Collector’s Gallery: Mark Comes with a Mob Connection

By Elizabeth Burroughs-Heineman

A reader uncovers a porcelain mark tied to A. A. Vantine Co., once owned by mobster Arnold Rothstein—aka ‘The Brain’ and ‘The Fixer’—the inspiration for Gatsby himself. It turns out identifying porcelain marks is easier than fixing the World Series, but not by much!

Q: Could you please help me identify this mark? I’ve searched online but have had no luck. Thank you.

A: This mark was used by A.A. Vantine & Co., an import company that was in business in New York from about 1869 to 1951. They specialized in Asian imports, which is why the mark features the flags of Japan and Imperial (before 1911) China underneath the Turkish star and crescent. We haven’t found a specific date for this mark, but we have seen approximations of about 1910 to 1920.

When Japan opened to trade with the U.S. in 1853, it started a fashion for Japanese products in America. Ashley Abraham Vantine was one of many traders whose companies imported Japanese goods. He opened a shop in New York in the 1860s and had offices in Japan. The company also sold Chinese goods and gradually expanded to a general “Oriental” scope, selling Turkish, Russian, Indian, and Middle Eastern products as well.

By about 1916, Vantine’s New York location was called “The Oriental Store.” Most of the products were clothing, accessories, and home decorations. Elbert Hubbard, the founder of Roycroft, was a fan and praised the store in his magazine, The Philistine. Today, porcelain pieces from A.A. Vantine sell for about $30 to $50.

Arnold Rothstein

One of the most memorable aspects of A.A. Vantine & Co. is a brief time, 1926 to 1928, when it was owned by mobster Arnold Rothstein, also known as “The Brain” and “The Fixer,” an inspiration for the title character of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby. He is rumored to have been one of the conspirators who threw the 1919 World Series. He grew his wealth and influence by selling alcohol during Prohibition.

Seeing the potential in illegal drug sales, he bought Vantines in 1926 as a front for smuggling. The company was a familiar, well-established one, so customs officials did not thoroughly search their shipments. This came to an end when he was killed in 1928, possibly over a gambling debt. What happened to Vantines after that is not certain, but the company was closed by 1951.

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