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Antiques! => Antique Questions Forum => Topic started by: Keith on July 30, 2009, 07:51:04 PM
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These are a few things that i picked up today,at the local flea market.The first is a carved Donkey,it's 4'' long,3 3/4'' to the top of the ears,and the weight is 12oz,it has no markings.Does anyone know what type of material this is,and maybe about how old it is?
The next is a cup and plate,that has Made in Occupied Japan.The gold trim is not worn to bad,and there are no chips or cracks.
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These are the next two items.The first is a small vase.It is 6 1/4'' tall and 2 1/4'' across the top.
The last is a pewter wine cup that is in rough shape,but I liked it and it was cheap.I did not pay much for any of these.
Thanks for any help,God bless,Keith
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Thank you Keith you just gave me a piece to a puzzle, I was just looking at tonight, You nice blue cup, I have a teapot with just that hallmark except mine does not say UCAGCO on it. Sorry just got excited a bit, I go back and look at the rest now ;D
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A couple of fine finds you have there.
1. Well not so sure about the history of these items, but see them all the time have a couple of Horse bookends made of these carved stone items, if I was to comment on this it would be Mexican tourist trap item, but I think these was really in vogue in the 60's and 70's
2. Now the Tea cup Nice, at least I have a thing for teacups now, Wonderful Color and would be a 5 on the collector list, Not sure about the hallmark but like I said earlier I will be looking for this after I'm done here. However the biggest thing going for this cup is the Occupied Japan mark. This little cup has lots of collectors looking for it, top if off with the wonderful blue color. You just might get $50.00 for that cup, but I would say $35.00 to $40.00 without knowing about the hallmark. I really like that cup. Oh yea plus it has a unique shape on the saucer that may get you a couple more bucks.
3. Not sure I can say much about the vase, kinda cool looking stoneware Vase, It has lots of character, but will eat lots of crow if I comment too much
4. Now here is a piece of fine pewter. Homan was started in 1847 by Henery Homan and Asa F. Flagg under the name Homan & Co. Some piece are marked flagg and Homan, This is a uncommon Hallmark for them, bingo #1. They made britannia ware until Flagg died in 1854, by 1864 they started to Electroplate Silver and phase out it britannia ware. And was out of Business in 1941. So what I am reading and looking at is a possible really cool item. If I'm reading my books right that would place this item in the pre 1850's with a hallmark that is uncommon. I may be eating some crow on this post but I see something really special here.
Now I need to go look into that hallmark.
Good Job
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Just took a peak at the hallmark on that cup, Seems like there are lots of items by this Manufacture, rather I believe that are the import company that brought these items to the states, I did find a cup just like your on ebay right now for $1.99 with just over a day left and looking at completed post I see lots with no bids and really low prices. But I see these items in thrift store with a $25.00 tag on them, so much for my Teapot being any thing cool ;D.
Still think it is a nice cup and may just have to buy the one on Ebay :D.
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Thanks ironlord,for the replies.To be honest i purchased this stuff,just because i liked the way they looked,and i hoped i could make just a couple of dollars,by reselling some of it.The most i gave for any item was for the cup and saucer $8.00.The bottom of the saucer,has the same hallmark,as the cup.What type of stone do you think the Donkey is made of?
Thanks in advance,for anymore help,from anyone
God bless,Keith
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I'd agree with ironlord on the donkey .
Looks like dyed alabaster .
The pewter is your best find , in my 2 cents worth .
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My first impression is marble, kinda like my horses, but not a geologist at all and would call it pretty Rock ;D. Sorry all I can do is guess
I think you need to look much closer at the Pewter piece, that may just be a score.
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OK,I looked till 12:00 mid,and was up looking again at 4:30 AM this morning.You guys have gotten my curiosity up,and weather it is worth anything or not,it would sure be interesting to know about when it was made.I have always had trouble with searching items,maybe I'm not doing something right,or just don't know how to use the computer.Maybe someone will come up with something else.
Thanks,and God bless,Keith
What type of cleaning,if any should I do,on the pewter item.
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I got my information in my Schiffer book and will look at a few other books tonight after work for you. Something that is not so common or even rare may have little on the net for information. From what I'm reading you have a mid 19th century piece of pewter, made by a not so common maker, with a hallmark that is even more uncommon. I will have to do some cross reference in my books and see if I can dig out some more for you. Look for Homan in the search, Flagg was the number 2 man per say, Homan Manufacturing, or Homan Silver co. may give you some leads.
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How exciting on the pewter goblet! I'm crossing my fingers for you Kieth! Looks like you might have something really cool there!
