Mucha Belt Buckle

Description:

I found this bronze belt buckle at a thrift store.  It is approximately 4 3/4 inches tall and 3 inches wide. It is signed Mucha/99.  I am wondering if this is an authentic Mucha bronze, or a reproduction.

Appraisal:

Alphonse Mucha, being one of the most popular of the art nouveau artists, unfortunately has many reproductions currently on the market.  Judging from the images and information provided, I believe this to be one of them.  The casting on the front doesn't appear to be of the quality you would expect and the attachments on the back seem fairly modern.  I can not tell if it is even bronze.  A good test would be to see if a magnet sticks to it.  If it does, you know it is not bronze.
Leslie Hindman Auctioneers

Lamp in the Style of Handel

Description:

What can you tell me about this lamp? I bought it from a dealer who mentioned that it could be a Handel.  She based her view on the acorn pulls.  The lamp is 23 1/2 inches tall.  The shade is 17 inches in diameter. There are no inscriptions. The lamp is in perfect condition except for one missing acorn.

Appraisal:

Acorn pulls were used on Handel lamps, but not exclusively.  The 'chipped ice' texture on exterior of the shade is also a technique used by Handel, but again, not exclusively.  Many of the early 20th century lamps we have today are made up with elements of several lamps so it can often be tricky to correctly identify them.  From the information I have I would catalogue this lamp as an American early 20th century lamp in the manner of Handel with an estimate of $1000/2000.
Leslie Hindman Auctioneers

Antique Toy Carriage

Description:

This cast iron antique toy is at least 90 years old.  The canopy is made of real cloth. It's in good condition, but the wire frame holding the canopy is broken in one place, but you can't see it with the canopy on. It's about 8-9 inches long, and about 5-6 inches tall. There are no markings or stamps on it. It looks like a Pratt & Letchworth, but I could be mistaken.  It is definitely NOT a reproduction.

Appraisal:

This cast iron horse drawn carriage looks to be a late 19th or early 20th century example.  There were many companies both in America and in Europe turning out similar toys.  Values on these can range from a couple hundred dollars to a few thousand.  It appears that this one has retained most of the original paint and looks to be fairly complete.  Given the photo and information provided, at auction I would expect it to bring $600/800.
Leslie Hindman Auctioneers

Flowered Vase

Description:

This is a 5 inch ceramic flower vase.  It has a pebbly surface as though sand was used in the glaze. The decoration consists of a raised flower on a leaf branch.  The flower is high gloss glaze. There is a chip in one petal of the flower and in one leaf.  There are no other chips or cracks.  There is a brown colored S (or possibly a 5) on the bottom.  The vase belonged to my great, great grandparents who lived in Pennsylvania in 1821 to 1892.   There is a companion bud vase that is 10 inches tall with roses.

Appraisal:

Based on the photo and information provided, this vase appears to be an example of a Cincinnati Art Pottery work, made in the late 19th century.  While they turned out many different wares they did do a lot with the pebbled surface and applied flowers.  The mark on the bottom is a bit of a mystery, perhaps an artist's initial.  At auction these types of vases generally bring around $200.
Leslie Hindman Auctioneers

Description:

This is a small china cup which measures 3 inches high.  It was found by my father when he was a World War II soldier in France in 1944.  The condition is very good.  There are no chips, cracks, or stains.  There are no maker's marks.  There is an emblem that consists of a German cross (swastika?) with holly leaf and possibly oak leaf sprigs.  Inside the German cross is the letter W and the number 914. Behind the emblem is a crossed sword and staff (with a bird on top).  Between the crossed sword and staff is what appears to be a crown with a Christian cross.

Appraisal:

The 'German cross' on this cup is not a swastika but an interpretation of the 'Iron Cross' a Prussian - and later a German medal of honor.  The letter W is the Royal Cipher for the Wilhelm's and the 914 is most likely 1914.  This cup would have been made to commemorate a current event, but from the image I can not make out enough details to figure exactly what.  It most likely would have been made as a souvenir, and produced in fairly large numbers.  Based on the photograph and information provided, this little cup is worth around $100.
Leslie Hindman Auctioneers

1893 Worlds Fair Cup

Description:

This is a clear pressed glass souvenir cup with flash red round markings on the side and a red flash red strip around the top part.   It's 3 inches high and 2 inches across. The condition is excellent.  It has no cracks, however there is a small chip on the inside lip. It has my great uncle's name (who was born in 1891) painted on the one side and World's Fair 1893 painted on the other. 

