#Middlebury #Antiques
Several rare “Heart and Crown” side chairs were sold at a Skinner auction in Massachusetts. The high-back chair featuring molded bannisters, turned legs and a rush seat is part of an old tradition. Furniture makers in Connecticut created this style and used it from about 1740 to 1770. It was an interpretation of the expensive Philadelphia and Boston chairs made at the time. Instead of the curved crest of the formal city chairs, the top of the back was made with a cut-out heart and a crown-shaped crest. Almost all of the Heart and Crown chairs were painted black or dark brown, and all had the rush seat. An auctioned chair, 44 3/4 inches high and attributed to Andrew Durand of Milford, Connecticut, is painted black and has the characteristic banisters and turnings. It auctioned several years ago for $9,000, which was three times the estimate.
This $9,000 Heart and Crown chair has a carved crest with the correct heart-shaped hole and a curved, crown-like top. The style, popular for only about 30 years, is prized by collectors of 18th-century American furniture.
Q: I have a two-bladed pocket knife I think is quite old. It’s marked “Solingen, Germany” on one side of the blade and “Arnex, stainless” on the other side. Both side panels are embossed with three heads of racehorses, horseshoes and riding crops. My late wife worked for a horse farm owner who gave it to her for me. Is it worth keeping?
A: Solingen, Germany, is known as the “City of Blades.” It has been the center of knife-making in Germany since the Middle Ages and home to several manufacturers of knives, swords and cutlery. Arnex was in business in Solingen from about 1920 to 1940. Some pocket knives made by Arnex have handles decorated with animals, sports, trains, zeppelins and other themes. The value of your pocket knife is under $25.
Q: I have a tall, white pitcher with daisies painted on it and gold trim. It’s marked “Bel-Terr China, U.S.A., 22 Kt. Gold.” I’d like to sell it. What is it worth?
A: Bel-Terr China was founded in 1961 by Belden and Terry Ham in East Palestine, Ohio. The company is no longer in business. Bel-Terr pitchers, about 8 inches tall, sell for under $20.
Current Prices
Egg beater, tin and steel, wood handle, side gear drive, teeth and crimp, Holt’s, 1899, 10 3/4 x 3 inches, $75.
Lunchbox and thermos, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, metal, top handle and latch, flying car and characters image, 1960s, $125.
Bronze dog statue, whippet, ready to run, oval black & orange marble base, after P.J. Mene, 4 x 5 x 3 inches, $365.
Dress, beaded sequin, black, flapper, art deco-style pattern, sleeveless, scoopneck, 1920s, size medium, 35-inch waist, $535.
TIP: Civil War re-enactors have been warned that some old medical instruments could still carry germs or viruses that are infectious. Be very careful when handling any old medical items. They should be carefully disinfected.
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