” Can you tell me anything about this?
A: Jacob Koenig, was born in Germany in 1862, immigrated to the United States in 1883, and settled in Jersey City, New Jersey. He sold religious items door to door before starting Koenig Brothers. Scroll boxes like yours sell online for about $40.
Q: I have an “Ideal” chest slow cooker with round heating stones made by The Toledo Cooker Co. The metal label reads “No. 18, Patented April 14, 1914, Patented July 7, 1914.” Can you tell me about it and its possible value?
A: The patents were granted to Charles E. Swartzbaugh, who invented the fireless cooker. He founded the Peerless Cooker Co. in Buffalo, New York, in 1884. The company was renamed The Toledo Cooker Co. about 1900, after it moved to Toledo. By 1916, the company was making two lines of fireless cookers, “Ideal” and “Domestic Science.” The cookers worked something like today’s slow cookers, but were heated by hot stones, not a flame. Metal cook pots were set into a wooden box or chest insulated with asbestos. Cooking could be started early in the day and kept warm to continue cooking for several hours, which saved fuel and kept the kitchen cool. A recipe booklet issued by the company in 1917 claimed The Toledo Cooker Co. was the largest producer of fireless cookstoves in the world. Value of your cooker, about $100.
Q: I was given a set of dinnerware that belonged to my great-grandmother. She emigrated from Italy in the early 1900s, lived briefly in New York, and then moved to Providence. Pieces are white with green flowers and gold trim. Printed on the bottom of each piece: “Underglaze, J &E Mayer, JUNO.” I have 12 place settings and many serving pieces. I am anxious to learn about this dinnerware for my family history.
A: Joseph (?-1930) and Ernest (1857-1920) Mayer bought a water-powered pottery in Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania, and founded J &E Mayer in 1881. Their father had operated the Dale Hall Works in Burslem, England. The firm changed its name to Mayer Pottery Co. in 1888. The factory burned down in 1896, but was rebuilt on an even larger scale. After 1912, the company’s primary product became china for many different restaurants, railroads, ships, airlines and the military. Joseph’s sons continued the business, which was renamed Mayer China Co. in 1923. It became a subsidiary of Shenango China in 1964, was bought by Interpace in 1968, by Richard Rifenburgh in 1979, then by Syracuse China in 1984. The Beaver Falls factory closed in 1990, but Mayer China is still considered a Syracuse China Co. brand name. Given the mark, your great-grandmother’s Juno pattern dinnerware was made in the J &E Mayer era, between 1881 and 1888.
Tip: When moving furniture, the simplest way to keep doors closed and drop-leaf table leaves secure is to tie pantyhose around the pieces. Pantyhose are soft and will stretch. And always pick up a table by the apron, never pick it up by just the top.
Write to Terry Kovel and Kim Kovel at Kovels, The Herald, King Features Syndicate, 300 W. 57th St., New York, NY 10019.
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.
Pedestal, oak, carved, column shaft, turned base, 4 paw feet, c. 1920, 30 x 123/4 inches, $70.
Map, New Orleans, color, parishes marked, Rand McNally Atlas, mat, frame, 1892, 131/2 x 11 inches, $120.
Picture, memorial, flowers, human hair, deep shadow box, oval, applied floral rim design, c. 1880, 131/2 x 12 inches, $150.
Trivet, hearth, kettle stand, brass, pierced platform, spread-wing bird, turned wood handle, wrought iron frame, penny feet, 14 x 15 inches, $230.
Hall tree, Art Nouveau, oak, carved, shield shape beveled mirror, copper plate coat hooks, upper shelf, slatted back, glove box, umbrella stands, drip trays, England, c. 1900, 751/2 x 31 x 111/2 inches, $385.
Quilt, Amish, patchwork, Barn Raising, black, lavender, cotton, Pennsylvania, early 1900s, 66 x 64 inches, $565.
Pedal car, Murray, Torpedo, Buick, pink painted body, nickel &black trim, 1950s, 36 inches, $765.
Silver, sugar vase, waisted, footed, geometric scrolled handles, bird shape cast finial, 11 inches, $840.
Automaton, singing bird, on branch in cage, brass, Germany, early 20th century, 12 x 61/4 inches, $1,185.
Rookwood, jardiniere, multicolor leaves, standard glaze, incised Kataro Shirayamadani, c. 1890, 101/4 x 7 inches, 1,840.
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