English mixing bowls, Danish chairs still sought after
QI bought two bowls at a Marin County antiques shop. The way they nest I think it was a set of three originally. Does this lessen the value?
AYou have two classic “cane”-patterned mixing bowls by the English pottery company Mason Cash of Church Gresley, Derbyshire. They made these bowls in a variety of sizes so they are not found in conventional “sets.” I would estimate the values on these bowls individually.
Like the better-known Staffordshire, neighboring Derbyshire was home to a number of potteries dating to the 18th century. In his 1878 book “The Ceramic Art of Great Britain from Prehistoric Times Down to the Present Day,” author Llewllynn Frederick William Jewitt describes Derbyshire pottery as “buff or yellow” and declares, “The local clay from which these goods are produced is peculiar to this district, and is not found precisely the same anywhere else.”
Beginning about 1813, Mason pottery made household goods, as did fellow Derbyshire Watt and Cash. In 1901, Thomas Cash, son of Watt and Cash founder William, purchased Mason and combined the two names.
Mason Cash has produced these cane-patterned bowls almost without change since 1901. The zig-zagged rim and the textured exterior of the bowl provide solid onehanded grip and the narrow foot provides stability. If you look at kitchen scenes from any British drama you’ll see cooks — including Mrs. Patmore of “Downton Abbey” — using these bowls. As far as I can tell, they’ve never been out of production.
Mason Cash currently make these bowls in 10 sizes ranging in diameter from 12 to 35 centimeters, so I suppose having two rather than three nesting bowls does not lessen the value. In good condition, these vintage bowls sell in the $25 to $70 range. You can buy these bowls new for about the same price.
QMy grandmother lived in Denmark in the 1950s and bought furniture there. I’ve inherited this pair from her. Can you tell me anything about the chairs and the value?
AYou have a pair of iconic upholstered lounge chairs designed by Danish architect Finn Juhl and produced by cabinetmaker Niels Vodder in Copenhagen. Juhl and Vodder began their collaboration in 1937 when they exhibited at Copenhagen’s annual furniture show; the collaboration continued through 1959.
Originally, Juhl’s designs were made in very small numbers. By the 1950s, however, technical progress had made production of multiples financially viable. Your chair’s designation, NV53, indicates that Vodder built the chairs in 1953. However, it does not indicate when Juhl designed them.
With antiques and so many other things, the whole is worth more than the sum of its parts. Depending on the wood, the upholstery and the condition, a single NV53 chair can sell in the $3,000 to $5,000 range; a pair will often bring $10,000 to $20,000.
Congratulations. Did you inherit any other pieces from your grandmother?
Jane Alexiadis is a personal property appraiser. Send questions to worth@janealexiadis.com.