Antiques & Collecting: Antique glass

Identifying antique glass isn’t always easy. If you’re lucky, a piece may be marked, like this Phanomen vase, which is signed “Loetz Austria” on its pontil — the spot on the base where the blown molten glass was attached to a pontil for shaping.

Proof of its maker, not to mention its complex shape and silvery iridescent sheen, brought its price to $4,940 at a Rago/Wright auction. But glass isn’t always marked.

While it can take an expert to authenticate glass, it’s helpful to be able to recognize some of the characteristic shapes and colors made by particular glassmakers.

Loetz received patents for iridescent glass in 1895 and 1896, shortly after Tiffany launched the fashion with its famous Favrile glass.

Loetz produced several lines of iridescent glass, and Phanomen was its triumph, winning a Grand Prix award at the Paris Universal Exposition in 1900.

It combines the beauty of iridescence with the technical expertise required to create its organic shapes and silvery pulled threads.

I inherited some ivory from my grandmother. I know there are lots of restrictions and regulations on selling or trading ivory. I was pointed to you to see if you can help. I’m not looking to keep it.

Federal laws concerning ivory have been amended over time, and state laws can vary. Check with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, at www.fws.gov, and your state’s department of fish and wildlife for the current laws.

If you want to sell your ivory, you may need proof of what type of animal the ivory came from. An appraiser, an auction house that sells ivory, or an art or natural history museum in your area may be able to help.

You may also need to know and be able to prove the item’s age, or have documentation, like a dated photo, that shows when it was originally acquired or how long you have had it.

Tip: Be sure that any restorer, refinisher or upholsterer working on your antique is insured.

Current Prices

Game, carnival, “Game of Fortune,” bicycle wheel, red, yellow, blue, painted, 48 x 33 inches, $255.

Sampler, needlework, verse, red brick manor house, black feathered bird, plants, flowers, birds, animals, frame, Jane Adey, England, 1829, 20 x 17 inches, $295.

Medical, cabinet, optical, four drawers, caster feet, Optical Cabinet Co., Babylon, N.Y., contains 80 pairs eyeglasses, 32 x 23 1/2 x 17 inches, $360.

Pewter, bowl, lid, figural, fish, scale texture, three red stones, oval interior, oval stand with side bail handles and round foot, marked, Chinese Export, 6 x 15 1/2 x 8 inches, $375.

Lalique, perfume bottle, Papillon, allover molded butterflies, frosted, gourd shaped, triangular stopper, signed, R. Lalique, 4 1/2 x 3 1/2 inches, $610.

Rug, Persian, horseback riders, midnight blue field, brown and cream border, silk, hand tied, 7 feet x 4 feet 8 inches, $1,300.