#MiddleburyCT #Antiques #CocktailShaker #SaltAndPepperShakers
At first glance, this silver standing rabbit chewing on a silver carrot has a few things in common with Easter collectibles. It’s metal, like the tin or iron Easter bunnies made as toys or doorstops. Like a candy container, it is hollow with a removable lid so it can hold a consumable treat. But unlike most Easter collectibles, which tend to be made for children, this rabbit has a decidedly adult purpose: It’s a cocktail shaker.
Figural cocktail shakers, like this silver-plated rabbit, were popular in the 1920s and ’30s and have been reproduced more recently. (Kovels.com)
The word “cocktail” appeared in print to refer to a mixed drink about 1806. Today’s cocktails have their roots in the Prohibition era of the 1920s to the 1930s. Speakeasies created mixed drinks to disguise the unpleasant taste of bootleg liquor.
Cocktails became more popular as people started making them at home. Silver manufacturers quickly realized they could make cocktail shakers as luxury items. Figural shakers were especially stylish and continue to please collectors. Animal figures are always popular in decorative arts, and cocktail shakers are no exception. The animal’s neck is a convenient point for the lid to detach, and a beak or snout provides a spot for a spout.
A buyer paid $6,150 for the rabbit cocktail shaker in the photo at Morphy Auctions. The carrot in its mouth is a removable cap for its spout.
Q: I have several salt and pepper shakers I would like to get appraised. Do you know someone who can do that? I live in Canada.
A: There are several major appraisal associations that list appraisers by specialty and area. We’ve listed them before, and you can find them in the Business Directory on Kovels.com. First, decide what kind of appraisal you need. The value for insurance purposes may require a written appraisal by an expert. If you want to know what the salt and pepper shakers are selling for today, check online prices, including sold prices on websites like eBay. If the salt and pepper shakers are silver, they are worth at least the meltdown value of silver. Don’t forget, the value for insurance purposes is a retail price and can be different from the price you will get if you want to sell them.
TIP: It is said that you can clean silver with a banana peel mashed in a blender.
CURRENT PRICES
World War II poster, Join Red Cross, four U.S. military men in uniform marching with Red Cross nurse, R.C. Kauffmann, c. 1942, 14 1/2 x 19 1/2 inches, $150.
Stoneware crock, cobalt blue wreath, stamped J. Burger Jr., Rochester, N.Y., straight sides, thick banded rim, ear handles, 4 gallons, 11 1/4 inches, $295.
Wood carving, sculpture, Angel, abstract angular form, David Fels, 1983, 61 3/4 x 29 inches, $475.
For more collecting news, tips and resources, visit www.Kovels.com.
© 2024 King Features Synd., Inc.
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