Knock on Wood

 

QUESTION: Before the pandemic, I had been going to antique shows, especially those that featured more primitive pieces. One of the things that caught my eye was the variety of wooden objects, utensils, and containers on display. I’ve always liked the look of natural wood and think that I might start a collection. But there were so many different items that I don’t know where to start. Can you help me/

ANSWER: As with any type of collection, it’s important to collect what you like. A way to narrow this down a bit might be to think about what you like to do. Are you an avid cook that delights in all sorts of kitchen gadgets? Do you like unique containers? Do you like to work with woodworking tools? Once you decide what category of wooden items you’d like to collect, then, and only then, should you begin purchasing items for your collection. Also, it’s important to set a budget limit—know what you can afford—especially in the beginning. 

Woodenware generally consists of utilitarian items used in the everyday lives of 18th- and 19th-century Americans. Also known as treenware, from the word "treen," an old usage for "from trees." Wood was the component in the construction of many necessities in early American life.

Craftsmen used pine, a soft wood that was east to work with, for making woodenware and boxes. Dough boxes, trenchers—large oval or rectangular serving or preparation bowls---and small boxes made of pine are a favorite of collectors. They also used cherry, poplar, and butternut but didn’t use oak very often.

Fine examples of handmade, early American burl bowls can reach prices of over $1,000. A burl is an abnormal growth on a tree, occurring on a limb or the trunk. It’s harder than the normal wood of the tree. Due to its hardness, woodworkers often burned the piece of burl in the center, than dug it out with tools, finishing it to form the implement. Heavy and tough, the burl exhibits a beautiful and unusual appearance, becoming even more attractive over time when a patina forms. Burl items seem less likely to crack over time than the items made from normal wood. Some larger wooden-ware items may exhibit a partial burl in their construction.

Probably the most common examples of woodenware found were made for food preparation and storage. Family members fashioned many of these items by hand, but unfortunately, they discarded them when they were no longer usable. Hand-planed and carved marks are sure signs of handcrafting, as is a non-symmetrical design. Bowls and dry measures are probably the most common pieces of early manufactured woodenware. But finding a maker’s name on an item is rare.

Butter molds and stamps are another type of woodenware often seen. However, plates, utensils, and cups are scarce and command higher prices. Though handmade bowls sell well, manufactured bowls from the late 1800s and early 1900s are more common and affordable. Most desirable of the manufactured bowls tend to be the unusually large examples, of over 18 inches in diameter.

Designed to hold all types of dry goods, such as flour, cornmeal and other grains, pantry boxes are popular among woodenware collectors. They especially like the covered oval boxes with finger lapping made by the Shakers. The finger lapping helped the boxes keep their shape over time. Makers usually painted many of these. Like most items, it these boxes retain their original paint, the value increases dramatically.

Woodenware also includes items, such as shovels, buckets, tools, and barrels, used in daily life. Coopers made staved buckets and barrels. They constructed the majority of them with iron bands, and occasionally used wood bands.

Grain shovels, hay forks and rakes were some old farm implements made from wood. 

Makers cut early pieces from one piece of wood, with the grip, handle and shovel constituting one piece. Later, they made them from two pieces, joined with nuts and bolts  Farm implements, like rakes, forks and shovels, received a good bit of hard use, and often exhibit wear and tear.

Staved firkins, or sugar buckets, used to hold sugar and other dry goods, and had a  cover, swing handle, and wood bands. Wider at the base than at the top, these buckets came in several sizes. Painted examples are the most valuable. Other utilitarian pieces included sap buckets, used for collecting sap for maple syrup making, kerosene buckets, and drop handle water pails.

Woodenware was made to be used, often strenuously and regularly. Wear and use marks not only add to the intrigue of the piece, but also help in differentiating it from a recently made one. Chop marks usually cover the interior of bowls and trenchers. Stir sticks will be stained from soups and jams. Farmers scraped grain shovels thousands of times against barn floors. In addition, the wood has probably been exposed to a wide range of weather conditions over the years, as people often stored pieces in barns, attics, and cellars. And because some of the earliest pieces of American-made woodenware were quite thin, cracks and breaks were inevitable.

Woodworkers used different finishes on various types of woodenware. They left kitchen implements natural, though the exteriors of bowls and trenchers may have been painted or stained. Cooking oils and fats gives them a smooth, rich patina. Constant handling of the item also contributed to a well-worn look. Original finishes and paints add to woodenware’s value. Old red, blue or mustard paints are especially desirable. 

