Vase

Q: I am anxiously looking forward to any information you can give me on a porcelain I own.On the bottom it is marked "R St K -- Turn-Teplitz -- Bohemia -- Austria."A: Your porcelain bust was made by the Amphora Porzellan Fabrik that was founded in 1892 by Riessner & Kessel in Turn-Teplitz, Bohemia.Many of their vases, figurines and busts were produced for export. Your porcelain bust was made around 1900. Busts similar to this are seen in antiques shops in excess of $1,000.Q: I recently inherited a set of burgundy and ivory dishes.

A young girl, preparing to participate in a strange ritual, holds an oar carved and decorated with a hollowed circle shape.When artist Beckie Mirsch Laughlin shook this image from her mind a year ago, she knew she had been awakened from more than just a dream: "When I woke up I felt all this warmth on my abdomen. There was this energy and warmth."Mrs. Laughlin said she realized that in her dream she had been ZTC struck with the oar, and the circular impression was still tingling."I realize the dream had been of some tribal type of activity," Mrs. Laughlin, 44, recalled.

Q: Enclosed is a picture of one of a pair of chairs. I bought them in a used-furniture store for $150 for the pair. I spent another $100 to have them upholstered and refinished. I have been told that the Metropolitan Museum of Art has a chair just like these. Their chair was described as having been made in New York City sometime between 1840 and 1860. Can you give me any information about these chairs and what the value might be?A: These are early-Victorian side chairs made in the third quarterof the 19th century.

I SEE WHERE the governor wants politicians, such as himself, to refrain from campaigning at the Preakness tomorrow so as not to disturb "the family atmosphere" of the day. Has this guy been on the infield? You can connect the word "family" to the phrase "Preakness infield" only if you're talking about those that have been conceptualized there, under the blankets. And sometimesnot under the blankets.We scratch our head in puzzlement, class.What's with our governor?He must worry that Larry Gibson will hang another Eileen Rehrmann sign on the Pimlico cupola.

Perhaps the most discussed piece in the Walters collection o Asian art is the splendid 18th century "Peach Bloom" vase. Stolen -- and recovered -- in 1988, it sits in its new case in the Chinese Library of Hackerman House, an example of the Ch'ing Dynasty porcelain that alerted Western connoisseurs to the color nuances and modulations that were possible in ceramics.The eight-inch high vase had already acquired a world-class reputation by the time William Walters paid $18,000 for it at a New York auction in 1886, setting a record price for Oriental porcelain.

American Indian antiquesIf you happen to have a sketch book owned by a Cheyenne Indian in the 1880s, Harford County resident Roy Harrell would be the person to see about it.Harrell, an expert in American Indian antiques, has just finished filming two episodes for the PBS "Antique Road Show" series as an appraiser, one in Pittsburgh, Pa., and one in Nashville, Tenn. One of the highlights of the Nashville episode was the sketch book, which Harrell appraised at $60,000 to $80,000. (Check local listings for when the shows will air.)

Q: I would like to know the value and vintage of chairs in the enclosed picture. I have had these for over 35 years; they are walnut with burl walnut trim. I have just restored them. The seat is recaned in one, and the other seat will be recaned. The chairs have 80 holes for caning.A: Your chairs were made in the late 1800s. When you have them completely restored they should sell for $175 to $200 each.Q: I have a beautiful antique vase. It is old-fashioned in style and is 10 inches tall. It depicts a man and a woman in a garden setting.

The expert: Catherine Hipp, a director at the New York Botanical Garden. The product: Fresh-cut flowers. What I want: I don't care if it's a huge bouquet of pink peonies or a single red rose, it's got to be fresh, fresh, fresh, as well as fragrant and richly colored. I must have: I shop for flowers the way I shop for salad; I buy what looks good and fresh (hmmm, that word again!) on that day. Stems have to be firm and crisp, with flowers that look like they just opened (but not too open; this would indicate the end of the blooming cycle)

The three vases are decorated in blue and such a brilliant yellow that they seem to radiate light. One has a picture of bamboo growing to the lip of the vase."

Los Angeles floral designer Danusha Kibby has nearly three decades' experience arranging flowers, including a year in the Netherlands. She offers these tips on arranging flowers and caring for your creation. 1. Remove any foliage that will be under the water line. If it is not removed, submerged foliage will decompose, leading to a buildup of bacteria. 2. Make sure the water level in the vase covers any part of the stem where the bark has been stripped away. "The majority of flowers drink from most of the stem," she says, "the rose being the most thirsty.