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Little Rocker Made In Czechoslovakia

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By JAY MOORE Tribune correspondent

The Tampa Tribune

Published: September 4, 2008

I was given a small, bentwood rocking chair. It has a stamped mark under the seat that I cannot make out. I had planned to clean it, but was advised not to. I would like to know who made it, its age and its value.

M.L.
Wesley Chapel
This little rocker was produced about 1910 by J&J Kohn in Czechoslovakia. In the 1850s, the father-son team Jacob and Josef Kohn at first made building materials. They began making bentwood furniture in 1868.

Michael Thonet, a German-Austrian, is credited with inventing bentwood furniture. After many attempts, beginning in the 1830s, he introduced his first chair in 1850. Later, he unveiled his famous coffee-shop chair. Thonet waived patent rights in 1868, and Kohn began production.

This small rocker appears to be entirely original, including the finish. Whoever advised you to leave it alone gave you good advice. Do not clean it. It would retail for at least $300.

I bought my carved stationery box at an auction several years ago. It is carved with dragons, and the interior is divided into several sections. I would like to know its origin, age and value.

D.L.

Richmond, Va.

You have a Chinese-export stationery box that was modeled after those made in England during the mid-19th century. The dividers are for storing paper and envelopes and include a built-in pen box and spaces for inkbottles.

European traders began exporting Chinese goods by ship beginning in the 16th century. Chinese exports, mostly porcelain, were especially popular during the 18th and 19th centuries.

The Chinese often copied English goods including lap desks, stationery boxes and other items in exotic woods, often adding their own carved embellishments such as dragons. Some items were inlaid. Your stationery box would retail for $195.

Have a question about antiques? E-mail a complete description with a clear digital image (.jpg file) to athome@tampatrib.com. Include a name, address and daytime phone number. Regular mail can be sent with clear photographs (plain-paper prints or Polaroid

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