Cloisonné Vases

Q: My husband inherited these two small vases from his grandmother. The vases are slightly over 4 inches tall and appear to be brass underneath with painted glass on top. They sit on small wooden pedestals. Can you tell us where these vases came from, how old they are, and possible value?  A: These are […]

Cloisonné Vase

Q: My husband found this beautiful Japanese-looking vase in a local antiques shop a few years ago. The vendor wasn’t present, so we weren’t able to ask any questions about it. It’s about 8 inches high, no chips or dings anywhere. There are no markings on the bottom. Tiny wires are imbedded around the floral […]

Enameled Metal

Enameled metal tools, kitchen utensils, jewelry and enameled boxes have a history confused by the several meanings of the word “enamel.” The first enamel on cast iron was made in Czechoslovakia about 1830, and used to make kitchen utensils, but it was discovered that it created lead that contaminated the food. They soon improved the […]

Market Report — Enamels Are Hot

Artistic enameled objects were made for the aristocracy and the church in the Middle Ages, but it wasn’t until the 19th century that enamel was a popular medium used by artists. A Treadway auction offered antique and vintage enameled bowls, boxes and plaques made by the “Boston School” artists, who were among the first to […]

Enamelists

Enameled metal boxes and plates by artists from the Boston School, Cleveland School of Art and California and Chicago studios in the 1920s through the 1950s are getting top prices in auctions. The marks are small and hard to read, but we have pictured and identified 10 marks used by some of the most frequently […]