Authenticity is in the details
Q. Enclosed is a picture of Roseville vase that I have. Marked on the bottom is the name "Roseville." It is about 7 inches tall and in perfect condition. The flowers are in relief, and the very dark background has a textured finish. A friend who is a collector told me the pattern is "Jonquil."
Does my vase have any value?
A. Roseville Pottery was founded in 1890 in Roseville, Ohio. It moved to Zanesville, Ohio, in 1898. The "Jonquil" pottery line was introduced in 1931. The collection can be distinguished by the textured, mottled body in muddy brown that shades to green. The line consisted of vases, candlesticks, bowl, jardinieres, baskets, planters and console sets with glazed interiors. Jonquil pottery pieces were not marked but did have silver foil labels. Having said that, because your vase is marked, it is likely fake. There are several clues that a Roseville Pottery piece is questionable: a straight letter "s" in the Roseville mark rather than a slanted one, the absence of the letters "U.S.A." with the mark, and sloppy quality in the mold, finish and design. Authentic hand-decorated Roseville pottery can be recognized by a richly colored glaze with subtle shading and clearly defined details. Roseville Pottery closed in 1957. Many reproductions were made, especially in the 1990s.
A fake Jonquil vase has no value to a collector.
Q. I have a round, black porcelain ashtray. It is 8 inches in diameter and has cork on the bottom. I have enclosed a drawing of the mark that is on the back of it. I purchased it many years ago from a resale shop.
Could you please tell me if my ashtray has any value?
A. Hyalyn Pottery Co. was founded by H. Leslie Moody and his wife, Frances Moody, in Hickory, North Carolina, in 1947. Their vision was to produce high-quality and unusual porcelain at affordable prices. H. Leslie Moody's strength was developing innovative glazes. New designs were attributed to Frances Moody's artistic creativity. The name "Hyalyn" was inspired by the word "hyaline," which means "translucent." The pottery used native white North Carolina clay, as well as clay imported from Georgia and Michigan. It produced kitchenware, ashtrays, tableware and figurines. After H. Leslie Moody passed, Frances Moody sold the pottery to Hamilton Cosco in the 1970s. It was closed in 1997.
Your midcentury modern ashtray would probably be worth $25 to $50.
• 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.
© 2018, Creators Syndicate