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Early is perhaps subjective- There's little available that's truly antique as far as NA jewelry goes, considering the first development of silver work was in the late 1860s, and extremely little was made until the 1880s. To get a piece that is pre-1900 is once a year at most, at least at a price I can buy it for myself or to resell anyways. The vast majority of NA jewelry is post-1920, with significant increases in production in 1940s, and post-1960s with respective tourist booms.

I can dig out some photos of personal pieces later, but can offer some tidbits of information I've always found fascinating. My biggest love is the Ketoh, one of the only items where it was a type of object actually used prior to the adoption of silversmithing among NA tribes. They're leather bowguards adorned with a plate of silver over the top half, the earliest (1880s) ones being tufa-cast and most post-1900 being wrought sheets with heavy stampwork and repousse. They didn't sell at all with tourists, so most of them were melted down to make more popular items as well as reworked into box lids. They're incredibly scarce now.

I highly, highly recommend reading the book "The Navajo and Pueblo Silversmiths" by John Adair. It was written in the 1930s and sources much information from 19th century bureau of ethnography reports. It's also easy to find and usually under $10-20 for the new edition.

Edit: Here's one example that is in another collectors hands now, a ca. 1895-1900 Navajo cuff.

While I regularly use a Sunbeam T-35 toaster from ~1965, something as old as yours would cause me some concern. If all the wiring and plugs looked to be in excellent condition, I would test it out and.. maybe. put it into limited service, but not just with a breaker, with a GFCI. Either a protected outlet, or an unit like this (Deluxe GFCI power bars also exist and could be useful for other purposes, if you want to splurge.)

I suspect it's an imitation if these two Dale Tiffany lamps: https://www.daletiffanylightinglights.com/product/dale-tiffany-amber-and-green-duck-table-lamps-ta10893.html https://www.amazon.com/Meyda-Glass-Accent-Dale-Tiffany/dp/B000N1OFX4

This one is inspired by the above lamp, but the head isn't angled up like mine: https://www.ebay.com/itm/VINTAGE-STYLE-DESK-AMBER-GLASS-DUCK-MALLARD-BRASS-NIGHT-LAMP-TIFFANY-STYLE-GR/173464570068?hash=item28634b48d4:g:7lEAAOSwatda0lEN

This one has a raised head, but different shell: https://www.ebay.com/itm/Tiffany-Style-Duck-Lamp-stained-glass-/153017225247

I'm pretty sure the body isn't brass, but maybe carved stone? Is it difficult to carve cast iron? It's fairly heavy.

I'd really like to know what mine is, but it has no markings on it. Thanks for any leads!

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Here's a quick read on what you should have in your personal files, notify your policy holder of, and check for in your coverage on the type of value they'd use (actual cash value or replacement value).

The company that produced your property has produced a catalog of their works if you wanted to dig deep....

But luckily the company is still in operation- and are actually openly offering a way to contact for authentication and details on early works (between 10-100 Euro fee, depending on the object)

Just keep a file with any information you've gathered, multiple quality photographs, and records of authentication from the company.

Restor-a-finish has worked pretty well for me on old pieces like this

Might be of interest to you as well:

http://www.amazon.com/Seth-Thomas-Clocks-Movements-Identification/dp/093016394X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1421798223&sr=8-1&keywords=Seth+Thomas+Clocks+and+Movements&pebp=1421798238956&peasin=093016394X

You can typically find these specialty books on ebay as well (for cheaper).

I'd say it's Black Forest (Bavarian) 1850-1910. They carved a huge variety of novelty furniture, sculptures and everyday items which were very popular during that period.

The variations in design were many and varied.


As far as restoration is concerned, be sure to use traditional hide glue. It's reversible and will allow a certain degree of flex in the joins. Modern glues destroy old furniture.


To refinish, use shellac and a simple bee's wax polish.

Edit: If it originally had a dark/almost black patina, Japanning the oak is quite simple: http://www.wikihow.com/Age-Wood-With-Vinegar-and-Steel-Wool

Once japanned, finish with shellac and bee's wax.

I had a set with a comb that looked like that in the 1980s. You can actually still get this same set on Amazon Here you go.

This book by Van Patten might help. Apparently it is the reference, and your set is designated "Van Patten’s #84."