To read more articles on antiques, please visit the Antiques Articles section of my Web site.  And to stay up to the minute on antiques and collectibles, please join the over 30,000 readers by following my free online magazine, #TheAntiquesAlmanac. Learn more about the Sears Catalogue and the items sold in it in "Sears' Book of Bargains" in the 2021 Fall Edition, online now. And to read daily posts about unique objects from the past and their histories, like the #Antiques and More Collection on Facebook.

A Piece for Every Food

QUESTION: An uncle of mine collected Victorian silverware. All the pieces he had—some 400–were from the same pattern, Renaissance. One day, he invited me over for lunch. And to my surprise, he laid out two place settings of this beautiful silverware. Not only did we use the usual fork, knife, and spoon, but we also used numerous serving pieces. Why did the Victorians use so many different pieces of silverware? Did people try to outdo each other by seeing how many different pieces they could use at a single meal?

ANSWER: Today, some people break out their silverware service for eight or twelve for holiday meals and special occasions. It naturally goes with the “good china.” But in the second half of the 19th century, wealthy Victorians laid out as many as eight to ten pieces at each place setting! How could they afford to do this? Well, for one thing, they had lots of money, and secondly, they had servants to wash and polish all those pieces.

By the 1850s, table etiquette in the English-speaking world had begun to undergo dramatic changes, thanks in part to Queen Victoria. But the invention in 1830 of a silver plating process for applying, or electroplating, a coating of pure silver to a base metal, usually copper or a zinc alloy, sealed the deal.

Up until this time silver had been sterling, solid silver that was 925 parts pure silver per thousand—coin silver, solid silver made from melted down coins and containing varying amounts of pure silver, and Sheffield plate, a process that fused two sheets of sterling silver to either side of a core sheet of copper. Sheffield plate, named for the region of England, near Birmingham, where it was manufactured, was a process suited for household items, such as bowls, goblets, cups, and trays, but not suited for eating utensils.

Although Victoria's reign began in 1837, it wasn’t until the late 1800s that the opulence, extravagance, and rigidly adhered to social rituals and etiquette associated with the Victorian era reached their height. By 1850, the Industrial Revolution was in full swing, both in England and America. Manufacturers could produce silverware somewhat inexpensively thanks to silverplating, and Queen Victoria set a new standard for social mores that centered around the home and family.



For centuries, flatware, or what most people called silverware, had consisted solely of spoons and ladles of varying sizes and materials, simple forks, and cutlery, or knives. People used forks with two or three tines to hold food for cutting and used knives to spear their food and transfer it to their mouths for eating. Queen Victoria soon changed that.

She frowned upon the use of the knife for spearing food. In order to discourage this practice, she encouraged silverware manufacturers to blunt the sharp ends of knife blades. The fork, until this time used primarily for holding food in place while people cut and speared it—much like our present day carving forks—became the utensil of choice. The rule became, never use a knife if a spoon can be used, and never use a spoon if a fork can be used. By the late 1800s, manufacturers were producing forks for every conceivable use—dinner forks, luncheon forks, salad forks, dessert forks, pastry forks, fish forks, oyster forks, berry forks and ice-cream forks, to name a few.

They also produced a variety of spoons—teaspoons, five-o'clock spoons (slightly smaller than a regular teaspoon), coffee or demitasse spoons, chocolate spoons, round cream soup spoons, bullion spoons (smaller than cream soup spoons), dessert spoons, cereal spoons, and more.

However, people still needed knives for cutting, so silverware makers produced dinner knives, luncheon knives, breakfast knives, fruit knives and butter knives. To emphasize the lesser role to which the knife had been relegated, matching knives, especially those with hollow handles, became less common than today. Victorian-era place setting knives, with the exception of butter knives and spreaders, usually had solid and plain or pearl handles, as well as handles of wood, bone, and ivory.

But it was the Victorian serving pieces where the extravagance and opulence of design was the most apparent. In addition to the traditional serving spoon, serving fork, gravy ladle, butter knife and sugar spoon that are staples of today’s silver services, Victorian silver manufacturers produced such items as asparagus servers, berry spoons, cucumber servers, fish servers, oyster ladles, soup ladles, preserve spoons, salt spoons, toast servers, tomato servers, and waffle servers, among many others. These  pieces were large and ornately decorated. They often heavily embossed the bowls of serving spoons and the base of the handles of serving forks and knives.
   
Once word of the electroplating process spread to the United States, a bevy of small silver manufacturers sprang up, primarily in Connecticut. Companies such as Oneida, Reed and  Barton, William Rogers, 1847 Rogers Brothers, and Wallace, became prominent and produced some of the most collectible silver flatware of that era. Ironically, the first patterns produced in any amount were silver plate. Later, in response to customer requests, they produced some of the same patterns in sterling. Later on, they made different patterns in sterling to distinguish them from silver plate.

