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A card signed by Liberace with his distinctive signature and grand piano sketch

A card signed by Liberace with his distinctive signature and grand piano sketch

One of the most common questions in the antiques marketplace is, “What’s hot right now?”  At Prices4Antiques, we always see lots of searches in our autograph category, especially for signatures.  We’ve seen searches for John Wayne’s autograph, Buffalo Bill Cody’s signature on a program from his Wild West Show, Hawaii’s King Kalakaua and Queen Kapiolani’s signatures, Liberace’s autograph with a piano sketch, and Sergei Rachmaninoff’s signature on a card.  These were the top five items viewed in our autograph category this week, but people searched for thousands of other antiques and collectibles at Prices4Antiques.


To search the Prices4Antiques antiques reference database for valuation information on hundreds of thousands of antiques and fine art visit our homepage www.prices4antiques.com


An 1834 sampler of Elizabeth Voorheis, age 13, made at Elizabeth L. Wycoff's school

An 1834 sampler of Elizabeth Voorheis, age 13, made at Elizabeth L. Wycoff's school

To paraphrase The A-Team‘s Hannibal Smith, I love it when resources come together!  This month, we got an e-mail from researchers in Hunterdon County, New Jersey who have been accessing the database through their library.  Dan and Marty Campanelli are working on a book on Hunterdon County samplers, and in searching, they found a sampler with unidentified origins by an Elizabeth Voorheis with the name of her teacher, Elizabeth Wyckoff, included, and the date of 1834.  In the early 1800s, young girls, especially those from upper and middle class families, were educated, but not in the same manner as their male counterparts.  And, like their male counterparts, if it was available and affordable, they were educated outside of the home, or at least by outsiders who visited their homes, as well.  However, instead of studying Latin, geometry or history, young women learned skills that are often grouped under the heading of “schoolgirl art” – things like landscape and tole painting (on paper or canvas, but also often seen on small pieces of furniture), music, and needlework, all skills designed to help young women create and entertain in lovely, cultured homes.  As a young unmarried woman, it’s likely that Elizabeth Wyckoff supported herself in a modest manner by instructing young women in the finer points of needlework.

After some genealogy work, they’ve determined that the Voorheis sampler was likely made in neighboring Morris County, New Jersey, a fact which not only offered them an example from one of Ms. Wyckoff’s earlier schools, but allowed them to determine where she had been living prior to arriving in Hunterdon County.  All this has made it possible to identify similar characteristics in the works and draw together a group of several New Jersey samplers influenced by the same woman – Elizabeth Wyckoff.

This is a great story, not just of the results of dogged research or the shadow of the story of a young woman who by all rights, as an unmarried middle-aged woman in the early 19th century, should have been lost to history by now, but also of how Prices4Antiques is able to offer so much more beyond just pricing information.  (And this is also one of the things that makes what we do special – we’ve gone back and annotated the record so that it includes more information and more current information than what the auction house originally offered.)  Amazing things can happen when materials are compiled in such a way that the right people can find them at the right time, and we’re pleased to have helped with another little piece of the historic puzzle!

-Hollie Davis, Senior Editor, p4A.com

1916 Briscoe Touring Car

1916 Briscoe Touring Car

One of the most common questions in the antiques marketplace is, “What’s hot right now?” At Prices4Antiques, we always see lots of searches in our transportation category, especially for cars and other motor vehicles, and as hot as it’s been, it sure is pleasant to think about cruising the roads in a classic car, the windows down and the radio up! We’ve seen searches for the 1955 Ford Fairlane Sunliner convertible, Ford’s 1964 Lincoln Continental (convertible again, of course), the 1953 Ford Customline, Mercury’s 1965 Comet Caliente, and, for those looking for a more leisurely pace, the 1916 Briscoe Model B424 touring car. These were the top five items viewed in our transportation category’s motor vehicles section this week, but people searched for thousands of other antiques and collectibles at Prices4Antiques.


