Antique or Junque by Anne McCollam

Q: The pictured electric lamp belonged to my grandparents, and I remember seeing it as a small child around 64 to 65 years ago. I cannot find any identifying dates or signatures. The shade is comprised of individual glass panels that are inserted in a metal frame. In mint condition, it stands approximately 24 inches tall, including the shade.

Can you shed any light on its age, maker and value?

A: You have a caramel and white slag glass lamp with a metal overlay. Judging from your photo, there are six glass panels. The overlay and base are metal with a bronze finish. Similar lamps were made by several companies and often contained no marks.

Your circa 1920 lamp would probably be worth $700 to $900.

Q: My husband has a service with four sets of dishes that were his mother's. Dating back to 1942, the set consist of dinner plates, a sugar bowl, a cream pitcher, salt and pepper shakers and a vegetable bowl. The enclosed mark is on the back of each dish with the words "Cavitt-Shaw Division — Shortcake." The dishes are decorated with clusters of strawberries and a fine red line around the edges.

Thank you for any information you can provide.

A: W. S. George made dinnerware and hotel ware in East Palestine, Ohio, from 1909 to 1955. Although there is no information on the source of the "Cavitt-Shaw" name, Shaw was George's middle name; it was most likely one of the company's four plants.

The value of your set of dishes would probably be $150 to $200.

Q: I have a small brass "Mutt and Jeff" bank that stands around 5 inches tall.

The figures are two characters from old newspaper comics. Both their names are in relief on the base of the bank.

Could you tell me the value of my bank?

A: Your bank is actually cast iron with a gold finish. It was made by A. C. Williams in Ravenna, Ohio, around 1920. Collectible vintage banks were still, registering or mechanical.

Your still bank would probably be worth $150 to $250.

Q: While spring-cleaning, I found a small child's dish that belonged to my grandmother. It is decorated with a scene of a boy running while holding a pig under his arm, containing the words "Tom, Tom, the Piper's Son." It is in mint condition and unmarked.

Is it collectible and what is it worth?

A: Children's dishes are popular collectibles and often unmarked. The scene is based on an old English nursery rhyme that was written around 1795. The rhyme tells the story of Tom stealing a farmer's pig and the consequences he faced.

Your dish would probably be worth $35 to $45.

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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