Lighted black velvet painting a conversation piece

Q: I have a painting with a lot of character that hangs in my office. The painting is 4 by 2 feet with a 3 ½-inch gold-colored wooden frame. It is a lighted black velvet painting signed with the name "Ashbrook" in the lower left corner. I would like to know about the artist and where the painting originated; also, the year it was done and the story about its creation. Most people do not like it, but it has been a good conversation piece.

A: We think the piece is a proverbial hoot and a half. Yes, we understand why most people do not like it, but it is fun and from a time that is attracting more and more collector interest.

We have done quite a lot of research on the name "Ashbrook" with some success. There are those who see these lighted pictures with the name "Ashbrook" and attribute them to Paul Ashbrook, a Cincinnati artist who lived from 1867-1949.

Unfortunately, that is just a wagon load of wishful thinking. Ashbrook was long dead before your piece was manufactured. That's right — manufactured. It was, in fact, mass produced by a company and not created by a specific artist.

We cannot be absolutely sure about the history because the firm's records are sparse and ambiguous. But we believe the piece was created by Ashbrook Studios, which went into business on Aug. 15, 1974, in Garden Grove, Calif. Reports are the studio went out of business sometime in the 1980s.

What we did find suggests it silk-screened home decor items — often on Masonite, but we suppose black velvet was within its range. Its work is commonly referenced by collectors as being "illuminated paintings" or "light-up" paintings with windows, lamps or lanterns that have small lights behind them.

These vintage light-up pieces tend to be brightly colored depictions of such things as boats, architecture (some with fountains or flamenco dancers), European scenes or views of San Francisco featuring the Golden Gate Bridge, trolleys and/or pagodas.

Most of these seem to be offered for sale in the $150 to $250 range, but we did find one Ashbrook Studios image priced at more than $10,000. Yeah, right.

Q: I bought this Libbey dressing holder for a dollar at a yard sale. It has the number 243 on its side as well. Just wondering about the history of the piece and how much it might be worth.

A: What a wonderful yard sale find! It is beautiful, useful, more than 100 years old and handmade by a highly respected manufacturer. That's a quadruple bonanza in the world of collecting.

Most people would call it a cruet. This generally describes a stoppered, flat-bottomed vessel with a narrow neck. Such bottles usually have small spouts and often have handles. They can be found made from ceramic, glass, metal and plastic. They are often part of a set.

The piece was made by the Libbey Glass Co. of Toledo, Ohio, which was founded in Cambridge, Mass., in 1818. It was bought by William L. Libbey in 1878 and moved to Toledo by Edward Libbey in 1888. Its name was changed to the Libbey Glass Co. in 1892, and the descendant firm is still in business.

American brilliant period cut glass was extremely popular in the waning years of the 19th century and early years of the 20th century. It was a kind of go-to gift for brides and wives. Prosperous household had sets of the glassware, and stoppered pieces were sometimes numbered so that stopper No. 4 should go with decanter or cruet No. 4.

We are a bit perplexed by the number 243 on the side and find this to be unusual. Such a number on the base might indicate a style number, but on the side, it makes little sense. The monetary value of American brilliant period cut glass has fallen dramatically in the past decade. If this were pressed glass, the retail value would be in the $20 to $35 range, but a circa 1900 cut glass piece signed by Libbey should still be valued in the $125 to $150 range.