Ceramic dancers were Art Deco favorites

#Middlebury #Antiques

Pairs of ceramic dancing figures in exotic costumes were favorites in the Art Deco period, starting about 1920. Many different pairs about 19 or 20 inches high have been selling with the mark “Cia Manna” and sometimes the added words “Turin, Italy.”

This pair of dancers titled “Cavaliere Indiano and Danzatrice Indiana” were made in the 1930s in Turin, Italy. They have the incised mark “Cia Manna.” The pair was estimated at $800 to $1,200 but did not sell.

A search of old books and even new information online has offered little insight. The pairs of dancing figurines depict a bare-breasted woman and a shirtless man posing in exaggerated dance poses. Dozens of different pairs were made, most from 1925 to the 1950s.

An artist and designer named Mrs. Manna, who worked for the Lenci doll company, decided to form her own company in 1930. She named it Ceramica Italiana Artistica. The dancing figurines were marked “C.I.A. Manna.” Often the mark omitted the periods, so the first word looked like “Cia.” The company worked into the 1950s. The Art Deco look is still popular, and most of the pairs have sold for $800 to $1,500.

Q: How can I determine whether there is lead in older china, especially in pieces I intend to use for food? I was told by a friend there is a test kit for lead, and that the kits are available in hardware stores. In the hardware stores I checked, the kits were for checking lead in drinking water, not china. Is there such a kit for testing the safety of older china?

A: You can order kits online that test for lead, but the most reliable tests are done with professional equipment. It’s not how much lead is in the dish, but how much lead leaches out. In 1971, the Food and Drug Administration set limits on the amount of lead in dishware; the regulations were updated in 1993. New dishes that don’t meet the standards must be marked “Not for Food Use” or designed with holes so the dish can’t be used for food.

Dishes made before the standards were set, the brightly colored pottery made in other countries or handmade dishes, may have glazes that leach. Don’t use the dish if the glaze is damaged, cracked or painted silver decoration that has turned black. Acidic foods, hot liquids, microwaving and washing dishes in the intense heat of the dishwasher all may cause leaching.

Current Prices
Bride’s basket, silver plate, twist handle, ruffled cased cranberry glass insert, Forbes Silver Co., 12 x 10 inches, $60.
Still bank, “State Bank,” arched double doors, arched windows, three steps, pitched roof, cast iron, 6 inches, $100.
Edison phonograph, horn, white roses, green leaves, burgundy, oak case, 13 x 9 1/2 inches, $220.
Linen press, chestnut, 2 arched panel doors, shelves, 2 over 3 drawers, wooden knobs, French bun feet, Canada, 1800s, 83 x 51 inches, $430.

TIP: Never wash a wooden doll if you can avoid it. If there is no other way to remove the dirt, be sure to wet a cloth and then clean. Don’t wet the doll.

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