I recently attended an auction and purchased an assortment of porcelain with a flower design and gold border. I love the pattern! There are eight cups, nine saucers, eight small plates, a large cake plate, a small bowl, a coffee pot with creamer and sugar bowl, and a vase. The mark on the bottom of the pieces is crossed swords. I paid $325 for 32 pieces. Can you tell me who made the porcelain and if I paid too much?
D. Harrell

I always encourage clients to buy what they love. In this case, you also made a very wise purchase!
Your porcelain is Meissen, which was made in Saxony, Germany. They produced fine ceramic figurines with exquisite detail and tableware of the highest quality. The Meissen factory, or Royal Saxon Porcelain Manufactory as it was originally known, was founded in 1710 by Frederich August I and directed by Johann Boettger. It was Boettger who developed the first truly white porcelain in Europe. Although every effort was made to insure the secrecy of Boettger’s discovery, others soon began to copy his ware. To better identify their own works, the factory began to use their now-famous trademark of crossed swords around 1723.

Following World War II, the factory was reorganized; today it operates as the State’s Porcelain Manufactory. New models are made as close as possible to the old shapes, and some new forms have been added. The Meissen factory also manufactures various commemorative wares for coronations, as well as Christmas and Easter plaques.

The crossed swords on your set have pommels—small knobs—on the hilts, which indicate that your porcelain was manufactured in the late 19th or early 20th century. Your teacups have tea bowls instead of traditional saucers. Tea was a very expensive commodity; if any spilled, it was easy to drink from a bowl. These alone are worth $600 to $800. Your entire set is worth $2,000 to $3,000.

My father received a clock with a pair of matching candlesticks as a gift in the ‘60s. A piece of one candlestick is broken off, but the fragment is intact. The three-piece set was purchased in the French Quarter. I would like to know the age, value and any other information that may be available.
B. Hagstette

Your clock and candlesticks are French and are referred to as a “garniture,” which is a term applied to sets of vases, candlesticks or candelabras with a clock as the central piece. The vast majority of mantel clocks were made in France and appealed to the French taste for embellishment. A whole team of craftsmen could be involved in the production, such as gilders, founders, engravers and enamellers, each contributing different skills to the design. This attention to detail is the reason that French clocks are well made and beautifully finished. Because the demand for good decorative pieces is so high, this category of clocks is one of the strongest. At auction, even if the clock does not work, the auction price can be high, depending on the decorative appeal.

Your garniture is from around 1860 to 1870. From the photograph, it appears to be made of black marble. Clocks from this period were also made from onyx and slate. Onyx slightly increases the price, and slate slightly decreases it. The clock has a standard French movement with a nickel silver bell. This movement is present in older clocks and helps to date the piece. The glass is beveled and appears to be original to the clock. There are small chips on the base of the clock and candlesticks, in addition to the broken piece you mentioned. Bob Gormus, a Covington clock restorer, suggested repairing only the broken candlestick. He estimates the repair would cost under $150, and would not affect the value of the clock. If your clock were working, the set would sell for $800 to $1,000. If it is not working, the selling price lowers by about 25 percent.

If you’ve always wanted an appraisal on a special antique or an unusual vintage piece, e-mail a photograph of the item to pennie@insidenorthside.com or mail to Inside Northside, P.O. Box 9148, Mandeville, LA 70470. Include any known information, such as age of item and place of origin, and any other historical facts. Photographs cannot be returned and only those items selected for use in Inside Northside will be appraised.

Pennie Carr is a northshore antiques appraiser, auctioneer, and owner of Auction Louisianne, Inc. in Covington.

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