Renaissance Revival furniture reflects 15th century
Q. Enclosed is a photo of a Victorian parlor table that I have. It stands about 29 inches tall, has a marble top and is in mint condition. What can you tell me about its history and value?
A. You have a Renaissance Revival parlor table that was made around 1875. Victorian era Renaissance Revival furniture was inspired by neoclassical Greek and Roman furniture of the 15th century Renaissance. The marble top, molded frieze/apron and finial topped central support surrounded by four molded legs are some of the characteristics of Renaissance Revival. Most of these tables were factory-made with walnut. It would probably be worth $300 to $500.
Q. I have a set of American-made dinnerware that belonged to my grandmother in the early 1950s. This mark is on each piece. The set is a five-piece service for eight and includes all the serving pieces. Each dish is decorated with bands of pink roses and gold trim. Does this set have value other than sentimental?
A. The mark you provided was used by W.S. George Pottery Co. William Shaw George invested a controlling interest in the East Palestine Pottery Co. in East Palestine, Ohio, in 1904. He changed the name of the factory to W.S. George Pottery Co. in 1909.
The pottery made semi-porcelain dinnerware, hotel ware and decorative ware. It produced dinnerware in several different shapes and designs. The name of the shape is usually included with the back stamp, and people often mistakenly think the shape name is the pattern name. Lido, Bolero and Fleurette were a few of the shapes that were decorated with different designs. Your dishes are examples of the Lido shape, and the pattern is "Pink Rose." The Lido shape was introduced in the late 1930s. Over the years, W.S. George Pottery added plants in several cities in Pennsylvania, experienced a devastating fire and then went bankrupt in 1955. The East Palestine factory was renamed and reorganized and taken over by Canon Pottery. They couldn't compete with cheaper imports and closed in 1960.
There is not a huge demand for W.S. George dinnerware, but collectors can easily find W.S. George dishes in antiques shops, for sale on the internet and in replacement shops. Your set would probably be worth $150 to $300.
• 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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