Collecting ceramics may be seen as traditional, even old-fashioned, but there is plenty of room for eccentricity. This puzzle mug by George E. Ohr is an unusual piece by an unconventional artist. There are holes in its sides; if you try to fill it and drink from it like an ordinary mug, the liquid spills out — probably onto you. Puzzle mugs usually have a hollow portion, often in the handle, that works like a drinking straw. The trick is to know which holes to cover and which to drink from.
A puzzle mug is a fitting piece for George Ohr, who had a flair for the unusual. Ohr, known as "The Mad Potter of Biloxi," was born in 1857 and started working on his own as a potter in 1883. He made his pottery from very thin clay in twisted, folded shapes, glazed in rich colors. Ohr loved self-promotion and considered himself "the best potter in America," but sold little of his pottery and faded into obscurity. By the time his pottery was rediscovered in the 1970s, one of the few resources available about his work was an article by Ralph and Terry Kovel. As if making up for lost time, Ohr's pottery now sells for high prices. This mug sold for $2,250 at a Rago auction.
Q: I have this odd $20 bill with markings and I don't know who to take it to for a value that I can trust. Can you please help me with this?
A: The markings on your bill look like part of the word "TELLER." They are probably from a teller stamp. When bank tellers bundle bills together to go into the vault, they wrap the bundle with a paper strap, then stamp the strap and add their initials to verify that they counted the bundle. Your bill was probably on top of a bundle where the teller's stamp slipped and partly missed the strap. On one hand, this does not make the bill rare or worth more. On the other hand, it is still legal tender and can be spent like any valid $20 bill. We would recommend taking the bill to a bank to verify this. They will probably exchange it for a clean bill.
Q: Trying to get information and value about this unusual trunk. It's about 100 years old. The original owners (now deceased) got it as a wedding gift. They said it came from Spain and cost about $1,000. The red/green covering appears to be leather. The lining is velvet. The base is made out of particleboard — perhaps added at a later time. The trunk is 36 inches long; the width/depth is 17 1/2 inches and it is 20 inches tall plus the feet. I am not seeing any brand.
A: Trunks were traditional wedding gifts up to the 20th century. They would be filled with household items the newlywed couple would need for their new home. After the wedding, they would store mementoes and heirlooms. Hope chests, which young women would fill with textiles they made to supply their future households, were a similar idea. Spanish trunks made of wood or leather are especially desirable for their distinctive looks and skilled craftsmanship. There was a revival of Spanish Colonial style furniture from about 1915 to the early 1930s, especially in the American Southwest. This fits with your estimate of the trunk's age. You are right, the particleboard base would have been added later. It's not uncommon to see antique and vintage trunks with later feet. Generally, trunks with flat bases were meant for traveling; trunks with feet or on a stand were used as furniture. Dome top trunks meant nothing could be stacked on top, protecting the trunk and its contents from damage during transit. Dome top leather trunks with exterior decoration like nail heads or tooled designs have sold at recent auctions for about $200 to over $1,000. Prices depend on the trunk's age, size, material and condition.
TIP: To be collectible, trunks must be in good condition. Refinishing destroys the trunk's value as an antique. Trunks in poor condition can be refinished to be attractive and useful as pieces of furniture, but they will no longer be of interest to serious trunk collectors.
Terry Kovel and Kim Kovel answer readers' questions sent to the column. Send a letter with one question describing the size, material (glass, pottery) and what you know about the item. Include only two pictures, the object and a closeup of any marks or damage. Be sure your name and return address are included. By sending a question, you give full permission for use in any Kovel product. Names, addresses or email addresses will not be published. We do not guarantee the return of photographs, but if a stamped envelope is included, we will try. Questions that are answered will appear in Kovels Publications. Write to Kovels, (Name of this newspaper), King Features Syndicate, 628 Virginia Dr., Orlando, FL 32803 or email us at collectorsgallerykovels.com.
CURRENT PRICES
Current prices are recorded from antiques shows, flea markets, sales and auctions throughout the United States. Prices vary in different locations because of local economic conditions.
Cut glass, champagne, amber to clear, pinwheels, etched grapes and leaves, clear stem and foot, 11 inches, 6 pieces, $70.
Quilt, patchwork, Birds in the Air, multicolor triangle blocks, cream ground, 73 by 80 inches, $85.
Doorstop, two dogs, Scottish Terrier, sitting, leaning to side, cast iron, oblong base, 5 1/2 by 8 inches, $120.
Advertising inkwell, Western Electric Co., figural, bell shaped, blue glass, 3 1/2 by 3 inches, $130.
Music box, singing bird, feathered, on perch, fabric leafy fine, dome top cage, gilt painted base, windup, spring driven, bird rotates, opens and closes beak, Germany, 20th century, 11 by 6 1/2 by 5 1/2 inches, $420.
Lamp, art nouveau, tulip shade, green and pink glass petals, figural base, woman with raised arms, draped gown, circa 1900, 18 inches, $540.
Rug, Sarouk Mahal, navy blue field, red scrolling vines, multicolor flowers, dark red main border, circa 1940, 6 feet 11 inches by 4 feet 5 inches, $695.
Dinnerware, Wee Modern, cup, two handles, stylized animals, table with flowerpot on reverse, child's, Eva Zeisel, Goss China Co., circa 1953, 3 1/2 by 5 inches, $1,200.
Rug, Heriz, concentric red and navy blue medallions, olive green field, navy blue main border, ivory and salmon guard borders, 1930s, 11 feet 6 inches by 8 feet 4 inches, $1,890.
Tool chest, top handle, hinged side, folds open, fitted interior, drawers, door, compartments, painted brown, with tools, 1800s, 29 1/2 by 17 inches, $2,520.
