This vase is my mother-inlaw’s, who is now 93.

It is a family heirloom from her mother. It was purchased in London and is approximately 125 years old. She once saw one in a museum in Montreal. The base is inscribed, in red with “Malvern, Flight, Barr & Barr, Royal Porcelain Works, Worcester, London House, 1 Coventry Street” — also impressed with a crown and “FBB,” and in black pen “1813.” It is 18 cm tall and 16.5 cm wide (7 x 6.5 inches). Thank you in advance. We would be delighted to have your opinion and weigh in on its approximate value. Douglas, Ottawa, Ont.

Worcester porcelains are some of the finest existing due to the presence of soapstone in the body that allowed for delicate moulding and turning — the band of individually moulded and applied pearls illustrates this. Flight, Barr & Barr, the fourth partnership of this concern operated from 1813 to 1840 and your handpainted dessert tureen, depicting the Priory at Malvern, Worcestershire in a cartouche surrounded by a beautiful lavender ground dates to the first eight years of this period. Any examples from this factory are rare and even though a lid would have been present originally, this decorative historic record is worth $1,000 today.

JOHN SEWELL IS AN ANTIQUES AND FINE ART APPRAISER. TO SUBMIT AN ITEM TO HIS COLUMN, GO TO THE “CONTACT JOHN” PAGE AT WWW.JOHNSEWELLANTIQUES.CA. PLEASE MEASURE YOUR PIECE, SAY WHEN AND HOW YOU GOT IT, WHAT YOU PAID AND LIST ANY IDENTIFYING MARKS. A HIGH-RESOLUTION JPEG PHOTO MUST ALSO BE INCLUDED. (ONLY EMAIL SUBMISSIONS ACCEPTED.) *APPRAISAL VALUES ARE ESTIMATES ONLY.*