Marble turtle top shields table
Q. Enclosed is a photo of a Victorian marble-top table that I have. It is in very good condition, and the marble has no cracks. The base is walnut, and the marble top is beveled.
Could this be a Civil War piece? Anything you can tell me about the history and value of my table will be appreciated.
A. The Civil War began in 1861 and ended in 1865. Your table is an example of late Victorian Renaissance Revival and was made around 1875. The shape of the marble is often called "turtle top."
The value of your table could be anywhere from $150 to $300.
Q. This mark is on the back of a white porcelain plate that belonged to my great-grandmother. It is decorated with a pineapple, blueberries, an apple and cherries. The edge is pierced, trimmed in gold, 8 inches in diameter and in mint condition.
My plate is a treasured family heirloom, and I plan to pass it along to my daughter this summer. Anything you can tell me about its history will be appreciated.
A. Carl Schumann Porcelain Factory, owned by Carl Schumann, made your plate. It was located in Arzberg, Bavaria, Germany, and founded in 1881. The factory's porcelain decorated with fruits and flowers was in great demand. The Schumann family owned and operated the business until 1981. After the reunification of Germany, they established an alliance with another factory. Mismanagement, disagreements over direction and financial difficulties forced Schumann into bankruptcy in 1994.
Your plate was made around 1918 and would probably be worth $25 to $50.
Q. I have an orange glass shade that was a part of a hanging light. I believe it was made some time in the 1920s or 1930s. It is decorated with birds sitting on branches. Originally it was in an old home in California that was built in the 1920s, and it is in perfect condition.
Does my shade have any value?
A. Glass shades made in the early 1900s were available in a plethora of styles, shapes, designs, colors and glass finishes. Many were decorated with Art Nouveau or Art Deco designs, realistic and stylistic flowers. They were available as frosted, iridescent or clear. You shade may also have been intended for a wall sconce.
Your circa-1920s glass shade would probably be worth $25 to $75.
• 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.
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