Stash it or trash it?

A pretty pair

Rossella Canosa of Constantia Park, Pretoria writes I bought these vases at an auction in 1981; are they worth anything?

Ian Conn of Ashbey’s Galleries replies This pair of German salt-glaze stoneware vases is an example of the highly decorative wares made in the central German Westerwald region. This type of pottery has been produced in this area since the 1500s and was first discovered by Dutch potters who used old herring barrels to fuel their kilns. The salt glaze results when sodium combines with the quartz in the clay at extremely high temperatures to produce a substance similar to glass. The cobalt blue decoration is one of the few coloured glazes that won’t burn off at high temperatures. CIRCA Late 19th or early 20th century VALUE R1 500 – R2 000

One for the books

Michelle Klerck of Jeffreys Bay writes Is this little book of any value?

Inge Roberts of Ashbey’s Galleries replies Your book Kinderverse van Totius vir Skool en Huis still has its dust cover, which is what book collectors want, but it does have some foxing (an age-related process of deterioration that causes spots and browning on old paper documents; the name may derive from the fox-like reddish-brown colour of the stains, or the rust chemical ferric oxide which may be involved) and browning of the pages. On the plus side, it says that JH Pierneef did the illustrations. CIRCA 1920 VALUE R100 – R200

CONTACT ashbeysgalleries.co.za