For many of us receiving paper valentines may be the stuff of school days — a piece of the past. The tradition goes back much further, of course, and wasn’t always just for kids. The first commercial valentines in America were made by Esther Howland in Massachusetts in 1850. They were made with paper lace and featured written verses. Before then, people exchanged homemade valentines. Surviving examples are collected as folk art today.

The one shown here, preserved in a frame with fabric backing, dates to the mid-1800s and sold at Jeffrey S. Evans & Associates for $279. It is an example of scherenschnitte (literally “scissor cuts”), a paper-cutting art that originated in Germany and was later brought to America. It was especially popular among the Pennsylvania Dutch. It features hearts, tulips, and birds known as distelfinks (a name for European goldfinches that means “thistle-finch”), all of which were favorite motifs. Scherenschnitte could be made for any festive occasion, or simply as artwork. We know this one must have been a Valentine because it is inscribed with a verse commemorating “the fourteenth day of February.”

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Q: I am curious about the bronze sculpture my father purchased from an estate sale around 1950. He converted the sculpture into a lamp. The sculpture shows a woman in a draped gown with one hand raised and the other arm outstretched. It is 27 inches high and weighs 26 pounds. I did not find any markings or signatures. Where was it made, when was it made, who was the artist and is there any value?

A: Bronze sculptures like yours were a common decoration in the late nineteenth to early twentieth centuries. They were often made in the art nouveau style of the time. The most famous were made in France, but some were made in other European countries and the U.S. as well. They were often copies of sculptures by famous artists. Many were made into lamp bases, like yours. Unmarked bronze sculptures or lamp bases usually sell for about $200. We have not been able to identify its maker, but a book like “The Encyclopedia of Bronzes, Sculptors & Founders” by Harold Berman may help. A library or museum in your area may have a copy.

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Q: I would like more information on a Harker semi-porcelain pitcher that I inherited. It has a bird pattern and a bow and arrow mark.

A: Harker Pottery Company was incorporated in East Liverpool, Ohio, in 1890. Initially, the pottery made brown glazed pottery and yellowware using local clay. They were making semi-porcelain by about 1890, which is also when they started using the bow and arrow mark. The mark included the word “Semiporcelain” until about 1920. Harker stopped production in 1972. The company made many popular dinnerware patterns. For more information, look for the book The Collector’s Guide to Harker Pottery: Identification and Values by Neva Colbert (Collector Books, Paducah Kentucky, 1993).

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TIPS on framing paper documents and prints: No glue, transparent tape, or rubber cement. No scissors — don’t trim anything. No pencils or pens, and don’t try to rewrite an autograph. No staples or clips. No extremes of temperature or humidity. No direct sunlight — it fades the ink.

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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.

Bavaria, plate, green, white center, multicolor flower bouquet, wide gilt rim, marked, 10 3/4 inches, five pieces, $55.

Clothing, bodice, Edwardian, needle lace collar, frilly trim, French knot embroidery, trapunto, bracelet length sleeves, button back, cotton, 1905, 18 inches, $110.

Toy, car, racer, King Roadster, multicolor, red, yellow, green, driver, blue wheels, spare wheel on back, tin lithograph, windup, Marx, 9 inches, $185.

Auto, sign, Texaco, Fire-Chief Gasoline, firefighter’s helmet graphic, red & black lettering, enamel, dated, 1953, 18 x 12 inches, $190.

Furniture, table, Adirondack, folk art, painted, rectangular top, multicolor flower vase, black ground, dots, three legs, stretcher base, 23 x 20 inches, $215.

Wedgwood, cup and saucer, coffee, jasperware, green, white garlands, purple oval plaques, Neoclassical style, mid-1800s, cup 2 3/4 inches, saucer 5 1/4 inches, $320.

Furniture, chest, hinged lid, twig decorated, robin’s egg blue paint, applied stars and crescent moons, shaped bracket base, 20th century, 23 1/2 x 33 1/2 inches, $450.

Vase, Lalique, Tournai, leafy arched panels, frosted, cut to clear, shoulders, tapered base, R. Lalique, 5 inches, $500.

Cloisonne, vase, flowering trees, perching birds, multicolor, midnight blue ground, marked, Japan, late 18th century, 12 inches, $1,050.