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Silver with the .925 Assay Mark
By international treaty signed in the mid-1970′s all signatory nations recognize .925 as the silver content required for a sterling designation. Silver marked with only the .925 assay mark has likely been made after 1970. Earlier pieces may bear the .925 mark in conjunction with normal period hallmarks. Collectors should be aware that many earlier patterns have been reproduced in recent times and will frequently bear only this [...] Click here to continue reading.
The Colonial Period of American Furniture, 1720 to 1783
Technically, when we discuss American Furniture periods, we could begin the Colonial period all the way back to 1610 as the first settlements were indeed colonies of England and Holland. However, the term Colonial Period did not come into use until the 1920′s and by then the colonial 17th century had been designated the Pilgrim Period. To further confuse the novice, you will find many [...] Click here to continue reading.
Tsungani or Fearon Smith Jr.
Tsungani, is the younger brother of Don Lelooska. In 1996, after his brother’s death, Tsungani assumed the leadership role of the family and was given Don’s title of Chief. Today, Tsungani is the head storyteller and mask carver for the Lelooska Cultural Center and Lelooska Foundation.
Nantucket Lightship Baskets
The simple, sturdy oval and round woven Nantucket baskets, open or with lids, with handles or without, are fittingly the symbol of the industrious seafarers who made Nantucket Island the greatest whaling center in the world. The whalers aboard the lightships stationed near the island worked in shifts and in their spare time took up weaving baskets to sell ashore. Some of these early basketmakers were exceptionally prolific. Charles B. Ray, [...] Click here to continue reading.
The Chap Book Magazine
By October 1897 the brief, but influential run of The Chap Book had come to an end. Faced with financial difficulties and artistic differences, the firm ceased publishing their magazine and reorganized under the name Herbert S. Stone and Co. In the December 1896, issue, The Chap Book advertised fourteen previous Chap Book posters for sale. In its forty-two-month existence, sixteen posters were designed to advertise the magazine. The impressive [...] Click here to continue reading.
Frank L. Horton
The co-founder of the Museum of Early Southern Decorative Arts (MESDA) and a major contributor to the planning and restoration of Old Salem, the living history museum in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, Frank L. Horton passed away February 21, 2004. He was 85 years old.
The enormous impact that Horton made on the field of antiques is readily acknowledged by American decorative arts scholars. His contributions to historic preservation are easily recognized [...] Click here to continue reading.
Notes on Mechanical Features of Music Boxes
Feather Dampers: Music boxes generally have dampers to prevent a harsh grating sound from being heard as the cylinder pins strike the same vibrating tooth in rapid succession. Basically, most, but not all, of the early pieces had either no dampers or feather dampers, though some of the best early pieces had steel dampers arranged in some unusual ways.
Tooth or Teeth: One of the most basic [...] Click here to continue reading.
The Federal Period (1790 to 1830)
The Federal Period in American furniture history covers an important time frame in the formation of the United States. It begins just after the joining of the original 13 colonies with 2.5 million people into the first 13 states of the Union in 1787/1788 and it ends in 1830 with Andrew Jackson as the 7th President, 24 states in the Union and a population of approximately 12.8 million [...] Click here to continue reading.
Casas Grandes or Mata Ortiz Pottery
20th century pottery from the Casas Grandes, Chihuahua (Mexico) area has its roots in an archaeological period called the Buena Fe phase which began approximately 1060 A.D.. This was followed by the Paquime era in which Casas Grandes reached its peak as a thriving commercial center during the years 1210-1261 A.D.. During this time the pottery was traded from the Tropic of Cancer to the south, northwest as [...] Click here to continue reading.
Fairbanks-Morse Trainmaster
In 1823, a wagonmaker named Thaddeus Fairbanks built a foundry at St. Johnsbury, Vermont to manufacture cast-iron plows and stoves. One year later, his older brother Erastus joined the business, which was thereafter known as the E & T Fairbanks Company. Every wagon load of raw material that was delivered to their plant had to be manually unloaded onto a scale for weighing. When the brothers realized that their scale was inaccurate [...] Click here to continue reading.
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