Silk screen provides setting in nature
Q . My husband inherited this piece from his family. His stepfather, a major general, brought this screen back from Japan after the war. We do not know if it has any value, but have admired the hand work. The motifs of a falcon, a pheasant, cranes, etc. are beautifully crafted. There are four sections, each 158 high x 55 cm wide (62 x 21 inches). The material is silk. Gretta, Almonte, Ont.
A . Idyllic foliage and flowers including irises along with the birds epitomize Japanese symbolic cultural art. The Aesthetic Movement of the later 1800s was spawned by Western culture discovering and embracing Japanese art forms with themes of nature. Folding screens were used to stop drafts, divide rooms and provide privacy as well as being a calming, mood-setting decoration. They are judged on their artistic merit, age, rarity, size and condition. Your Japanese art work dates to only 1930, but they have been used in Japan for about 1,400 years. It is four sections where most are just three and the quality of yours is very high. The textured subjects are astoundingly realistic in a setting of calm and reflective water. Its condition is excellent and it can be dusted by gently using a hair dryer set to cold. This beauty will easily command $1,500. Q. This chest, complete with lock and key and 131 pieces of silverware was a wedding gift to my husband and I in 1959. It had been given to Jean’s grandparents on the occasion of their 25th wedding anniversary in 1929. The Community plate silverware consists of 12, 10piece place settings and 11 serving pieces, all in excellent condition. Besides its intrinsic value, a suggestion for the worth of this set would be very much appreciated. Laurenda, Waterloo
A . You have a wonderful set of cutlery in the Adam pattern — one of the most popular patterns during the 1920s and for collectors later in the century. The serving pieces pictured from left are butter spreader, sugar shell, sauce ladle, berry spoon, cake server, tomato server and fancy pierced pie server. Your substantial chest with two drawers and lift top is in perfect condition and worth about $250. The cutlery is in near-unused condition — a must for buyers of silver-plated flatware. This is a larger than average set well worth $350. Your gift, as a complete and original example is worth about $750.
Q . I would like to know what this painting on board by George Willis Pryce might be worth. It was given to me by my mom who acquired it while still in the U.K. after the war (Mom as a war bride came to Canada in 1946). It is 13 x 18 cm (5 x 7 inches). The label, with the artist’s name on the back reads ‘Cottage, North Henley-in-Arden, Warwickshire, 57, Egginton Rd., Hall Green, Birmingham, England.’ Pam, Portland, Ont.
A . Pryce lived from 1866 to 1949 and painted vistas of grand valleys with lakes and rivers as well as scenes with a structural focal point such as in your thatched roof cottage or even castles. Locations were often close to his Birmingham studio base, Wales and other British locales. Pryce depicted great detail in his paintings which can be seen in yours including the entwined trunk of the front tree, the trellises, delphiniums and potted plants. There is a slight amount of crazing on the middle right side of the painting that holds its saleability back slightly. It is a small, charming painting worth $150.