Antique Doll

Q: I have a 19th-century doll that belonged to my grandmother. The doll is 17 inches tall with a porcelain head and a stuffed leather body. Her hair is styled in a long braid down her back. I was told that her wig is human hair. She has pierced ears and blue glass eyes that move. She wears a skirt, a petticoat and pantaloons under her maroon coat. I haven’t found any markings on her, but a medal embossed “Souvenir, International Range Cattle & Horse Growers Association, Denver 1886” is tied to her waist. Can you tell me any history and value of the doll?

A: Dolls like yours, with leather bodies, porcelain heads and movable glass eyes were made in the mid-1800s and early 1900s. Glass dolls’ eyes were made in Germany, France, England and other countries in the mid 1800s. An English maker of dolls’ eyes said blue was the most popular color because it was the color of Queen Victoria’s eyes. Several French and German doll makers made dolls with leather bodies and bisque heads about 1900. Not all dolls were marked, but if you can find a mark it will help to date and value the doll. Look for a maker’s mark on the back of the doll’s head. You might have to lift up her wig slightly to find the mark. The souvenir medal attached to the doll’s waist probably has nothing to do with the doll but might indicate she was bought about the same time.

A Sweet Royal Souvenir

The hidden chocolate was a sweet find. A British royal souvenir from 1900 during Queen Victoria’s reign was just found tucked away in an attic in a National Trust Hall. The still-wrapped chocolate was in a helmet case used during the second Boer War. Chocolate bars were ordered by the Queen as a special gift to be given to boost morale of soldiers during the war. It was packed in a tin box printed with a note from the Queen wishing a Happy New Year. There were 100,000 tins made, and the chocolate came from three different factories. Tins without chocolate bars are often found at antiques shows, shops and auctions today. The 120-year-old bar just found is probably safe to eat, but experts warn it will have a strange taste.

 

Bell Collection

Q: I’m 80 years old, so I’m cleaning out my attic. I have several small bells and have no idea where they came from. I think they are brass. They have etched decoration. Can you tell me anything about them? Are they junk or something to be handed down (to whomever may want them)? Are they from some other country? Anything you can tell me would be appreciated.

A: These look like the brass bells made in India that are often sold as souvenirs. Bells have been made of brass, bronze, pewter, silver, glass, porcelain, wood, and other materials in many different shapes and sizes. The American Bell Collectors is an organization for collectors, manufacturers, researchers, and anyone else interested in bells. They have a magazine, a website (americanbell.org), and hold an annual convention. These bells are fairly common and not very expensive. Some sell for $10, others for $30. If made by an important company, a collector would pay more.

French Sugar Cube Bowl & Tongs

Q: I bought a gold-colored metal sugar cube bowl at the French Pavilion at the 1964 New York World’s Fair. It has a mechanical sugar clamp that fits onto the top of the lid. The pusher at the top of clamp opens and closes the three clamps at the other end. I’m interested in its current value.

A: Mechanical, plunger-type tongs like this are often advertised as olive tongs or as tongs used to pick up ice cubes. Yours fit onto the top of a sugar bowl, so were meant to pick up sugar cubes. Since you bought this set at the French Pavilion at the 1964 New York World’s Fair, you can assume it was made in France. It was probably new at the time, not an antique. We’ve seen sugar bowls and tongs like yours sell for under $70.