Appraisal:

These souvenir cups were made in fairly large numbers.  The "World's Fair 1893" and the personalized name were often actually cut into the glass.  As they were inexpensively made and engraved at the fair they are not of the highest quality.  They show up on EBay quite frequently and based on the photo and information provided they are generally priced around $30.
Leslie Hindman Auctioneers

Picture -- "Enfant Jesus"

Description:
This piece of artwork was given to me 50 years ago by a woman I used to clean for.  It isn't a painting. It is made up of many fine, short lines.  There are some tears in the picture and some ragged edges. It is sepia-colored and is entitled "Enfant Jesus." The simple wood frame is 28"x 30" and is painted white. There is writing at the bottom part of the picture in a foreign language. This is what I can decipher:

Grave a beauforte par N.Bertrand Termune par Badeureau
Enfant Jesus
Etude, Calgueg et Dessmee dapres le Tableau original de Raphaeldit la Pertel
Appartenaui d? le Roi Espagne

Appraisal:
Based on the description, photographs, and the translation of what you included from the text below the image, this appears to be an engraving after an original drawing, engraved by a "N. Bertrand Termune" (although I wasn't able to find this name) from an original work by another artist, by appointment to the King of Spain. This is a very pretty piece with decorative value, and seems, judging from the scale in relation to the truck, that this is quite large in size.  Depending on the condition, I would say that a fair market value for this might be $150-250.
Leslie Hindman Auctioneers

Picture -- "Young Jesus"

Description:
I acquired this apparent vintage hand-painted picture of what I am assuming is a young Jesus. I found him at a Religious Charity Thrift Store, so I have no history. The size of the canvas is 10 in. x 14 in. There is obvious quality in the painting, but there isn’t a visible signature. I have not taken it out of the frame.  There are no marks or writing on the back.

Appraisal:
This looks to be a late 19th or very early 20th century depiction of the young Jesus in an early 20th century gilded frame. The treatment and modeling of the face appear to be Victorian, and the addition of flowers as well as the bird gives this painting a romantic quality that seems consistent with that era. Given the information provided and the photographs, I would give this a very conservative fair market estimate of $100-200 at auction.
Leslie Hindman Auctioneers

Toy Stove

Description:
This toy stove has been in the family for years. It's in really good condition. There is a 1' ruler in front of it, to help size it.  

Appraisal:
This Crescent toy stove, often referred to as a salesman sample, looks to be fairly complete and in decent condition.  Unfortunately, this is one of the collecting categories which have been flooded with reproductions, bringing down the demand for originals.  Looking on EBay, 69 examples sold in the last 15 days, reproductions bringing around $20, vintage models bringing $60/80. Based on the photographs and information provided, this is our estimate.
Leslie Hindman Auctioneer

Description:
These solid copper pots that come in sets of ten are at least 50 years old. They are in great condition, but are a little tarnished (naturally).

As for the size, the white line you see in the picture is a 12" ruler.  They are all larger than a golf ball, but smaller than a softball.

Appraisal:
It is a challenge to tell exactly what we've got here from the information given.  In researching miniature copper items I found that many sell online for $5/10 each.  I'm not sure about them coming in 'sets' of ten.  The scale, construction and patination of the four samples illustrated would make me believe that it is an assembled set.  Based on the photographs and the information provided, we would estimate all ten at $50/70 at auction.
Leslie Hindman Auctioneers

Villeroy & Boch Pedestal Bowl

Description
This blue and white (maybe blue willow) pattern has an attached pedestal and is 19" across, 10" tall, and over 60" around. It has the Villeroy & Boch mark on the bottom, but in the ribbon area it reads Wallerfan EN (not Dresden). There is also a blue "A" and a couple of indentations in the pottery itself. The first is the number "1" and the second is similar to an uneven equal (=) sign. I just can't imagine what such a large bowl was used for.