Makers gave their silverware patterns names rather than numbers to identify them, the idea being that names would be easier to remember than numbers. They also thought that the names, themselves, would evoke an image of gracious living. Pattern names such as Moselle, Renaissance, Berkshire, Vintage, New Century, Orange Blossom, Grenoble, and York Rose are reminiscent of that refined era.

There are probably as many different ways of collecting and reasons for collecting as there are patterns and pieces in Victorian flatware. The next time you watch a TV series like “Downton Abbey,” notice the table settings. The prop department went out of their way to make sure that everything was exactly right and even instructed the actors in the proper etiquette for the time.

To read more articles on antiques, please visit the Antiques Article section of my Web site.  And to stay up to the minute on antiques and collectibles, please join the other 18,000 readers by following my free online magazine, #TheAntiquesAlmanac. Learn more about western antiques in the special 2019 Winter Edition, "The Old West," online now. And to read daily posts about unique objects from the past and their histories, like the #Antiques & More Collection on Facebook. 

The Best of Antiques Q&A

This year marks the ninth anniversary of my antiques blog, “Antiques Q &A.” What began as a pastime evolved into weekly answers to hundreds of questions sent to me by interested followers. In all that time, I never took the time to create a “Best of” list of posts.  So before I dive into answering questions already coming in for 2018, I thought it would be a good idea to give you a list of posts that you, my readers have found the most interesting. Check them out.

Ironically, one of the most popular posts was the last one I posted to this blog, “The New Kid on the Block,” an explanation of the beginnings of electric lamps and light bulbs.

Here’s a list of other popular posts, in no particular order. Click on the links to read any or all of these posts.

A Spoonful of Memories - March 4, 2013 (The most popular blog post) A look at Rolex souvenir spoons.

A Stitch in Time - June 18, 2012 - A look at Martha Washington sewing cabinets.

Saving With Uncle Sam - July 8, 2015 - A look at Uncle Sam banks.

Newlywed Furniture  - January 28, 2013

Deck the Halls Victorian Style - December 21, 2015 - A look at how Victorians celebrated Christmas.

As Delicate as Lace - August 18, 2014 - A look at Dresden lace figurines.

9 Ways to Help Identify Antique Furniture  - September 22, 2014 - A look at ways to identify antique furniture.

Less Work for Mother - February 18, 2013 - A look at old kitchen gadgets.

The Ultimate All-in-One - December 5, 2011 - A look at the hoosier.



What are some of your favorite posts from this blog? Let me know by leaving a comment.

Stay tuned for many more blog posts to come. Here’s wishing all who follow my blog a very happy and prosperous New Year.


To read more articles on antiques, please visit my Web site.  And to stay up to the minute on antiques and collectibles, please join the other 18,000 readers by following my free online magazine, #TheAntiquesAlmanac.

A Spoonful of Memories

QUESTION: I was recently going through a box of junk that belonged to my grandfather and in it I discovered a silver spoon with the name Rolex on the handle. It had the Rolex crown at the top with the word Rolex under it. On the back it said Bucherer Switzerland. It this any affiliation with the watch company? What can you tell me about this spoon?

ANSWER: You found a Rolex souvenir spoon, given to the purchaser of a Rolex watch from Bucherer Jewelers in Lucerne, Switzerland. Customers only received one of these spoons after they bought a Rolex. Bucherer never sold the spoons separately.

Besides its main store in Lucerne, Buckerer has outlets in major luxury hotels in other cities. These hotels often gave their guests silverplated Rolex spoons as a welcome gift, hoping that they would purchase a Rolex to take home. Though Rolex Geneva wholly endorses the marketing effort by Bucherer, the company doesn’t make the spoons.

The spoons feature the names of eight different cities—Lucerne, Lugano, Basel, Zurich, Interlaken, Geneva, and others—where Bucherer has a store. The Lucerne spoon is the most common. The one marked "New York" and with a Statue of Liberty motif is the hardest to find because Bucherer no longer has a New York City store. The jewelry company has been handing out the Rolex spoons since the 1950s.

Because there are thousands of these silver-plated spoons available, they usually sell for under $15, with the older, rarer examples selling for $25-35.

Sterling silver and silver-plated souvenir spoons have been around since the late 16th century in Europe. The first ones served as religious souvenirs. Made of either silver or gold and often encrusted with jewels, they also served as a form of currency.

The first souvenir spoons in the United States acted as first gifts to babies by their sponsors at christenings. The idea was that a child no sooner learned to feed himself, using his own spoon, than he began to acquire knowledge.

