Vase

Dale Rupprecht wanted a unique wedding gift for his fiancee.He chose to give his beloved, whom he'll marry next week, a one-of-a-kind glass vase, made by R. Foster Holcombe, who runs a traditional glass-blowing studio in Savage Mill.On Tuesday, in Mr. Holcombe's studio, Mr. Rupprecht watched,and videotaped, as Mr. Holcombe and his partner, Theda Hansen, took a glowing orange, golf-ball size piece of melted glass and turned it into a delicate work of art."It's great, beautiful," Mr. Rupprecht said, looking at the translucent white long-necked vase swirled with pastel colors.

Q: Is my two-handled vase decorated with panels of flowers and a bird resting on a flowering cherry-tree branch worth anything? Its blue circular mark says "Nippon."A: Assuming your Nippon porcelain vase, circa 1910 to 1921, with pigtail-shaped handles measures around 8 inches high and is in good condition, it's worth about $175 to $225, said Kathy Wojciechowski, author of "The Wonderful World of Nippon Porcelain, 1891-1921" (Schiffer, $52.95 postpaid from the author, Box 230, Peotone, Ill. 60468; [708]

Q: I was left one of a pair of Oriental metal vases which have been in our family for over 70 years. Someone put a sticker on its bottom saying "Song Dynasty." The vase has inscribed decoration on its neck and sides and its two handles are in the form of dragon heads. How much is this artifact worth?A: Your cast bronze vase likely was made in China between the 12th and 14th centuries, near the end of the Song Dynasty (960-1279). There's a similar one in the collection of London's Victoria and Albert Museum.

Q: I have a planter from the early 1950s that's shaped like a lady's head, wearing a string of pearls and matching earrings. How can I find out more about the history and value of such planters?A: "The World of Head Vase Planters," by Mike Posgay and Ian Warner, is available with a separate price guide for $37.95 postpaid from Antique Publications, Box 553, Marietta, Ohio 45750; phone (800) 533-3433. Further information is available from the authors at Box 93022, 499 Main St. South, Brampton, Ontario, Canada L6Y 4V8.The Head Hunters Newsletter for doll head vase collectors is published quarterly for $16 a year or $2.50 an issue and is available from Maddy Gordon, 8 Mohican Trail, Scarsdale, N.Y. 10583; phone (914)

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.

Q: This lovely vase belonged to my mother. So far, I have been unable to determine its age or value. It is 8 1/2 inches high. It is cloisonne, made of a silver base with shades of green enamel.A: This appears to be a beautiful example of French cloisonne, probably made in the early 1900s. It might sell in the $500 to $600 range.Q: The enclosed mark is on the bottom of a crackleware vase. It is bulbous with a short, straight neck. It is decorated with pictures of butterflies. Can you tell me anything about its origin and value?

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.

Q: Enclosed is a picture of my hand-painted Nippon vase; it is 11 inches tall and has an Egyptian design on the front. All I know about it is that it was a wedding present to my husband's parents in 1917. I would like to know anything you can tell me about it.A: Your Nippon vase was made in Japan in about 1910 to 1915. It would probably sell for $365 to $385.Q: I have some china with this mark on the back. Please identify the origin of my china.A: This is not a maker's mark; it is the British Registry number.

Q: Enclosed is a picture of a vase. It is 14 inches tall, 6 inches in diameter and is marked "Victoria-Carlsbad." I know that it is at least 75 years old. Could you please tell me something about its age and value?A: Your vase was made in Carlsbad, Austria, by the Victoria porcelain factory between 1900 and 1915. It would probably sell for about $125 to $135.Q: This mark is on the back of a blue and white 9-inch plate. Can you identify the maker and estimate the value of my plate?A: "Scinde" is the name of a Flow Blue pattern; it was made by Minton & Co. in Stoke, England, during the mid-19th century.

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.