Appraisal
This is a Villeroy & Boch center bowl, from the late 19th/early 20th century, transfer printed with landscape designs.  Although attractive, and even with its age and large size, these bowls can bring modest prices at auction.  Based on the photographs and information you provided, our auction estimate would be $200/400.
Leslie Hindman Auctioneers

Cat Pen Wipe

Description
It is a fabric cat and kittens penwipe, 4.5 inches in diameter. Bought 25 yeas ago from the Red Shed in Yarmouth, Maine. Evidence of wiped pens on one of the layers.

Appraisal
This appears to be a 19th century American wool and felt pen wipe in the form of a cat with two kittens. Typically, pen wipes are made of either metal or fabric. Notable examples of metal pen wipes include Austrian cold painted bronze animals and geometric bronze designs from Tiffany& Co (often included as a part of a larger desk set). Wool and felt pen wipes are predominantly American beginning with examples from the 19th century continuing through the early 20th century. Most often these pen wipes appear in the guise of animals, although there are some notable whimsical figures as well. This pen wipe is an exceptionally nice example as it has multiple figures and high attention paid to the details. Based upon the photograph, the cat and kittens would probably sell in a retail store for around $1,000, and an auction estimate for it would be between $400-600, pending first-hand inspection by an American folk art expert.
Leslie Hindman Auctioneers

19th Century Fence

Description
This nineteenth century fence was removed from the location which it stood for the last 84 years.  Two of the four posts need a small amount of repair at the bottom.  All of the cast iron dead men that could be found were removed and are with the fence.   A lot of the original nuts and bolts are with the fence, along with the clips that join the panels together.  The gate was still operational when taken down. There is writing on the fence, which appears to read "Buckeye." 

Appraisal
The Mast, Foos and Company made wrought iron fencing starting around 1850 in Springfield, Ohio.  They used the "Buckeye" name for many of their products. Based on the photographs provided and without knowing the exact length of the fence I would think that the illustrated sections would bring at least $1000/2000 at auction, possibly more depending on actual condition and size.
Leslie Hindman Auctioneers

Zsolnay Vase

Description
This Zsolnay vase is 16 cm tall and 15 cm in diameter. It’s signed A. M. Z. at the bottom. The Zsolnay Pecs logo of five churches, number 6036 and the letter M is embossed on the bottom. The vase is ceramic with a metallic glaze that is slightly worn around the head and shoulders of the snake and on one spot on the inside. Otherwise, it is in good condition.

Appraisal
This is a very interesting piece of Hungarian pottery dating back to the turn of the 20th century. Pricing on this is a little tricky as the market is changing rapidly. Looking at last year's records, we see several lots that were estimated to bring in a few thousand dollars -- some of which soared to ten times the estimate. It is nice that this piece is fully marked and signed. Based on the photographs, size and form of this example, a conservative pre-sale estimate would be $3,000/5,000.
Leslie Hindman Auctioneers

Turkey Platter

Description
This blue and white platter with a drawing of a turkey is 15 1/2 inches long by 12 1/2 inches wide.  It is in good condition.  We believe it was manufactured in Bavaria in the early 1900’s.  The inscription on the bottom reads "Ridgeways Bavaria 10-08."

Appraisal
Being marked Bavaria, I would agree with the clients assumption that this is an early 20th century piece.  Obviously this is a later take on 18th/19th century English transfer printed blue and white wares. Based on the photographs, an auction estimate for this platter would be $100/200.
Leslie Hindman Auctioneers

Central Park Color Map

Description
This color map of Central Park in New York is bordered by a wood and gilt frame. The headline reads "Plan of the Central Park, City of New York, 1860."  Written on the bottom is "For D.T. Valentine's Manual, for 1860."  The map is in good condition.

Appraisal
Olmsted and Vaux designed the park in 1858, with most of the construction taking place between 1858-1878.  So this map, based on the photograph and dated 1860, is a fairly early example.  D.T. Valentine published a series of manuals and maps on various aspects of New York City during the 19th and 20th centuries.  Most of the 19th century examples tend to sell around $200.
Leslie Hindman Auctioneers