Q: I've had the pictured child's ironstone divided bowl for at least 40 years. My daughter used it when she was little. The unmarked bowl is approximately 7 inches in diameter and still in very good condition.

Any information about its vintage and value will be appreciated.

A: Many makers of children's dishes did not mark their products. Of course, collectors always prefer pieces that are labeled; nonetheless, marked or unmarked children's dishes continue to appeal to collectors.

Judging from your description, your child's feeding dish was made in the United States around 1940 and would probably be worth $50 to $75.

Q: My grandmother gave me a porcelain bowl, which she purchased at an auction of items belonging to child movie star Jackie Cooper around 60 or 70 years ago. It is decorated with violet and white flowers against a white background and trimmed with gold. It is in pristine condition. I have enclosed a drawing of the mark that is on the back of the bowl.

Can you can tell me about its maker, if it's worth anything, and how to sell it?

A: Beyer and Boch, who produced porcelain in Volkstedt, Thuringia, Germany, from 1853 to around 1960, made your bowl. They used this mark from 1905 to 1931. An object originally belonging to a famous person can add to its value, but it must be validated by written documentation.

Even though it may be accurate, an oral history is anecdotal and not a dependable source. Selling on eBay or to an antiques dealer are options — remember that you would most likely be paid around half of the bowl's value if you sell to a dealer.

Your circa 1930 bowl would probably be worth $50 to $75.

Q: I have a Hohokam Native American clay pot that was found in Arizona in 1961 during a hunting trip. It was above ground and sitting under a huge rock. We took the pot to the Heard Museum in Phoenix; we were told a Hohokam tribe member made it around A.D. 1100. The pot was used for cooking and storage.

The overall measurements are 7 inches in diameter and 10 inches tall. Still in extraordinary condition, it has a red finish and an elliptical pattern around the upper portion.

Any information you can provide would be helpful.

A: The Hohokam people lived in southwestern Arizona near Phoenix and Tucson from the first century A.D. to around 1450. They developed an advanced agrarian culture and engineered canals to irrigate the arid landscape. As a rule, women were the potters using the rich clay deposits found in the region. The Hohokam made copper bells using the "lost wax" method of casting. Just as mysteriously as they appeared in Arizona, they vanished in the mid-1400s.

Your clay pot should be personally examined and appraised by an expert knowledgeable in ancient Southwestern pottery. Its value would probably be at least $1,000.

Q: I have a cigar humidor that was left in an old house my mother bought when I was a child in the early 1950s. It stands approximately 10 inches tall. Decorated with a brown glaze, it is in mint condition. On the bottom are the words: "Dumler Breiden."

What can you tell me about it?

A: Dumler Breiden Co. has produced stoneware in Hohr-Grenzhausen, Palatinate, Germany, since 1883.

Your early 1900s humidor would probably be worth $150 to $225.

Address your questions to Anne McCollam, P.O. Box 247, Notre Dame, IN 46556. Items of a general interest will be answered in this column. Due to the volume of inquiries, she cannot answer individual letters. To find out more about Anne McCollam and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

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