'Head vase' a common item in '50s, '60s

Q. Attached are photographs of a knickknack that was handed down by my mother years ago. It seems like it was in our kitchen for ages. Stamped on the bottom is "c" in a circle followed by "1961," "Inarco," "E-19" and "o/c." I would like to know what the value might be.

A. Head vases were made in a staggering variety of styles by an amazing number of companies.

Many were imported from Japan after the end of World War II, but others were made in this country by such firms as Shawnee Pottery of Zanesville, Ohio; the Ceramics Art Studio of Madison, Wis.; DeLee Art and Ruth Sloan, both of Los Angeles; Florence Ceramics of Pasadena, Calif.; and Betty Lou Nichols Ceramics of La Habra, Calif.

However, most head vases found on today's collectibles market were imported from Japan by such companies as NAPCO, Enesco, Fitz and Floyd, INARCO and Lefton. Today, we are primarily concerned with two of the acronymic importers - NAPCO and INARCO.

NAPCO is the acronym of the National Potteries Corporation, which was founded in 1938 in Bedford, Ohio, but in the 1970s it was listed as being located in Cleveland. NAPCO imported from Japan a variety of novelty and giftware items mostly made from either ceramic or glass, but later wooden items were also imported.

In the 1940s, Irwin Garber joined the company and is said to have been instrumental in the development of the head vase planters that became very popular items with florists and low-end retailers in the '50s and '60s. Garber left NAPCO, and in 1960 or '61 founded INARCO - or International Artware Corporation - in Cleveland.

It is said that Garber designed many of the head vases that were subsequently made in Japan, and that his wife sometimes served as the model and inspiration. Eventually, NAPCO absorbed INARCO and relocated the firm to Jacksonville, Fla., in the mid-80s.

The readers reports that the style number is "E-19," but it is really "E-190," and this model came in three sizes - small (E-190/S), medium (E-190/M) and large (E-190/L). Unfortunately, we do not know what size this particular example happens to be because measurements were not included, but we are going to speculate that the "o/c" reported in the letter is really the zero for the 190 and the "c" might actually be an "L."

If this supposition is correct, the size should be about 7 inches tall (a small is about 41/2 to 43/4 inches tall, depending on who is measuring). Interestingly, this model, with its beribboned black hat and hand held gracefully near the face, is often identified with Hollywood star Lana Turner (1921-1995).

The example in today's question appears to be in very good condition, with both the pearl earrings intact and its original pearl necklace. The blush on the cheeks appears to be unmarred, as does the black on the eyelashes, hat and off-the-shoulder dress.

If it is indeed an E-190/L, it has an insurance-replacement value of between $150 and $175, but if it is smaller, that value would decrease by as much as half.

• Contact Helaine Fendelman and Joe Rosson at Treasures in Your Attic, P.O. Box 18350, Knoxville, TN 37928 or via e-mail at treasures@knology.net.