by Helaine Fendelman and Joe Rosson
Scripps Howard News Service
Dear Helaine and Joe: Enclosed are pictures of two statues that have been in my husband's family for more than 50 years. There is some damage to the fingers because one statue originally held a goblet and the other a pitcher. What is their history and value?
--H.J.A., Vero Beach, Fla.
Dear H.J.A.: As a general rule, when objects such as these are made from pottery or porcelain they are called "figures" and not "statues."
This pair appears to be ged; both the gilding and the color will rub off rather easily.
The "RW" in a diamond surmounted by a crown that is found on the bottom of these pieces is a mark that was used by the New York and Rudolstadt Pottery, located in Rudolstadt, Thuringia, Germany. They made household and decorative porcelain from 1882 to 1918, and were half-owned by Lewis Straus & Sons of New York City, the sole importers of their wares into the United States.
In 1918, the company became AG Porcelain Factory Rudolstadt and remained in business until 1932. The mark on this particular pair indicates that they were made just before the name change in 1918.
The lack of an indication of a country of origin in the mark probably signifies that this pair was never intended to be exported to the United States, but meant to be used instead in a German home. In all likelihood, they came to this country later on among someone's personal possessions or with an American serviceman returning home from World War II.
At about 17 inches tall, this pair of figures is unusually large and impressive. The cup and pitcher they were once holding suggests they were originally designed to be used as sideboard decorations, but some pairs--we are sure--found homes on mantels and elsewhere.
The loss of delicate, protruding fingers on antique or vintage porcelain figures is often referred to by collectors as "minor losses," but in this case the absence of the pitcher the woman was holding and the goblet that was once grasped by the man are considered to be major damage and their loss greatly devalues this otherwise attractive pair.
Late-19th- and early-20th-century Continental European bisque figures are not rare items as a general rule, and most have very modest values. The pair in today's question has size on their side, but the rather monochromatic pigmentation and the significant damage keep the insurance replacement value in the $200-to$300 range.
(Helaine Fendelman and Joe Rosson are the authors of Treasures in Your Attic. Questions can by mailed to them at P.O. Box 12208, Knoxville, TN 37912-0208.)
Resources Treasures In Your Attic
by Joe L. Rosson, Helaine Fendelman (ISBN: 0060198273)
Subtitled: An entertaining, informative, down-to-earth guide to a wide range of collectibles and antiques from the hosts of the popular television show seen on PBS stations.
(Harper Resource, April 2001)
Order this
title.
Treasures In Your Attic
c/o WSJK/WKOP-TV
1611 E. Magnolia Ave.
Knoxville, TN 37917
Phone: 865-595-0220
Fax: 865-595-0300
Email:
elaine_tomber@wsjk.pbs.org
URL:
www.treasuresinyourattic.org
)
