Even an Empty Drawer Holds Secrets
An empty drawer can help to determine the history of a piece of furniture if the clues are followed.
Pull out the drawer. Look at the way the sides are joined to the front. The earliest drawers were made with nail joints. By the mid-17th century, the dovetail joint was used. Generally, the fewer and larger the dovetails, the older the drawer.
By the end of the 1800s, machine-made dovetails were used. These are easy to recognize, as they are small and the same size. Drawer slides should show wear and repair if the piece is more than 150 years old.
In the 18th century, the wood seen underneath a drawer was slightly rounded because it was shaped by hand, not made from a pre-cut board. Early drawers had bottom boards with the grain running side to side, but by the 1750s the drawer boards ran front to back. The English favored oak as the wood used for the inside parts of drawers; American cabinetmakers usually used pine or another local wood. And English drawer parts are thinner than American.
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Question: Among my attic treasures is a glass plate decorated with cigar bands. The bands are pasted to the bottom of the glass so they can be seen through the top. It must be close to 100 years old. Were they sold in stores or hand-crafted?
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Answer: At the turn of the century, cigar-band collecting and home crafts were popular. People could buy craft sets that included a felt-backed plate, 100 cigar bands, a centerpiece label and the other supplies required to create the kind of plate you found in your attic.
The kits sold for 50 cents in 1906. Today, plates sell from $50 up.
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Q My aunt started collecting small ceramic chickens and roosters in the 1950s. They are colorful and look cute displayed in her kitchen shelves.
The marks on the bottom vary. Some read “Lefton’s” and some “Napco.” Can you give me any information about the marks and what the figures are worth?
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A The figures marked “Lefton’s” were imported from Japan by the George Zoltan Lefton Co., founded in Chicago in 1941. Those marked “Napco” were imported from Japan by the National Pottery Corp., founded in Cleveland in 1938.
The figures sold for just a few dollars each when they were first made. Today, each is worth $15 to $30, depending on the quality and condition.
Current Prices
Current prices are recorded from antique shows, flea markets, sales and auctions throughout the United States. Prices vary in different locations because of local economic conditions.
* Indian-head noisemaker, head on one side, Indian playing tambourine on other side, wooden handle, Japan, 1950s, 5 inches, $55.
* Ezra Brooks turkey-shaped bottle, white, 1971, $70.
* Sigi Pineda silver wishbone pin with green stones, Mexico, 2 1/2 inches, $140.
* Pressed glass compote, Horn Of Plenty pattern, 7 inches, $155.
* Cartes de Visite of General Brigadier William Whipple, standing, 1826-1902, Wenderoth & Taylor backmark, signed with rank on back, $220.
* Lladro figurine, Nature’s Bounty, No. 1417, 1982, $230.
* “The Moose Call,” N.C. Wyeth, No. 404, copyright 1906 by Charles Scribners Sons, Indian in canoe blowing horn, wood, 15 by 11 inches, $605.
* Madame Alexander celebrity doll, Jane Withers, composition socket head, green eyes, real lashes, open mouth, 1935, 17 inches, $1,050.
* Cree Indian pouch, beaded red berries, blue flowers, colored flags, c. 1880, 5 3/4 inches, $2,710.
* Walnut hanging corner cupboard, molded cornice over double door, interior shelves, c. 1780, 56 by 30 by 17 inches, $3,300.
