ISLAND TREASURES
Late Victorian chocolate pot has hexagonal-shaped cups
By Brenda Reichel
Q.I inherited a porcelain chocolate pot with four cups and saucers. They have been in my family over 80 years. The chocolate pot is 8 inches tall, the cups and saucers 3-1/2 inches. The cups are hexagonal. What can you tell me about them? There are no markings on the any of the pieces.
— S. Brown, Honolulu
A. It appears you have a late Victorian chocolate pot with matching cups and saucers. Without any markings, I can't be too specific. The style is similar to other Victorian chocolate pots manufactured in Germany, England, Ireland and Japan. Based on the shape, your set is possibly English or Irish. The current value of similar chocolate sets with six cups and saucers range from $125 to $450. Your set is valued at $85 to $100.
Q. I have a Coca-Cola serving tray made of metal with a lady in 1920 clothes, marked "The design of this tray is for memorabilia purposes," taken from a 1921 advertisement. The background is black and there is some rust. Does this have any value? Should I keep it?
— M. Kaneshiro, Kohala
A. The Coca Cola Co. produced various items with its trademark as advertising premiums. Many of the serving trays were used as decoration on restaurant walls. Your serving tray is a reproduction and has a value of $5 to $25, depending on the condition of the metal.
Q. I have a small clay pot with a narrow opening at the top two inches across. The pot has a beige background with black and brownish-red squares and circles. It looks like it is from the southwestern United States or Mexico.
— R. Uyesugi, Honolulu
A. Native Americans in the Southwest and Mexico are known for their pottery. Your small pot's design looks more decorative and not necessarily utilitarian. The Yaque tribe, which lives mostly in Arizona, has made pottery with similar designs and colors for hundreds of years. There are a number of well-known potters who have registered their marks and can be traced to their tribe. Small pots, if signed by the artist, can bring $500 to $600.
Brenda Reichel is the owner of Carats & Karats Fine Jewelry and the host of "Gemnews," a weekly radio program on KWAI 1080AM, Saturdays from 6 to 7 p.m.
Send your questions about family treasures, along with a picture of the item, to Brenda at Carats & Karats, 1254 S. King St., Honolulu, HI 96814 or write to flawless@lava.net.