In 1887, as souvenir spoons became the fad in European cities, Daniel Low, of Salem, Mass., made a trip to Europe where he purchased spoons from skilled craftsmen. From these, he conceived the idea of a spoon showing the traditions and legends of Salem. His son, Seth F. Low, designed the first "witch" spoon. Its handle carries the figure of a witch, the word "Salem," and three witch pins similar to those
preserved in the courthouse at Salem.

Low’s witch spoon launched the souvenir spoon craze of the late 19th-century in this country. It was the first to be made in this country from a special die, of a design suggestive of some particular place.

Victorian women loved serving tea and used souvenir spoons whenever they had guests. The spoons also served as conversation pieces with after-dinner coffee and other beverages. They also became badges of travel as Victorians began to travel and attend world expositions.

The Rolex spoons, however, fall into the advertising category. Displaying such a spoon indicates that the owner or someone in the home had purchased a Rolex watch, which for some is a status symbol in itself. 

Eating Above the Clouds

QUESTION: My father used to fly a lot on business, and each time he flew somewhere, he’d keep a souvenir of that flight. Sometimes it was just a timetable or a ticket jacket, but at other times, he’d bring home a cup or a silver spoon or a menu with the logo of the airline on it. Are these items worth collecting?

ANSWER: People who traveled by plane, especially internationally, during the 1930s to the 1970s often kept a souvenir of their flights, including decks of playing cards, flight wings, timetables, postcards, flight bags, silverware and dishes. During that era, flights served full meals to all passengers, not just those in First Class. To fly anywhere was a special experience. People dressed up in their Sunday best and expected to dine on fine china using silver flatware on most flights.

There are lots of collectors of airline memorabilia out there. Propelled by personal memories and an eternal fascination with flying, these collectors seek the well-crafted and designed implements used on those mid-20th-century flights. And when some airlines like Eastern and Pan Am came upon hard times in the late 1980s, the market for airline dinner and silverware became speculative. Some, like Pan Am, were in operation from the early days of commercial aviation in 1927 to its shut down in 1991.

Airline collectibles consist of a wide variety of items, including timetables, crew wings, safety cards, barf bags, trays, liquor miniatures, plasticware, swizzle sticks, playing cards, safety cards, seat occupied cards, inflight magazines, overnight kits, flight bags, soap, hat badges, patches, buttons, service pins, hats, uniforms, ticket jackets, boarding passes, annual reports, posters,  brochures, ashtrays, pins, badges, toy and model planes, advertisements, games, watches and coloring books. Collectors particularly covet china, glassware, silverplate, flatware, salt and pepper shakers, and menus bearing the airline’s name or logo. Also, the older the item, the more valuable. Likewise, the more renowned or limited the airline's history, the more collectors are interested in them.

Some airlines first began serving meals on board aircraft about 1930. But the earliest marked china which they used dates from the mid 1930's. Generally, any china pieces from before WWII are rare and highly sought after by collectors. Prices likewise reflect the rarity and some pieces from that era are nearly $1,000. Not only are these pieces valuable because of their age, but also due to their scarcity. Today's airlines have fleets of several hundred planes each carrying a hundred or more passengers, but in the 1930's even the majors had only maybe a couple dozen planes each holding a few dozen passengers.

American and PanAm had some of the earliest examples of nicely marked china. PanAm flew its famous Flying Clippers across the Pacific, so the china used on them is quite rare. Most of the early china was very lightweight so as to not overload the planes, but there are several exceptions with both American and PanAm.

While the postwar era found most of the larger airlines, both domestic and foreign, having china, some of the smaller carriers didn’t start using it until the jet era. Both Delta and Continental, for example, used plastic dishes in the prop era.

The early jet era was undoubtedly the Golden Age of fine airline china. Each carrier competed with the others for speed and service. The service often included luxury dishes like steak or lobster.  Many of the small foreign carriers got their first china on their first jets.

Airline dinnerware is probably the most commonly found collectible at the airline memorabilia shows, and the variety is often astounding.

Much of the china seen at the shows comes from legitimate sources. When airlines change their logo or their china design, they sell off the older material or give it to their employees. Depending on the quality, quantity and condition of these items, they may have value perhaps in the hundreds or the thousands. Those airlines who also fly internationally use different china on those flights. China used by foreign airlines is often made by the best manufacturers—Wedgewood, Spode, Royal Doulton, and Noritake. Generally any pre-World War II china pieces are rare and highly sought after. Prices likewise reflect that rarity and some pieces sell for nearly $1,000.