Kovels On Antiques & Collectibles February 2023 Newsletter Now Available

Kovels On Antiques & Collectibles newsletter is available as a print subscription, or as a digital version that is included in the Kovels Knowledge and Kovels All Access memberships. Start your Kovels Knowledge Free Trial now or login. Kovels’ February 2023 newsletter features modern desks and planters, artist jewelry, bride’s baskets, tin advertising trays and […]

Timeless Work from European Masters

A recent Bonhams auction that took place in Paris featured 160 lots of classic European art, porcelain, furniture, statues, lighting and other decorative arts from the 18th and 19th centuries. The antiques market is still strong for the classics, with their rich history, elegant design and intricate details. To attract new customers and modernize sale […]

Happy National Hobby Month! Here Are Our Top 16 Fun & Inexpensive Collections To Try With Your Kids

January is National Hobby Month. What better hobby than collecting (and learning about antiques and collectibles)? Right now, it is considered America’s most popular pastime. You can have fun collecting inexpensive items with your children. We had a lot of fun making this list and hope that you have fun collecting some of the items. […]

Kovels On Antiques & Collectibles Vol. 48 No. 4 – December 2021

Christmas Postcards … Meissen Porcelain … Bakelite Jewelry … Old Storage Cupboards …  Mechanical Pictures … Cool Mid-Century Design of Everyday Items … Marks on Dolls … Collector’s Gallery … Prices    

Rare Meissen Smashes Record Prices

An incredible collection of rare 18th-century Meissen porcelain brought $15 million, seven times its pre-sale estimate, at a fall Sotheby’s auction in New York. The sale had more than 100 lots including boxes, canisters, tankards, figurines, dishes, coffeepots, tea ware, milk jugs, tureens, cane handles, clock cases, vases and scent bottles, most with Asian designs. […]

Demitasse Set

Q: I have a demitasse set, never used, that was my mother’s. When she died, my sister and I split it up. It consists of a teapot, coffeepot, creamer and sugar, 10 little cups and saucers, and 10 plates about 7 1/2 inches in diameter. Each item has a different painted scene. My Mom was […]

European Porcelain  

Before the 1700s, the secret to making white porcelain was known only in China and Japan. The discovery of the process that made it possible for European factories to make porcelain was made by two men, Ehrenfried Walther von Tschirnhaus (1651–1708), a mathematician and physicist, and Johann Friedrich Böttger (1682–1719), a young alchemist who was […]

Allure of European Ceramics 

Porcelain is translucent—when a porcelain dish is held in front of a strong light, it is possible to see light through the dish. It was first made in China in 1279. A recent auction by Doyle in New York featured a single owner’s collection of European and Asian porcelain and ceramics. Amassed over decades, the […]

Meissen Augustus Rex

Pottery & Porcelain: Meissen Augustus Rex Mark The Meissen Augustus Rex mark is the letter “R” wrapped around the letter “A”—both in a flowing, cursive style. This mark was copied by many factories and was registered as a trademark in 1873 after many years of use. The mark is still in use today.     […]