To search the Prices4Antiques antiques reference database for valuation information on hundreds of thousands of antiques and fine art visit our homepage www.prices4antiques.com


Italian Majolica bulbous vase, circa 1530, Faenza painted with an arrangement of scrolling acanthus on an orange ground

Italian Majolica bulbous vase, circa 1530, Faenza painted with an arrangement of scrolling acanthus on an orange ground

Majolica – A Brief History
Majolica gets its name from its Spanish roots. The pottery was originally made on the island of Majorca and imported to Italy soon after. However, the tin glazes that give majolica its distinctive bright colors were developed by Mesopotamian potters in the 11th century. A little later, artisans in Persia developed a technique for the application of enamel colors on glazed and fired pots that were then refired at lower temperatures to prevent color bleed. This was the precursor of the brilliantly colored tin glazed ware that made its appearance during the Italian Renaissance. Although the technique of painting metallic oxides over a tin glazed surface had been used in the 11th century, the Italians adapted, then refined the technique and referred to the pottery as Maiolica.

French Palissy Ware small oval plaque with fish on sand bar in center, snake, lizard, butterfly, shells and plant life

French Palissy Ware small oval plaque with fish on sand bar in center, snake, lizard, butterfly, shells and plant life

Design & Technology Come Together in Majolica
In 1558, potter Cipriano Michele di Picolpasso published a treatise on the manufacture methods of majolica, noting that, “Opaque white tin enamel glaze was completely applied to a piece to cover the buff body of the clay, and to provide a good surface for painting.” Paint was then applied to the dry but unfired tin glaze, and the piece was then fired at a high temperature. After that, a second, clear glaze overcoat was applied, and the piece was refired. The earliest majolica took its inspiration from classical Greek, Roman and Egyptian themes, employing motifs such as Sphinx heads, Roman Columns, and goats’ feet. In France, artisan Bernard Palissy created a popular line of Majolica ware in the 16th century that emphasized nature and featured remarkable lifelike renditions of wildlife, particularly marine animals and snakes.

Collecting Majolica
Today, collectors who purchase Majolica are buying Victorian Majolica. According to longtime Majolica dealer Jerry S. Hayes, pre-Victorian pieces almost never come to market, and are found exclusively in museums. Hayes recommends the Majolica collection at the Victoria & Albert in London as well as the collection at the New Orleans Museum of Art.

Wedgwood majolica pottery cobalt strawberry server

Wedgwood majolica pottery cobalt strawberry server

Early English manufacturers of Majolica included Minton, Wedgwood, George Jones, Joseph Holdcroft, T. Forster, Samuel Lear and S. Fielding. The well-known companies signed their pieces, but the smaller companies, busy producing knock-offs of the industry giants left theirs unidentified, hoping to ride the coat tails of their more successful competitors Much of the majolica collected today is unattributed, but discerning collectors can tell the difference between a major piece and a knock-off by both weight & quality. Mr. Hayes says that collecting majolica has grown in popularity so that most serious collectors have the common pieces and are looking for the rare and unusual. And due to the large number of collectors, what was once considered unusual is becoming easier to find. In terms of value, Hayes recommends avoiding pieces that are damaged, but due to the fragile nature of the ware, believes that restored pieces are fine for most collectors, particularly if the restored piece is one of the hard-to-finds.

-by p4A Contributing Editor Susan Cramer.

Reference & Further Recommended Reading:


To search the Prices4Antiques antiques reference database for valuation information on hundreds of thousands of antiques and fine art visit our homepage www.prices4antiques.com


The Beatles "Can't Buy Me Love" 45 with picture sleeve (Capitol 5150, 1964).

The Beatles "Can't Buy Me Love" 45 with picture sleeve (Capitol 5150, 1964).

One of the most common questions in the antiques marketplace is, “What’s hot right now?” At Prices4Antiques, we always see lots of searches for music, especially records, and in the past seven days, it certainly seems folks are revisiting their favorites from summers past. We’ve seen searches for the classic Beatles’ 45 for “Can’t Buy Me Love,” The Cadillacs’ 1952 45 of “Gloria,” the 1962 LP The Dubs Meet The Shells, the Hornets’ 78 from 1953 with “I Can’t Believe,” and The Skyliners’ 1959 LP that includes their hit “Since I Don’t Have You.” These were the top five items viewed in our music category’s records section this week, but people searched for thousands of other antiques and collectibles at Prices4Antiques.


To search the Prices4Antiques antiques reference database for valuation information on hundreds of thousands of antiques and fine art visit our homepage www.prices4antiques.com.


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