It was more important to own a clock in the 1800s than it is now. Home clocks had to be wound at least once a week to keep accurate time. This 1800s Dutch clock had chimes and an entertaining moving scene of ships and fishing. It sold in Massachusetts for $3,444. (Cowles Syndicate Inc.)

It was more important to own a clock in the 1800s than it is now. Home clocks had to be wound at least once a week to keep accurate time. This 1800s Dutch clock had chimes and an entertaining moving scene of ships and fishing. It sold in Massachusetts for $3,444. (Cowles Syndicate Inc.)

Early 19th century Dutch wall clock entertains with automata

Sometimes identifying and dating an antique seems easy, but it fools you.

An unusual wall clock was offered at a recent auction. It was labeled “Friesland wall clock with automata, 1800.” Friesland is a section of Holland where people have been making clocks since the 1600s. Automata, of course, are the moving figures — in this case, boats — that are included below the clock dial for decoration and amusement.

There was a moving scene with a woman milking a cow, a fisherman with a fish and three ships with sails. The clock also struck at an hour and half-hour. The clock case has windows that show the moving pendulum. Add to that the decoration of the case and dial, painted-iron Roman numerals, pierced brass hands and mahogany marquetry trim on the wooden case and hood.

It had many characteristics of an early 1800s Dutch clock. It was the oldest and the most expensive of many Friesland wall clocks in the sale. Bidders also were sure it was an early clock and the winning bid was $3,444.

Q: I’d like to get some information and the value of a child’s coffee or tea service with a teapot and lid, six cups and saucers, a creamer and sugar bowl with lid. The pictures on the pieces are of Snow White and the seven dwarfs. The mark on the bottom of the pot is a crown and the words “Creidlitz Made in Germany,” with “Bavaria” written above the crown.

A: Porcelain Factory Creidlitz was in business in Creidlitz, Bavaria, Germany, from 1913 until at least the 1980s. The company made coffee and tea sets, tableware, giftware, decorative porcelain and technical porcelain, including switches and sockets. The value of your Snow White tea set is about $100.

Q: I have a small cut-glass bottle that has a glass stopper and a silver cap. The bottle is rectangular, about 4 inches long by 1⁄2 inch wide. I read that in Victorian times, a widow would collect her tears in a vial. Could my bottle be one of these?

A: Tear collecting is referenced in the Old Testament of the Bible, in ancient Roman and Greek writings, and in Victorian poems and novels, but whether tear collecting was fact or legend is unclear. In the mid-1800s, when Victorian mourning customs became popular, it is said vials were used to collect tears wept for the departed loved one. Later, the tears were sprinkled on the grave to signify the end of official mourning.

Another version of the custom claims mourning would last until the tears evaporated. It’s difficult to imagine how a crying person could coax their tears into such a small bottle, but it makes a very romantic image. During the Victorian era, glass bottles were made with decorative caps, and were similar in shape to some scent bottles.

Your bottle, cut glass with a silver filigree cap, is worth about $30. If there is a mark on the silver maker’s mark on the cap, it will be worth more.

Q: When my mother passed away, she left a bowl commemorating the 1939 New York World’s Fair. It’s round, 10 inches wide, and the stamp on the bottom shows it was made as a souvenir by Paden City Pottery, Paden City, West Virginia. I am interested in finding out its value and where I might find an interested buyer.

A: Your 1939 World’s Fair bowl made by Paden City Pottery is worth from $35 to $50 in a retail sale, depending on its condition. The brightly colored Art Deco design on the center pictures stylized symbols of the fair, along with musical notes and gilt trim. Some also have a red band on the edge.

It may be of interest to collectors of Art Deco items or World’s Fair memorabilia. Collectors from both groups can be found online. Anyone who sells collectibles has to get them somewhere, and many buy from people like you to resell. You probably will be asked how much money you expect to get.

Q: Do people still collect pewter ice-cream molds? Are they safe to use? I thought it would be fun to get a mold shaped like a baby to use for a baby shower.

A: There still are collectors of the metal molds, but they are much harder to find than they were years ago. The government decided that the lead in the molds was dangerous and ice-cream figures could not be made at ice-cream shops to be eaten by the public.

We know several men who worked for ice-cream manufacturing companies who bought barrels of the useless molds. They started selling them to antiques collectors and started a hobby. Today the molds are plastic, not metal. There are vintage tin chocolate molds available at some shows. Both kinds of molds were used from about 1880 to 1950. The price of the mold depends on the maker and the size. The larger the more expensive. To use a mold, you need all the clips and other parts that holds the mold together after it is filled.

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.