You can buy this new on Amazon. This is not antique.
https://www.amazon.com/Acme-535-Silent-Dog-Whistle/dp/B000I6BMPS/ref=asc_df_B000I6BMPS/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=309705935481&hvpos=1o2&hvnetw=g&hvrand=1014063828543689797&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=m&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=1014886&hvtargid=pla-372934511982&psc=1

A few books for this type of glass.

https://www.amazon.com/Wave-Crest-Glass-C-F-Monroe/dp/0891453520

https://www.amazon.com/Wave-Crest-Ware-Illustrated-Victorian/dp/0870692798/ref=pd_sim_14_1/142-6601286-7568949?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=0870692798&pd_rd_r=c211350a-7678-4e1c-a4f6-f74215b961cc&pd_rd_w=2uWq0&pd_rd_wg=9qMcX&pf_rd_p=5b00861f-dd80-491e-8e32-d1b61e4ab87c&pf_rd_r=W5V3XQ9FYPT5F5PF2H2D&psc=1&refRID=W5V3XQ9FYPT5F5PF2H2D

Note: the values of old glassware and many other antiques tanked back in the 2007/08 global financial crisis, so the values aren't the same today as when those items have sold in the past. Values rise and fall with the state of the economy, even with antiques. In the 1990s your item would have sold for the price you quoted, but not today.

Here is what C. F. Monroe glass items are selling for these days.

https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_nkw=C.+F.+Monroe+glass+cigar&ssPageName=GSTL&rt=nc&LH_Sold=1&LH_Complete=1

Also; these cigar boxes aren't rare or anything, there are a few to be found online

https://www.google.com/search?biw=1920&bih=938&tbm=isch&sa=1&ei=EEigXcfKGMa1tgXW7I6QDA&q=C.+F.+Monroe+glass+cigar&oq=C.+F.+Monroe+glass+cigar&gs_l=img.12...81959.86287..89212...1.0..0.96.983.11......0....1..gws-wiz-img.FaZnduPTkDI&ved=0ahUKEwjHkvGc75PlAhXGmq0KHVa2A8IQ4dUDCAY

Your item would have been made between 1890 to 1910 and the mold pattern is referred to as "Egg Crate". Also; the first cigarettes, although smaller were still referred to as cigars at the time. The term "cigarette" wasn't used until the 1920s when it became fashionable for women to smoke and just about all things with the "ette" suffix on the end of it's name referred to women or feminine in manner.

Here is the closest I could find after a quick search.

Have you read this?

https://www.amazon.com/Arcanum-Extraordinary-True-Story/dp/0446674842/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1467998534&sr=8-5&keywords=porcelain+history

woah woah woah, don't start putting floor varnish on a 100+ year old table. I would either A: listen to the other people in this thread and talk to a professional or B: depending on the amount of shellac/finish removed, you might have enough to spread it around via http://www.amazon.com/Howard-RF4016-Restor-A-Finish-16-Ounce-Walnut/dp/B000LNSIM8

In this context I'm afraid I don't, I only know it from having seen them sell at auction. But it's an old motif in English design, dating back to the pre Christian era. If you have a look at this [link, ](A Little Book of the Green Man https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1854105639/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_EkmNBbF8KWS1C) it might start you on a hunt.

https://www.amazon.com/Chinese-Other-Eastern-Books-Book/dp/0938290096

Get this book https://www.amazon.com/Furniture-Bible-Everything-Identify-Restore/dp/1579655351
and watch a ton of YouTube on every aspect and process of furniture making. Take a couple basic art fundamentals classes which helps with basics of color, basic painting and sculpture. Pick every craftsman and worked that comes to your houses brain about product etc. I’m still and apprentice in many ways, my art background helped a lot but in the end learning to do things like French polish just take stressful hours to learn.

Not a problem. Quanoline and Lakeside Traders both are very beginner sites and the only mention celluloid grips since the rarity of the others. These 2 will require a membership to see the pics but you can read the posts WarRelics Forum where they talk about the types and the rarity. WAF where someone posts a true wood grip and people freak out (or as close as this community freaks out)
If you want books Collector’s Handbook of WWII German Daggers by LTC (Ret.) Thomas M. Johnson is a very good beginners guide, and if you want the advance version German Daggers of World War II - A Photographic Reference: Volume 1 - Army, Luftwaffe, Kriegsmarine.
Wood grips were found on many daggers but only SA and SS would be bare the rest would be covered with leather. Ivory grips on any dagger is usually a once in a lifetime dagger to hold.

I have handled hundreds of German WW2 daggers through collections of collectors and from spending almost a decade working with/for multiple military museums. I have only held one Trolon and have never had the pleasure of a ivory grip. I have seen daggers come out of sock drawers that are mint I have seen some come from basements that have nothing left of the handle and most of the scabbard gone but the blade when pried out was mint mirror. Even with all this hands on. I try not to id daggers from pictures since it is hard and there is almost no way to ID a odd good one from a picture that is this poor. I have seen on at least 5 occasion on Reddit where people have told users their daggers were bad but they were textbook examples of hard to find daggers because they don't know or the pictures were crap. I do apologize if this sounds ranty but this is a hobby and was a job that I enjoy and I would hate to see perfectly good dagger tossed in the trash because they are wrongly identified.