The Search Is On For Old Cut-glass Items

July 27, 1985|By Ralph and Terry Kovel, Cowles Syndicate Inc.

Do you think you own the biggest piece of cut glass in the world? Do you own any piece of cut glass from the 1851 or 1904 World's Fairs? A museum is planning to exhibit prize glass from past fairs.

World's Fair exhibitions in those days were the equivalent in advertising of today's Olympics. Major factories produced special pieces for exhibit as examples of the high quality of their work. Cut glass, especially the oversized pieces, were great crowd pleasers.

A 10-foot high candelabrum, a glass table and a 225-pound punch bowl from past fairs have already been located. A Quaker City cut-glass vase that is 5 feet 7 1/2 inches high and weighs 200 pounds still remains ''lost.'' It probably was three to five separate pieces. The factory did not mark any of its cut glass.

If you have this vase or any cut-glass pieces that you are sure were exhibited at a World's Fair because of the engraving, accompanying letters or catalogs, write to us, in care of this newspaper.

QUESTION: What is a kilim rug? Why is it different from other Oriental rugs?

ANSWER: The word kilim means slit or narrow opening. The nomadic tribes used flaps to cover tent openings. The women, who wove the rugs and flaps, developed a way to weave so there were spaces in the flap. That way, the women could look out without leaving the tent. The kilim was made by stringing a loom with a warp thread and weaving in and out with a weft thread.

An Oriental rug is made by knotting short threads on the warp thread. The knots are pushed together, and the ends are cut to make the carpet pile. The Oriental rug has more threads and will wear longer.

Q: My small wooden end table is held together with wooden pegs. There is a brass plate on the bottom that reads, ''The Roycrofters, East Aurora, New York.'' What does it mean?

A: The Roycrofter community of East Aurora, N.Y., made furniture, metalware, leather work, embroidery and jewelry. They had a shop where they printed signs, books and a magazine. The community was founded by Elbert Hubbard. He was a philosopher, writer and artist. He was joined at East Aurora by other artists and writers who believed in his simpler, communal way of life. The group was active from the late-19th century until the early-20th century.

Q: How old is the Jewel Tea mixing bowl? It is light yellow with orange and yellow flowers, tan and brown leaves, and a gold trim. I think it is called Autumn Leaf.

A: The mixing bowl was the first item made in the Autumn Leaf pattern. It was part of a three-piece nest of bowls made from 1933 to 1976. It was made by the Hall China Co., East Liverpool, Ohio, for the Jewel Tea Co., a grocery company.

Q: My toy Charlie Chaplin is 9 inches tall. It is made of tin with big lead feet and walks when wound up. Who made it?

A: Charlie Chaplin was famous as a movie comedian long before he regained fame as a spokesman for a computer. His movie, The Tramp, was released in 1915, and he became a worldwide favorite. Many Chaplin toys were made into the 1920s, and again in the 1980s. Your toy probably is the walking Chaplin made by Schuco, a German company.

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