The Daum glass factory of Nancy, France, is famous for its cameo glass, but that isn’t the only kind it made. When Jean Daum founded the factory in 1875, he made cut and enameled glass. His sons Auguste and Antonin started an art glass department in 1885, adapting to the art glass movement and art nouveau style of the time.

The company started making more ornate types of glass like cameo glass and pate-de-verre. These were very old techniques, but newly popular as they experienced a resurgence in the 19th century. Pate-de-verre was made in ancient Egypt. The term means “glass paste.” It is made by combining ground glass with an adhesive and molding this mixture into forms. It proved to be a good fit for the art nouveau period, when designs drew inspiration from the natural world, especially flowers and plants.

Glassworks like Daum made pate-de-verre pieces with three-dimensional flowers. They are often valuable today. This Daum vase made to look like a bunch of daffodils sold for $2,125 at Heritage Auctions.

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Q: Could you shed some light on a Mexican pottery pitcher that was given to me by my mother? The pitcher is 7 inches high, 5 inches wide and looks to be handpainted in bright colors with a large flower. There is a stamp on the bottom that looks like it says, “Made in Mexico.” It is in very good condition. It was given to my mother as a wedding gift back in 1951 from a transient gentleman that toured the states via train. When he was passing through town, he would stop at the luncheonette where she worked. I would be interested to know, if possible, the history and approximate value of the piece.

A: Your pitcher is a piece of Mexican folk pottery, which was popular in the mid-20th century. By the 20th century, Mexican folk potters combined traditional techniques practiced for hundreds of years with modern patterns to create pottery for export and the tourist trade. A 1940 exhibit at the Museum of Modern Art in New York helped promote Mexican pottery in the U.S. Mexican folk pottery is generally characterized by bright colors, traditional shapes and the use of stylized nature motifs or cultural symbols. There are several regional variations, such as Talavera, a type of majolica made in the Puebla region and influenced by Spanish ceramics; or Tonalan pottery, a burnished pottery from the town in Tonala in western Mexico that often has flower motifs. Small pieces like your pitcher or similarly sized vases or figures usually sell for about $50. Like most types of pottery, they are worth more if you can identify a maker.

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Q: While cleaning out the house that had been in the family over a century, I found what I’d describe as a tapestry. It has what looks like a party scene with people in 18th-century clothes. It’s roughly 39 x 76 inches and is stamped “Made in France” on the back. Can you tell me anything about it including what it might be worth?

A: Labels with “Made in” and the country name were usually used on goods imported to the U.S. after about 1915. France has a very long history of tapestry making, dating back to medieval times. Tapestries experienced a resurgence in Europe in the twentieth century, largely influenced first by the Arts & Crafts movement, then by modern art. Copies of older designs were made by machine. We believe your tapestry is one of the machine-made copies. Tapestries like these usually sell for about $50 to $100.

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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.

Consolidated, vase, chickadees, blue, on branch, brown and green leaves, custard glass, satin finish, shoulders, four-sided, square base, 6 1/2 inches, $50.

Glass-Venetian, bowl, short foot, red to amber, mottled, matte finish, signed, Gino Cenedese, Murano, 5 x 8 1/2 inches, $130.

World’s Fair, banner, 1876, Philadelphia International Exhibition, Centennial, George Washington portrait, multicolor, jacquard, blue fringe, silk, 10 1/2 x 7 inches, $160.

Bradley & Hubbard, lamp, paneled shade, pierced stylized flowers, caramel slag glass, marked, 25 x 20 1/2 inches, $200.

Sevres, box, jewelry, dome lid, bud finial, round, blue enamel, allover tonal pattern, gilt fleurs-de-lis, bronze mounted base, four-footed, mark, c. 1780, 7 inches, $320.

Doll, Madame Alexander, Cissy, hard plastic head, dark blonde wig, blue sleep eyes, plastic body, jointed vinyl arms, pink flowered hat, black wool suit, 1957, 60 inches, $390.

Trunk, nagamochi, lift lid, lacquer, gilt armorial devices, scrolling leaves, latch closure, handle, paper lining, Japan, late 1800s, 14 x 29 x 17 inches, pair, $500.

Rug, soumak, six medallions, blue field, red, orange, brown, ivory, stylized flower border, Uzbekistan, 9 feet 6 inches x 5 feet 7 inches, $745.

Pewabic, vase, blue and gold iridescent glaze, shoulders, slightly flared lip, tapered base, 7 3/4 inches, $1,185.