Unmarked carved wooden chair held a special place
Q. I have enclosed a photo of an antique chair that has been in our family for 60 years. It is in perfect shape, and I believe is made out of oak. The back of the chair is decorated with a carving of a helmet and sword. For many years, it held a special place in my father's insurance agency. He was told it was originally part of a set from a castle in Wayne, Illinois. I checked the back and underside and there is no mark.
I would very much appreciate your assessment of our chair.
A. Your wood side/hall chair with the carved back, turned legs with stretcher and wood plank seat was used in a hall or entryway in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Similar chairs were often decorated with carvings of the North Wind, bears and tavern scenes. It can be impossible to identify the factory that made your chair.
Your side chair is circa 1900 and might be worth $150 to $250.
Q. I have enclosed the mark that is on the bottom of a pottery pitcher. It is decorated with a soft green glaze that shades to tan, has a narrow neck, stands 8 inches tall and is in mint condition. My husband bought it years ago and we now would like to know if it has any value.
A. John Nathaniel Frank was born in Chicago in 1905. He attended the Chicago Art Institute and graduated in 1927. The University of Oklahoma offered him a position teaching ceramics and he taught from 1927 to 1936. While still teaching, Frank and his wife, Grace Lee, founded their small pottery business in Oklahoma in 1933. They named the new business Frank Potteries and it later became Frankoma Pottery. Sculptor Joseph Taylor, a fellow professor in the Oklahoma art department, designed some of the early Frankoma sculptures. The business flourished until the 1990s when the company was forced to file for Chapter 11. Richard Bernstein bought Frankoma Pottery. It was sold several more times, and in 2012 the molds and trademark were sold to a FPC LLC. "835" is the design number and it was made in 1962. It holds 24 ounces and was intended to be used for syrup, honey or salad dressing.
Your pitcher would probably be worth $15 to $35.
• 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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