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Thanks tales,
Thanks ironlord,it is obvious that you have put some time in trying to help me with this.I have searched,and will continue to search,but so far have come up empty.Thanks again,I will be thinking of this piece until i find out something,weather it be something good or worthless.
Thanks to all for the help,god bless,Keith
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I think you scored on the goblet as well. I did a quick search on eBay completed listings (anyone can use the feature as long as you have an eBay account Keith) and found a Flagg and Homan pewter teapot that was listed for $40. Not sure if it was old as your piece though. Good luck!
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O.k. I snoop around a bit and found just a tad bit more info. I have seem to misplaced my book on American Pewter, but little is mentioned in my Silverplate and silver books, with the exception of what is written in my "Encyclopedia of American Silver Manufacters page 110, maybe you library has a copy if you need to read it. I did find a couple of forum and questions about Flagg and Homan, but they all seem to be quoting the same book I have almost word for word. I did also find a few items for sale out there also, most are not showing me their hallmark. I'm not trying to get your hopes up for I'm am a student here, but these are the facts that leads me to my conclusion.
1. Company began in 1847 manufacturing pewter or britannia ware, Flagg was so devoted to his craft he was nicknamed "Pewter" Flagg
2. "Under the firm name of Homan & Co. (pieces are also found marked Flagg & Homan)"
This says to me that your mark may be Less common, and we see Flagg before Homan remember his devotion and nickname. Not sure what this mean exactly but maybe something.
3. " they made britannia ware until Flagg's retirement in 1854." Now if I read this right then would this not sound like you have a piece made sometime between 1847 and 1854. Keep in mind it was common to contiunue using hallmarks, but this book says they stop making pewter all together.
I did find reference to many seller say early 1900 pewter in reference to Falgg and Homan. Just referenceing the available information before me.
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So here I see a company that got into pewter late, Pewter going out when silverplate and Nickle silver came into fashion. Then in the days of the silverplate craze, they joined in, one good thing to not they was not bought up by International or Oneida. Which makes the item a bit more scarce if we are talking Silverplate, but here we have pewter made under this small or med size firm. This of course causes two thing to happen. First yes it makes the item a bit rare, but something that is rare has a smaller collector base, Item like this has to target the serious collector which can keep the price very moderate to low based on condition, these serious collectors are searching for the best example they can acquire. I did find various items on the net and the prices seem a bit all over, So I think the basic collector and Antiquer has a bit of a hard time establishing a value, not uncommon with Items of what this appears to be.
I my opinion the answer is in the hallmark and does this or does it not establish the mid 19th century. If you find that then you have some ideal of age. Which keep in mind that would make it late pewter age item. Then when you sell it to someone intrested make you let them know what you know, and things like Flagg was nickname "Pewter" and his name is before Homan can get you a few dollars more, and this is not cheating but giving them the story. Find a copy of Schiffer Ency of American Silver Manu and you can shine light on the item when someone is intrested in buying.
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Great job on the research , ironlord !
All that sweat & for free too !!
What a guy !
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I cannot say THANK YOU enough,ironlord,for all your help an the research,which you did not have to do.I found this,which i am sure repeats most of what you found,however you can see were it talks of candlesticks,and it speaks of the original candlesticks having the''Flagg & Homan'' inside an oval.Maybe if you read it,you will understand it a little better than me.
I think i am going to hold on to this item until I find out something out for sure.I am going to continue to search.
Thanks again,ironlord and others for your help.Read it,let me know what you think.
God bless,Keith
Flagg and Homan Pewter
by
Gary D. Wiggins
The Homan Manufacturing Company has a history dating back to 1847 when Henry H. Homan (b. 1825 in Prussia) formed a partnership in Cincinnati, Ohio with an English potter named Asa F. Flagg. “Pewter” Flagg, as he was known, retired from the partnership in 1854 and was replaced by M. Miller, who remained a partner until Henry’s death in 1865. Although Asa Flagg and Henry Homan were both dead by 1865, the company continued to produce pewter and silverplate well into the 20th century. After Henry died, his widow, Margaret, and three sons (Frank, d. 1880; Louis B., d. February 6, 1944; and Joseph Theodore Homan, d. February 12, 1941) ran the firm until 1887. Joseph T. Homan and Louis Homan were listed in the 1915 Annual Report of the Cincinnati Chamber of Commerce.
Initially the company made Britannia Wares and some molded pewter. Homan and Company, the first designation of the firm, made Britannia metal wares until around 1864. In 1859, the company employed twenty-eight workers, and the value of their products was listed at $85,000. Homan & Co. pieces were often marked "Flagg & Homan" at that time. It is not known when Homan began to use only his name as the touchmark. However, pewter items with the Flagg & Homan mark were also made in the later history of the company. See the Homan Manufacturing Company’s 1929 Supplementary Catalog no. 56 for examples.
