Rare bird hid radio loudspeaker

#Middlebury #Antiques

Collectibles were sometimes made to fool people. A tiny teddy bear could hide a perfume bottle. Pincushions hide beneath the fabric skirts of half-dolls, ceramic figures stitched to the skirt. Some collectible canes hid thin flasks that held forbidden whiskey to drink secretly while on a walk. And bronze statues sometimes could open to reveal a naughty scene. In the early days of television, a ceramic black panther was really a lamp lighting the room and the TV set.

This rare bird, a ceramic parrot, conceals the working parts of a radio loudspeaker made in 1927. It substituted for the large horn used to amplify the sound of the radio and sold for about $900.

But almost forgotten are the loudspeakers made for early radios that looked like statues of birds or kings, instead of the large horns usually used. Most famous were the Andia loudspeakers, their radio parts inside a metal base with a glazed pottery top. One that was auctioned recently looked like a bright red, blue and yellow 14-inch-tall parrot. It was made by Royal Doulton & Co. of England for Artandia Ltd. in 1927. Other designs include Miss Muffet, a Persian king, a Chinese scribe and other figures that would attract buyers. It sold at Auction Team Breker, a German auction of radios, music machines and other technical collectibles, for $906.

Q: My mother gave me the metal dentist chair from my father’s office. It is not like today’s dentist chairs; it’s more like a lightweight skeleton chair with a round enameled metal seat, rectangular slotted metal back and spindles for the headrest, legs and mechanical parts. There are no arms. It looks small and very uncomfortable. Is it worth anything? How was it used? How old is it?

A: The 17th-century dentist held the patient on the floor to pull a tooth. By the early 18th century, a Windsor chair with a piece of wood added as a head rest was used. Then inventors made improvements to metal, mechanical and upholstered chairs. Your chair was made in about 1910, a time when enameled metal furniture was very popular due to worries about bacteria. Large, padded dentist chairs are bought today for a family room or home bar as a conversation piece. They are hard to sell. A collector of dental antiques might pay a few hundred dollars, or a dental museum might give you a tax deduction if you donate it.

Current Prices
Blown glass flask, amethyst, swirled pattern, spiral ribs, Stiegel type, sheared mouth, 5 inches, $190.
Sterling silver stuffing spoon, Hester Bateman, Elk monogram, England, 11 3/4 inches, $355.
Wooden box, pine, sliding lid, painted stylized tulips on all sides, 3 1/2 x 4 1/2 x 7 inches, $585.
Coffee mill, Landers, Frary & Clark, No. 20, Crown, double wheel, cast iron, black paint, hinged lid, wooden handle, 12 1/4 inches, $1,045.

TIP: When packing a piece of pottery for shipping, look at the shape. If it has a hollow space larger than 1 inch across, fill the space with sponge, foam or bubble wrap.

For more collecting news, tips and resources, visit www.Kovels.com.

© 2020 King Features Synd., Inc.