Piglet creamer, figural, painted pottery, pink cheeks and pale-blue ears, shaped open top to pour, curled tail forms handle, 1950s, 3 x 5 inches, $15.

Advertising tin, Ox Heart Brand Peanut Butter, heart shaped fruit on leafy branch, yellow paint, bale handle, lid, 1930s, 31⁄2 inches, $50.

Stein, salt-glazed pottery, white, cobalt-blue shamrocks, curvy stems, metal dome lid, push lever, Merkelback & Wick, c. 1905, 6 inches, pair, $165.

Grain shovel, farming tool, hand-carved, one piece of wood, paddle-shaped, cylindrical handle, c. 1870, 51 x 10 inches, $230.

Sterling-silver carving set, fork and knife, large roast carver, reeded handles, repousse flowers and scroll, Towle, 1898, $310.

Waffle maker, cast iron, round, five hearts and center star, tiny hearts mold, flared base with rim, bale handle, Griswold Erie, c. 1905, $450.

Appliqued quilt, American Glory pattern, spreadwing eagle, flowers, scrolling vine border, white, red and teal, 1950s, 80 x 90 inches, $580.

Imari teapot, brocade and flower panels, plum blossoms, vines, red and white, green and gilt, inset lid, ball finial, 1800s, 10 x 5 inches, $1,135.

Doctor’s stool, metal, round leather seat, nail back trim, adjustable, baluster post, scroll legs, steel castors, 1920s, 28 x 13 inches, $1,700.

Pocket watch, 14-karat yellow gold, diamond four-leaf clover, beaded pearl border, chain, opal slide, velvet case, Invicta, 1897, 1 inch, $2,185.

Talk to us

> Give us your news tips.

> Send us a letter to the editor.

> More Herald contact information.

More in Life

What’s Up columnist Andrea Brown with a selection of black and white glossy promotional photos on Wednesday, June 18, 2025 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Free celeb photos! Dig into The Herald’s Hollywood time capsule

John Wayne, Travolta, Golden Girls and hundreds more B&W glossies are up for grabs at August pop-up.

Rodney Ho / Atlanta Journal-Constitution / Tribune News Service
The Barenaked Ladies play Chateau Ste. Michelle in Woodinville on Friday.
Coming events in Snohomish County

Send calendar submissions for print and online to features@heraldnet.com. To ensure your… Continue reading

Edmonds announces summer concert lineup

The Edmonds Arts Commission is hosting 20 shows from July 8 to Aug. 24, featuring a range of music styles from across the Puget Sound region.

Big Bend Photo Provided By Ford Media
2025 Ford Bronco Sport Big Bend Increases Off-Road Capability

Mountain Loop Highway Was No Match For Bronco

Cascadia College Earth and Environmental Sciences Professor Midori Sakura looks in the surrounding trees for wildlife at the North Creek Wetlands on Wednesday, June 4, 2025 in Bothell, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Cascadia College ecology students teach about the importance of wetlands

To wrap up the term, students took family and friends on a guided tour of the North Creek wetlands.

Mustang Convertible Photo Provided By Ford Media Center
Ford’s 2024 Ford Mustang Convertible Revives The Past

Iconic Sports Car Re-Introduced To Wow Masses

Kim Crane talks about a handful of origami items on display inside her showroom on Monday, Feb. 17, 2025, in Snohomish, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Crease is the word: Origami fans flock to online paper store

Kim’s Crane in Snohomish has been supplying paper crafters with paper, books and kits since 1995.

The 2025 Nissan Murano midsize SUV has two rows of seats and a five-passenger capacity. (Photo provided by Nissan)
2025 Nissan Murano is a whole new machine

A total redesign introduces the fourth generation of this elegant midsize SUV.

A woman flips through a book at the Good Cheer Thrift Store in Langley. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Pop some tags at Good Cheer Thrift Store in Langley

$20 buys an outfit, a unicycle — or a little Macklemore magic. Sales support the food bank.

The Mukilteo Boulevard Homer on Monday, May 12, 2025 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
‘Homer Hedge’: A Simpsons meme takes root in Everett — D’oh!

Homer has been lurking in the bushes on West Mukilteo Boulevard since 2023. Stop by for a selfie.

Sarah and Cole Rinehardt, owners of In The Shadow Brewing, on Wednesday, March 12, 2025 in Arlington, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
In The Shadow Brewing: From backyard brews to downtown cheers

Everything seems to have fallen into place at the new taproom location in downtown Arlington

Bar manager Faith Britton pours a beer for a customer at the Madison Avenue Pub in Everett. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Burgers, brews and blues: Madison Avenue Pub has it all

Enjoy half-price burgers on Tuesday, prime rib specials and live music at the Everett mainstay.

Support local journalism

If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.