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This is an Indian-style beaded cradle, but it holds a European doll. It was made about 1900 at an Indian boarding school and sold for $11,070.
Many American Indian tribes almost lost their culture by the 1960s because of 19th- and early 20th-century U.S government rules. American Indians could be removed from their land, resettled on reservations and even have their children sent to special boarding schools to be taught a new way of life. The children were punished if they continued to practice their ceremonies or speak their native language. Children from the Potawatomi tribe went to either a boys’ or girls’ boarding school, where they learned English and a trade. The American Indian Religious Freedom Act passed in the 1970s led to the end of the boarding schools and the beginning of efforts to bring back the Indian culture.
A recent auction sold a toy Indian cradle decorated with beads and silver buttons, but holding a European porcelain-headed doll. It was made by Millie R. Hall, who lived at a Potawatomi boarding school in 1900, an important historic source for a handmade doll. It sold for $11,070.
Q: I’d like to know the value of a violin that is about 100 years old. The inscription inside reads “Copy of Antonius Stradivarius, made in Czechoslovakia.” What is it worth?
A: Antonio Stradivari (1644-1737) made violins, violas, cellos and other stringed instruments at his workshop in Cremona, Italy. Fewer than 600 of the original Stradivarius violins still are in existence, and they sell for several million dollars each. Thousands of copies have been made and don’t sell for high prices. Your violin was made after 1918, when Czechoslovakia was created. Recently, a violin like yours that included the case sold for $57.
Q: I have a brass tea set that has sat unused for many years. Should I polish it or leave the natural patina?
A: You should polish your brass tea set with a commercial brass polish. If it’s heavily tarnished or corroded, take it to a professional. Some brass has been lacquered to prevent tarnish and should not be polished. Polishing damages the lacquer. If the lacquer is peeling, you should go to a professional restorer.
CURRENT PRICES
Button, animal rescue league, Boston, Mass., dog photo, tin lithograph, blue and gold, pinback, 1930s, 1-inch diameter, $25.
Musical instrument, temple drum, ritual, wood with yak skin, double leather, symbols, forged nails, Tibet, c. 1905, 7 x 23 inches, $450.
Button, plique-a-jour enamel glass, green and white, silver dome frame, mistletoe design, openwork, 1800s, 1 1/2-inch diameter, $2,525.
TIP: Nineteenth-century Indian blankets generally are not restored by museums. They are stabilized, mounted on a backing fabric to prevent further damage, and hung or framed. It is thought that even the dirt may be wanted in original state in the future.
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