Mini pitcher pours big history
Q. My mother kept this tiny pitcher in a curio cabinet. The front has a little picture that looks like a fox dressed in a blue uniform with a torch in one hand. On the bottom is a black mark with a bird on a perch over a line reading ‘W.H. Goss.’ The piece is only three quarters of an inch high (1.9 centimetres). I think there must be a story to it.
Anne, Calgary
A. William Henry Goss began at the Falcon Pottery Works around 1870. Your mark was used from this time until 1890. Your pitcher dates to the 1880s when he started producing souvenir ‘crested’ wares bearing the coats of arms of most towns in the British Isles, which he is best known for. This subject is after the depiction of a legendary creature thought to be half goat and half stag — Latin name hircocervus — painted in 1579 by poet, politician and judge John Hoskins and titled ‘The Trusty Servant.’ The figure is loaded with objects intended as virtuous symbolism (explained by him in an accompanying poem) including fireplace utensils, sword, shield and a lock clasped in its mouth. It is a miniature size, and uncommon, carrying high historical value and a likely price tag of $50.
Q. This print was sitting unframed in the upstairs of two-storey antique shop. I bought it and have wondered if it has value as a print. The picture itself measures 21 by 25 centimetres (8 by 10 inches). The back flap of the mat is labelled ‘Gadwall Printed in Canada Sampson-Matthews Limited Toronto.’ I’m not so concerned about its value since I love birds, but I am curious about the printing process and value, if any.
Alexandra, Vancouver
A. You have a beautiful silkscreen print produced by the graphic art company of Sampson-Matthews Limited, founded in 1918. Group of Seven artist member A.J. Casson joined the company and later took over as art director and vice-president. In the early 1950s he carried out the largest publicly funded art program in Canada’s history with the patronage of the National Gallery of Canada through the production of 89 silkscreen prints based on paintings by several noted Canadian artists. These prints reflected and helped give Canadian art a publicly recognized identity. Yours is very much in the style of Casson. It’s a rare example worth $350. If the artist’s name was present, it would be worth about twice that.
Q. I found these two objects in my aunt’s sewing box. I have no idea what they were used for. One has a loose central spindle held in place by a lid that unscrews. The spindle has two holes through it. The other looks like a spool for thread but is partly filled by a waxy material. They are between 3.8 and 2.5 centimetres long (1.5, and one inch). Would these relate to sewing and are they worth anything?
Jen, Kitchener
A. You have discovered two 19th-century sewing tools. The spindled one is a thread dispenser and the other is a thread waxer. They are made of ivory. Fancy sewing tools were generally owned by the few who could afford them, making them relatively scarce today. Made in England, these tools date between 1820 and 1870. Thread was fed through the two holes in the spindle and a quantity was wound up, leaving the other end to feed through the opening. Upon completion of the project, it would be wound back most of the way — turning the spindle tip, similar to a tape measure. The other was for preparation of the thread to make handling easier for certain projects. Collectors have formed large collections of the multitude of tools used by seamstresses of days gone by. Your two small finds will bring $125 today.