#Middlebury $Antiques
If you were getting ready for the traditional Christmas party in 1860s England, you might have been searching the storage cupboards for the holiday punch bowl. Colorful, decorative majolica serving pieces were popular then, and George Jones made some of the best. Starting in 1866, he made covered dishes for cheese, game pie and even sardines. Special dishes were made for honey, cake, oysters, butter, berries, biscuits or other foods. All were decorated with raised flowers, leaves or figures glazed in bright colors.
This punch bowl was made by the George Jones company and cleverly used a three-dimensional figure of the character Punch to hold it. The 1870 bowl is 13 inches in diameter and decorated for Christmas with raised holly leaves. It sold for $3,075.
Jones was joined by his sons in 1873, and the company name was changed to “George Jones & Sons.” George died in 1893, the company was sold in 1929 and the name was changed by 1951. Early pieces are marked with the overlapping letters “GJ” in a circle until 1873, when a crescent with “& sons” was added. Majolica lost favor and was considered “kitsch” until about 1970 when it began to be used by decorators on the East Coast. Today, George Jones majolica is expensive. The amusing Christmas punch bowl that is decorated with holly and held by the famous puppet character Punch auctioned at Skinner’s in Boston for $3,075.
Q: I have a cube puzzle titled “The Night Before Christmas” made by McLoughlin Brothers in New York. It consists of 20 cubes, 2 1/2 inches on an edge, that depict various Christmas scenes based on Clement Moore’s poem. Santa is shown in a green coat with a red belt and fur trim. The puzzle is 4 cubes by 5 cubes. The copyright date reads “18–.” The last two digits are obscured. What is the copyright date? The puzzle has been enjoyed by four generations of children, and it shows. It’s in good enough condition so that all six scenes are shown in detail. What is the approximate value?
A: The copyright date is 1889. The pictures made by assembling the cubes are from the children’s book, “The Night Before Christmas,” published by McLoughlin Brothers. This Santa Claus cube puzzle sells for over $2,000 in almost perfect condition.
Current Prices
Advertising can, A&P Egg Nog, Ready to Serve, tin lithograph, cylindrical, red, white and blue, 1960s, 1 quart, 7 1/2 x 3 1/3 inches, $55.
Christmas tree stand, metal, faux tree branches, tripod feet, silver patina, c. 1905, 5 1/2 x 10 inches, $125.
Candy container, reindeer, metal antlers, removable head, Santa, blue coat, flocked, composition, German, c. 1910, 8 x 7 inches, $795.
Ice-cream mold, Santa figure, pewter, peaked hat and long coat, round base, France, c. 1905, 20 inches, $5,000.
TIP: Snowdomes are liquid-filled paperweights. They should not be stored in the dark. Exposure to the light is necessary to keep the liquid clear. However, do not keep the snowdomes in direct sunlight. They can magnify the rays and may start a fire.
For more collecting news, tips and resources, visit www.Kovels.com
(c) 2018 King Features Synd., Inc.
You must be logged in to post a comment.