Unmarked antique piano stool made around 1900
Q. After months of searching, I finally located the antique piano stool that I wanted to accompany my vintage organ. I have enclosed a picture of it. It is oak and in mint condition, with glass-ball-and-claw feet and a swivel top. The top swivels up and down to adjust the height. It seems to be a classic design of antique piano stools. There are no identifiable marks anywhere. I would appreciate anything you can tell me about it.
A. The glass-ball-and-claw feet, swivel top and turned legs are typical of piano stools made around 1900. The height can usually be adjusted to 22 inches and down to around 17 inches. The diameters of the seats are often 14 inches. There were many manufacturers of piano stools, and if there is not an identifying mark, it can be impossible to know who made it. Most were made of oak and some mahogany. Values are determined by condition and demand.
Prices of similar piano stools can range from $150 to $350.
Q. This mark is on the bottom of a set of porcelain hand-painted cups and saucers that I inherited from my great-aunt. The set includes four cups and four saucers. Each piece is decorated with pastel flowers and green leaves. She always kept them in her china cupboard. When I was growing up she know how much I liked the set; she would make tea for us along with some homemade cookies. I wish I would have asked her about the history of the set, and now I hope you can tell me something about them.
A. This mark was used by the Carl Thieme Saxonian Porcelain Factory around 1900. Thieme founded his porcelain factory in 1872 in Potschapple, Saxony, Germany. Many of his porcelain pieces were inspired by Dresden and Meissen porcelain. He passed away in 1888. His business partner, Karl August Kuntzsch, successfully succeeded him. Kuntzsch had the foresight to market their porcelain internationally. He traveled to the United States where he recognized the opportunity for expanding his imports there, too. The scrolled letters below the crown mark represent the words “Saxonian Porcelain.”
The complete set of four cups and saucer would probably be worth $200 to $250.
• 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.
© 2015, Creators.com