Stickley’s Furniture Style Is Being Revived

Arts and Crafts or Mission style furniture has become so popular it is being reproduced by many prominent manufacturers.

The most famous of the original makers was Gustav Stickley, who made the heavy, plain oak furniture at the beginning of the 20th century. He worked with some of his brothers, as well as alone.

The five Stickley brothers were involved in at least eight furniture companies that made similar styles of furniture. One type made by Gustav Stickley is easily recognized because of its decorations. It was designed by Harvey Ellis, who was hired by Stickley in 1903 and died nine months later. His pieces often had inlays of pewter, copper and light woods. The designs were inspired by nature, but they look abstract to collectors today.

Very few Ellis pieces were made, but his designs influenced some of Stickley’s later designs. The high-back chair, the cabinets with wide, overhanging tops, and the curved aprons at the bottom of some cabinets were designs created by Ellis. Today some of the highest-priced pieces of Stickley furniture are those designed by Ellis. A cube chair recently sold for $154,000 at a Treadway/Toomey auction in Cincinnati.

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Question: A few of my great-grandmother’s possessions have been passed down to me. I especially like a cotton bandanna from Benjamin Harrison’s 1888 presidential campaign. It is red, white and blue and measures 22 1/2 by 21 1/4 inches. There are U.S. flags and stars around central portraits of Harrison and his running mate, Levi P. Morton. How rare and valuable is this item?

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Answer: Woven or printed textiles with political or military celebrities were popular in Europe before the American Revolution, and this country continued the idea. Presidents from George Washington to Bill Clinton have been pictured on scarves, pennants, quilts and handkerchiefs. Printed bandannas or handkerchiefs like yours were especially popular at the end of the 19th century. Your bandanna is worth about $200.

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Q My old pin is stamped with a trademark and the word “gold.” The jeweler says it does not test as gold, but as a base metal. How could that be?

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A In the past, “gold” or “silver” was often stamped on a piece of jewelry or tableware with no guarantee that it was true. The National Gold and Silver Stamping Act of 1906 set standards for quality marks like “14K.” It restricted the use of vague words such as “silver” instead of “sterling silver.” There have been other laws since 1906 that make mismarking metals illegal.

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Q My grandmother lived from 1870 to 1972. She left me an 11-inch-tall bisque doll figurine that she had as a child. It is a blond, seated baby wearing a jumpsuit that’s falling over the doll’s shoulders. There are two stamped circular marks on the bottom. One reads, “Made in Germany,” and the other shows a sunburst above the superimposed letters “GH.” Can you tell me who made it and what it’s worth?

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A Your seated bisque doll was made by Gebruder Heubach (Brothers Heubach), a company founded in Thuringia, Germany, in 1822. Gebruder Heubach made dolls, dolls’ heads, figurines, and decorative and household porcelain. The sunburst mark you describe was used beginning in 1882. Depending on your doll’s size and condition, it is worth between $500 and $800.

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Q When were soup ladles first used?

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A The idea of a ladle to serve liquids probably started in the 18th century, when dinners were served with more style. The punch ladle was the first. Soon after came the gravy and soup ladles. The soup course was important. It was always served first.

Each guest was given the same amount of soup, measured by using a ladle to serve. The soup ladle was an important piece of silver, and silversmiths made elaborate handles with special designs to enhance them. It was not often made to match the other silverware.

Silver ladles changed from the plain, heavy pieces in the 18th century to larger, flower-bedecked pieces in the late 19th century.

For a listing of helpful books and publications, include a self-addressed, stamped (55 cents) envelope to Kovels, Los Angeles Times, King Features Syndicate, 235 E. 45th St., New York, NY 10017.

Current Prices

Current prices are recorded from antiques shows, flea markets, sales and auctions throughout the United States. Prices vary because of local economic conditions.

* Advertising card, Clark’s Thread, Cliff House, Seal Beach, San Francisco, 1890, 5 by 7 inches, $26.

* Celluloid comb, openwork pattern, pale green, green rhinestones, 1910, 19 inches, $110.

* Chippendale-style wingback armchair, made by Baker, upholstery, mahogany finish, 38 1/2 inches, $225.

* Mickey Mouse figural soap, box, W.D.E., 1930s, 5 inches, $245.

* Rockingham pitcher, spaniel form, mottled-brown glaze over clear, 27 inches, $310.

* Pressed glass candlestick, dolphin shape, hurricane shade, 16 inches, pair, $315.

* Armand Marseille doll, Florodora, bisque head, composition jointed body, sleep eyes, open mouth, 27 inches, $335.

* Cast-iron doorstop, Conestoga wagon, blue body, orange spoke wheels, 1930, 12 inches, $380.

* Bartender’s cane, gadgets, shot measure and corkscrew, 1910, $425.