What could be creepier than drinking out of a skull? Porcelain manufacturers in Germany have been making skull-shaped steins for hundreds of years. The one pictured here, which sold for $343 at Fox Auctions, was created by Ernst Bohne Sohne. This company started as a decorating studio in 1848 and was taken over by Gebruder Heubach, famous for their porcelain dolls, about 1919. (Although skull steins were among their most popular designs, no, “Bohne” is not German for “bone.”)

As popular as skull steins were, they were traditionally meant for a different occasion than Halloween and carried a meaning that was more moralistic than morbid. Notice that the skull rests on a book, a common design. They were graduation gifts for students, and not just medical students. They were a form of memento mori, a reminder that, because death comes for everyone, it is important to live a life of virtue — or, in this case, to take the opportunity to celebrate when you can.

Like most skull-on-book signs, the book is marked “Gaudeamus Igitur,” from a popular graduation song whose line “Gaudeamus igitur, juvenes dum sumus” translates to “Let us rejoice while we are young.” While it’s especially appropriate for graduation ceremonies, the idea of “rejoicing while we’re young” isn’t out of place on Halloween. It sounds like a pretty good way to describe trick-or-treating.

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Q: I have an unusual table I would like to know the value of. It is dark wood with an eight-sided top, a lot of carving on the skirt, and eight legs. All the legs have supports just above the feet that rise up and meet at a point in the middle. Can you tell me about it, and what it might be worth?

A: Your table sounds like a style that was popular in the 1920s to ’30s. They were simplified copies of the elaborately carved furniture from the Victorian era. The raised decorations may have been carved or molded.

Oak was the most popular wood for these pieces; it was plentiful, easy to carve or mold, and sturdy enough to survive shipping to stores or to mail-order customers. Collectors call this furniture period “golden oak” because pieces were often finished in a light golden-brown color. However, many other finishes were used, including darker tones. Many companies made or stocked plain pieces; customers could choose the embellishments and finish.

The supports on the legs are called stretchers. They usually connect the lower legs of a furniture piece to each other for added support and stability. When they meet in the middle like your table, they are sometimes described as “spider stretchers,” especially on an eight-legged table! Tables like this were relatively inexpensive when they were made, and still usually sell for about $150 or less.

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TIP: Be careful where you put a fresh pumpkin or gourd at Halloween or Thanksgiving. Put a plastic liner underneath it. A rotting pumpkin will permanently stain wood or marble.

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Kovels answers readers’ questions sent to the column. Send a letter with one question describing the size, material (glass, pottery) and what you know about the item. Include only two pictures: the object and a close-up of any marks or damage. Be sure your name and return address are included. By sending a question, you give full permission for use in any Kovel product. Names, addresses or email addresses will not be published. We do not guarantee the return of photographs, but if a stamped envelope is included, we will try. Questions that are answered will appear in Kovels Publications. Write to Kovels, King Features Syndicate, 300 W. 57th Street, 41st Floor, New York, NY 10019, or email us at collectorsgallery@kovels.com.

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CURRENT PRICES

Current prices are recorded from antiques shows, flea markets, sales and auctions throughout the United States. Prices vary in different locations because of local economic conditions.

Halloween, candy bucket, witch, round, orange and black, molded face, black handle, plastic, Topstone, 1960s, 7 inches, $40.

Fiesta, Black Cat, plate set, orange, center cat face, starry ground, post-86, 9 inches, four pieces, $100.

Candlesticks, silver plate, Old Sheffield, scalloped rim, raised scrolls and flowers, fluted column, lobed scalloped base, England, c. 1850, 9 1/2 inches, pair, $125.

Halloween, costume, Spider-Man, mask, suit, box, Ben Cooper, 1973, medium, $150.

Halloween, pumpkin man, green body, yellow fingers, round base, molded, papier-mache, Germany, early 20th century, 2 1/2 inches, $155.

Glass-contemporary, vase, opaque white, pulled iridescent feathers, multicolor, swollen shoulders, short neck, tapered base, marked, Orient & Flume, 10 inches, $290.

Furniture, chair, Renaissance Revival, throne style, card, leafy scrolls, flowers, eagles, upholstered seat and back panel, scalloped skirt, four carved ball feet, lion armrests, open arms, late 1800s, 58 inches, $640.

Papier-mache, jewelry cabinet, black, scenic top, two front doors, oval flower panels, abalone inlay, satin fitted interior, lower writing compartment, shaped base, England, 1800s, 14 x 12 inches, $770.