During the decades of the 1870s, 1880s, and 1890s, the company moved their production to electroplating with silver and sometimes gold, and virtually stopped making pewter. Sometime during this period, it was re-named “The Homan Silver Plate Company.” In 1888, they employed from 75-100 people, and business was so brisk in the fall of 1887 that they ran night and day shifts to keep up with the orders. Plans were afoot shortly thereafter to double their capacity and the number of people employed. Until just after the turn of the century, the company had limited its manufactures to articles plated on a Britannia metal base, but around 1913, it added a complete assortment of patterns plated on nickel silver or German silver, and popularly known as Sheffield goods.
The factory was originally located at 10 -18 East Seventh Street in Cincinnati. (In 1859, the address was listed as No. 11 East Seventh Street between Main and Sycamore, north side.) In 1906, a new factory was erected on Findlay Street and Western and Hulbert Avenues (1050 Findlay Street). At the time, the new plant was the largest west of New England, and had the most modern and efficient equipment in the United States. From1904 until they went out of business before 1941, they were known as The Homan Manufacturing Company. The Homan Patent Improved Candle Moulding Machine (originally, Willis Humiston’s patent candle mould machine), first made from pewter, then from tin, was very popular and was shipped all over the world. By 1888, there was scarcely a candle-making company in the world that did not use Homan machines. By 1898, that part of the business was separated from the plating business under the name Homan and Company. The plating business became known as The Homan Silver Plating Company at the same time. Homan & Co., Inc. made trailer truck parts during World War II, and it was still in business in 1950.
In the 1888 Centennial Review of Cincinnati, it is stated that the company was preparing for a complete exhibit of their manufactures in an upcoming exposition, the “Centennial Exposition of the Ohio Valley and Central States,” which took place in Cincinnati from July 4 to October 27, 1888. It is therefore puzzling that the company did not participate in this event, but apparently that was the case. Neither the catalog of exhibitions nor the Report of the President of the Board of Executive Commissioners mentions the company. Perhaps the change in management of the company at the time had something to do with the decision not to participate.
Homan & Co. specialized in making items for ecclesiastical use such as chalices, patens, baptismal bowls, alms dishes, and candlesticks. Homan marked some of its ecclesiastical wares "Sick Call" as a kind of company trademark. These were items intended for priests to take with them when they visited sick people in their homes. They also had commissions from Mississippi and Ohio River boat companies for equipment ranging from swivel lamps to chargers, bowls, and water pitchers. In addition, they made items for bars and taverns. Other items produced by the firm for the general trade included such wares as chargers, plates, pitchers, tea sets, combs, spectacle frames, syrup jugs with pewter tops, and many other types of items.
It seems that the production of candlesticks was their specialty. These were produced in seven sizes, most often in the 8” and 10” varieties. They were very popular and were reproduced in the 20th century. The reproductions can be identified by their lack of push-up candle ejectors, as well as a stamped mark with the word “pewter”. Most of the original candlesticks were unmarked, though some occasionally had the Flagg & Homan mark in an oval.
Sources:
Ask Reni. http://www.livingvictorian.com/askrenipm/askrenijun03.html
(Accessed: 1/1/2009) Her Reference: Rainwater, Dorothy T. & Redfield, Judy. The Encyclopedia of American Silver Manufacturers. 4th ed., Schiffer, 1998.
Centennial Exposition of the Ohio Valley and Central States, Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S.A., July 4 to October 27, 1888. Celebrating the Settlement of the Ohio Valley—The Northwest Territory—The State of Ohio and the City of Cincinnati. Report of the President of the Board of Executive Commissioners, with Reports of the Committees, An Account of the Dedication and Opening Ceremonies, and Other Matters of Historic Interest. Cincinnati, Ohio, Press of Keating & Co., 311 Longworth St.
The Centennial Review of Cincinnati. One Hundred Years of Progress in Commerce, Manufacture, the Professions, and in Social and Municipal Life. Cincinnati, Ohio, J. M. Elstner & Co., Publisher, 1888, pp. 48-49.
Cincinnati “The Queen City” NEWSPAPER REFERENCE BOOK. Published by The Cuvier Press Club, Cincinnati, Ohio, 1914, p. 49.
Fendelman, Helaine; Rosson, Joe. “Valuing a ‘Sick Call’ Outfit.” ScrippsNews 4/28/2008.
http://www.scrippsnews.com/node/32671 (Accessed: 1/1/2009)
“Founder Develops Candle Machinery.” The Cincinnati Enquirer, February 13, 1950, p 6 (or 5?).
