That reproduction taint is hard to overcome

Q: My mother left my sister these figurines. She loved them dearly. I have no idea where they came from or if they are worth anything. Can you tell me something about them?

A: We have two photographs of these two porcelain figures —- a male and female pair. One picture suggested that these were made turn-of-the-20th century from bisque porcelain and their origins were probably Continental European (i.e., Germany or France). We also thought that for their genre, they were an exceptionally nice pair.

Unfortunately, the second photo showed us the egregious error of our first impression. The mark in this second image consists of the letters "A.A." under a stylized representation of a rising sun — in this case, a sort of half-orb with five rays that terminate in ball-shaped forms.

It is our opinion that this is one of the marks used by AA Importing, which was founded in 1934 in St. Louis by A.A. Gralnick. Initially it distributed kerosene lamps and accessories, but over time it became heavily involved with the importation of European porcelain and glass items — many of which resemble objects made at an earlier date.

Checking their online catalog —- they are still very much in business — you will find reproductions of everything from dolls, motion toys and pedal cars to trade signs, cut overlay glass, Christmas items, scrimshaw, canes and so forth. The list is long, and while AA Importing absolutely does not misrepresent their products as being "old" or "antique" in any way, some of their secondary customers do.

It is not unusual to walk into an antiques mall and see items out of the AA Importing catalog scattered among the older items. Often, there is no claim of age, just a price and maybe a generic description. Buyers need to beware — ask questions and do your proverbial homework before making a purchase.

These figures are post-World War II, probably circa 1970, probably made in Japan or possibly in Germany. Still, they are very attractive pieces and should be prized more for their beauty than age.

We do not know the size of the figures so we cannot really suggest a value, but if they are around 8 inches tall, the monetary valuation should be in the $100 to $125 range.

Q: My grandmother bought this pitcher in Boston around 1930-1935. It is 16 inches tall and has some small cracks in the picture of the boy and the dog — but I cannot feel any of them with my fingers. The number on the bottom must mean something. There is also a tag on the bottom but only a small portion remains. Any information as to origins and value would be appreciated.

A: There is an old saying in the antiques trade that a crack is a crack is a crack — no matter if it is as wide as the Grand Canyon or so tight that a fingernail will not catch the edge. Fortunately, we believe that what you have described as cracks are, in reality, something else.

The decoration of a boy and his dog — with the boy holding what may be a carrier pigeon on a red string — is transfer-printed, not hand-painted. This design was initially applied to the ceramic on a piece of tissuelike transfer paper that had been printed and colored with the image.

This is a mass-production process that began with an ink-engraved plate applied to the tissue, which was then trimmed to fit. Then the paper was placed on an unglazed surface and sponged off, leaving the ceramic pigment behind. What you saw as "cracks," we believe are just "artifacts" of the transfer paper (folds) used to apply the decoration.

It is hard to be sure without any traceable markings who and where it was made because only the original maker knew what the numbers meant. They probably indicated a style or shape number, but that information has been lost to time. We are sure, however, that the piece is either English or Continental European in origin. The English called this type of ware "cheap lines" — which only meant they were intended to be relatively inexpensive decorative pieces.

The red bordered label on the bottom of the ewer is now obliterated, but even when it was first applied, it was probably only a price label or perhaps an inventory sticker that would not have enhanced our knowledge by a great deal. But we theorize that at one time the piece was part of a larger set. It may have been, for example, part of a mantel garniture set that might have included another ewer and perhaps a vessel or bowl of some sort.

Today, the rich blue is popular with collectors, and the decoration is charming. But its anonymity and transfer-printing as opposed to hand-painting is a huge minus in the monetary equation. If it is in perfect condition with no chips or real cracks the insurance value should be in the $175 to $250 range.

Helaine Fendelman and Joe Rosson have written a number of books on antiques.