WHAT’S IT WORTH?

Q:I would like information on a vase that we inherited. It is orange shaded to yellow painted with black trees. It is signed "Marseille." We took it to an antiques store, and the dealer said he knew nothing about but wanted to buy it. -- S.H.

Answer: Your faience vase was made around the turn of the 20th century in Marseille, France. It is artist-signed with a number incorporated in the design. Marseille is a coastal town in southern France with a 200-year-old pottery industry.

Faience is tin-glazed pottery with a white body. Experts report it was invented in Iran around the 9th century. The vase includes a 3-D cicada applied to the front of the vase, a nice touch that may increase the value.

Unfortunately, I could not decipher the artist's signature, which may help attribute it a specific pottery. The vase would retail for about $200.

Q:We found a sewing machine in our basement that appears to be very old. It is a Singer in a light wood cabinet. What is it worth?-- B.G.

Answer: Isaac Merritt Singer and partner Edward Clark founded Singer in 1851. By 1900, Singer was selling more than a million machines annually. During this period, only the wealthy could afford store-bought clothing.

According to the serial number, this machine was manufactured in 1948. The blond cabinet has a post-war look. Although ready-to-wear-clothing was popular, many still stitched their own clothes to save money.

The value is minimal. Collectors seek out machines that are at least 50 years older with fancy cabinets. It would sell for $45 or less, if you can find a willing buyer.
Have a question about an antique or collectible? Send e-mail to with a digital image, or send a complete description with a clear photograph to Jay Moore, Flair Department, Richmond Times-Dispatch, P.O. Box 85333, Richmond, VA 23293. Photographs will not be returned. The large volume of mail may mean a delay in publishing answers.