“Homan Will, Dated 1893, Leaves Estate to Widow.” The Cincinnati Enquirer, February 20, 1941, p. 12.
Knittle, Rhea Mansfield. Early Ohio Silversmiths and Pewterers, 1787-1847. (The Ohio Frontier Series, 1787-1847) Printed by the Calvert-Hatch Co., Copyright 1943 by Rhea Mansfield Knittle, pp. 46, 54-56, 58.
“Long Illness Takes L. B. Homan.” The Cincinnati Enquirer, February 7, 1944, p. 8 (or 6?).
Official Guide of the Centennial Exposition of the Ohio Valley and Central States. Cincinnati, John F.C. Mullen, Publisher, 1888.
Pewter by Flagg & Homan. Made as it was over 80 years ago by their successor The Homan Manufacturing Co. Founded in 1847, Findlay Street, Western and Hulbert Avenues, Cincinnati, Ohio. Supplementary Catalog No. 56, September 1929. C.W. Sweetland & Son, Inc. No. 171 Washington Street, Jewelers Building, Boston.
Richmond, Andrew. “The Ubiquitous Pewter Candlesticks of Flagg and Homan.” Dunham Tavern Museum News November 2008, 69(2), 1.
http://www.dunhamtavern.org/pdf/08DunhamTavernNewsletter_NOV.pdf (Accessed: 1/1/2009)
Sketches and Statistics of Cincinnati in 1859. By Charles Cist, p. 262.
They Built a City; 150 Years of Industrial Cincinnati. Compiled and written by the Cincinnati Federal Writers’ Project of the Works Progress Administration in Ohio. James Garfield Stewart, Mayor of Ckincinnati, cooperating sponsor. Published by The Cincinnati Post, 1938, p. 379.
Notes:
Pewter is a metal alloy of tin and lead. Some of the pewter made after 1840 has a slightly different composition and is called Britannia metal. Britannia is a spun pewter-like metal made from tin that is hardened with additions of small amounts of copper and antimony. This later type of pewter was worked by machine whereas the earlier pieces were made by hand. In the 1920s pewter came back into fashion and pieces were often marked “Genuine Pewter”.
1860 Ohio Census of Hamilton County 10-WD Cincinnati Series M653 Roll 974, Page 30, Entry 217/490 lists: Homan, Henry, age 35, with occupation “Master Brit. & W. Maker,” born in Prussia.
(Accessed 1/1/2008 on HeritageQuest Online)
The 1930 Census of Cincinnati, Hamilton County, Ohio has Joseph T. Homan (age 65, b. abt. 1865) married to Agatha Homan (age 62). In the same household are: Joseph T. Homan (age 34), Catherine P. Homan (age 31), Gertrude Homan (age 29), and Richard B. Homan (age 26). The 1920 census has all of them plus: Rudolph Homan (age 26) and Nellie Farrell (age 21). That census lists Joseph T. as being 54 years of age and born about 1866 with wife Agatha R. (for Rudolph, age 52). His father and mother are listed as having been born in Germany.
Asa Flagg was in Cincinnati by at least 1842. He is listed in the Morgan Index of Ohio People, Businesses and Institutions, 1796-1850 as a Britannia ware maker on page 34 and on page 308 of The Cincinnati Directory for 1842. Charles Cist, Compiler. Cincinnati: E. Morgan and Co., 1842. (Accessed 5/8/2009)
The Annual Report - Page 257 of the Cincinnati (Ohio) Chamber of Commerce and Merchant's Exchange, Cincinnati (Ohio), 1915 lists under “Plating”: Homan Manufacturing Co., 1050 Findlay st. Joseph T. Homan. Louis Homan.
Updated: 20 May 2009
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Wow good job you dug way deeper then I, good info. So It seems that this state that they did make pewter items after the retirement of Flagg, and possibly still used that hallmark. Maybe not as old then, but has a bit of a story and that can sell items. Yea I would hold onto it until you are for sure but I would say that it was a great find, that should pay for itself and the other items if and when you do sell, but more important it taught you and I and the forum a little more about Homan and Flagg. So the thanks go to you here. :P
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Glad to see you're having some success with researching , Keith .
If you'd want to , you can go to kovels.com and register (free) ... there you can find some data about a few items from Flagg & Homan ( as to when/type of item/what they sold for ) .
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Thanks regularjoe,I registered with kovel.Looks like a good site
I would like to say,I have a lot of respect for you guys,and gals,that take the time to answer questions.I try to search,before asking questions,however I have spent more time on this pewter item than I have ever spent on any item,(several hours)and there are several of you who do this many times a week.You all are great.I will say,it was a new experience and I have learned a lot from this.
Thanks for what you all do.
God bless,Keith