Some antique arts fade in popularity but are never truly lost. Embroidery is one of them. There are surviving examples of embroidered fabric that date back thousands of years. There is even evidence that Cro-Magnons practiced embroidery! By comparison, the embroidery of 17th and 18th-century Europe and Colonial America seems much more modern. This was the heyday of the craft. It had grown increasingly accessible to amateurs and was established as an important part of women’s education.

Queen Mary II, who co-ruled England with her husband William III from 1689 to 1694, was known for the crewel embroidery practiced at her court. “Crewel” is a broad term for embroidery made with wool thread. Many types of stitches are used and designs often have images like flowers and animals in vibrant colors and thick textures.

The furniture and decoration style known as William and Mary came to the American colonies a little later than the monarchs’ reign in England; the American William and Mary period is generally considered to have lasted from about 1690 to 1720. This, of course, included embroidery. William and Mary furniture experienced a revival around the 1930s.

This vintage mirror, which sold for $600 at Leland Little auctions, was made about that time. Its frame features crewel embroidery in the style of the 17th to 18th century, with traditional plants and animals as well as a couple in period costumes.

* * *

Q: I have an odd vintage mushroom-shaped lamp with glass rods coming out of the top. It measures about 10 inches tall by 8 inches wide. It comes as two pieces — the base and the top. It’s an electric lamp with a fabric covered cord. Can you tell me about it?

A: Lamps with glass or metal rods radiating from the center were a popular midcentury modern style. This style is often called “Sputnik” after the first artificial satellite, which was launched in 1957 by what was then the Soviet Union, kicking off the Space Age and its futuristic style. Many midcentury modern designers made Sputnik lamps in various shapes and materials. The most famous are the chandeliers. However, lamps like this pre-date the Sputnik launch. It’s possible that yours is earlier; electrical cords covered with rubber or plastic instead of fabric were used after World War II. If you are planning to use or sell the lamp, you may want to have the wiring checked. A mushroom-shaped electric lamp like yours sold at an auction last year for more than $500. It had a black iron base and was 34 inches tall. Because yours is smaller, it may have a lower value, depending on its condition and possibly the base material.

* * *

Q: Is Paul Revere pottery food-safe? Or do the glazes contain lead?

A: Paul Revere Pottery was made by the Saturday Evening Girls clubs in Massachusetts between 1906 and 1942. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration introduced regulations for the use of lead in dinnerware in 1971. We do not know if Paul Revere pottery used lead in its glaze. When in doubt, it’s best not to use pottery for food unless you know it is safe. If you want to test yours, you can buy lead testing kits from hardware stores. A museum or historical society with a collection of Paul Revere pottery, like The Museum of Fine Arts Boston (mfa.org) or Historic New England (historicnewengland.org) may have information on the content of their glazes. Historically, lead was used in ceramic glazes to keep the colors bright and the texture smooth and shiny. Orange, red and yellow glazes were more likely to contain lead. If pottery with lead glaze has been fired properly, the lead fuses to the pottery and should not leach off into food. However, it is possible for lead to leach out if the glaze is chipped or cracked. Highly acidic foods, high temperatures or storing food in the pottery also increase the risk.

* * *

CURRENT PRICES

Current prices are recorded from antiques shows, flea markets, sales and auctions throughout the United States. Prices vary in different locations because of local economic conditions.

Lamp, oil, silver plate, urn shape, flame finial, two burners, goat masks, footed, marked, England, late 1800s, 9 x 8 1/2 inches, $90.

Doll, Mattel, Barbie, Happy Holidays, Special Edition, blond, long hair, red dress, silver sash, box, 1988, 11 inches, $110.

Sports, snowshoes, bear paw shape, woven trefoils, multicolor tassels, Native American, 31 1/2 x 19 inches, $245.

Music, accordion, Venice, Bakelite, black, three buttons, faux mother-of-pearl keys, strap, case, Italy, mid-1900s, 7 1/2 x 15 inches, $260.

Silver plate, coffee set, coffeepot, sugar and creamer, bud finial, ebony handles, leaf and dart bands, short foot, Christofle, c. 1975, coffeepot 10 inches, three pieces, $435.

Royal Crown Derby, dinner service, Traditional Imari, dinner and luncheon plates, teacups and saucers, teapot, sugar and creamer, biscuit jar, cake server, 12 forks and knives, $560.

Furniture, chair set, Centennial, Chippendale style, mahogany, carved, pierced splat, relief scrolls and grapevines, upholstered seat, H-stretcher base, 39 1/2 inches, six pieces, $640.

Durand, vase, peacock feather, cobalt blue, opalescent pulled feathers, cut to clear flowers around shoulder, flared lip and foot, c. 1930, 10 inches, $710.

Rug, Heriz, navy blue medallion, salmon center, red field, ivory subfield, navy blue main border, serpentine vines and leaves, blue and gold guard borders, c. 1925, 12 feet 2 inches x 8 feet 5 inches, $1,385.