Art nouveau designs were based on nature. A close look at this table, which sold for $2,750 at Fontaine’s Auction Gallery, shows that the side supports literally branch out at the top, where they meet the panels of carved flowers adorning the ends of the tabletop. The carvings at the base suggest twining roots. It is as if a pair of blossoming trees supports the table between them. The table is the work of French artist and cabinetmaker Louis Majorelle (1859-1926), one of the great designers of the Art nouveau movement.

Along with other artists and industrialists in France, Majorelle was a founding member of the Ecole de Nancy, which crafted everyday items like furniture and glassware in designs inspired by local plant life and nature scenes. Like his colleague Emile Galle, who is known for glass, pottery, and furniture, Majorelle worked with many materials. His background was in woodworking, having taken over his father’s business with his brother Jules in the late 1900s, but he also created stunning glasswork, “caged” by metal. He also made the furniture and ironwork for the majestic three-story house he commissioned for himself and his family, which is now the Villa Majorelle museum.

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Q: I bought an interesting Chinese porcelain jar or vase at a garage sale. It is round with a narrow base and has a detachable bell-shaped lid with an animal on top. It is primarily blue with pink, purple, and yellow flowers, but the animal is red. There is a red mark on the base with Chinese lettering inside a square. Will the mark tell me how old it is?

A: Lidded jars and vases are common among antique Chinese porcelain pieces. They are often called ginger jars because they were originally made to store and transport spices, which helped make them a symbol of luxury, especially among European collectors.

There are many books and online resources, including the Kovels.com “Look For Your Mark” feature, that can help you learn more about the mark on your jar. Major auction houses and websites also have online guides to Chinese porcelain marks.

A mark in a square shape is probably a seal mark, which is written in a seal script (“zhuanshu” in Chinese), a decorative writing style with angular shapes. Marks on antique Chinese porcelain are called reign marks because they include the name of the imperial dynasty and emperor for whom the design was made. However, this does not necessarily tell you when the piece was made. There is a long history of copying marks in Chinese porcelain making. It is not considered forgery, but an homage to earlier designs. Antique marks are handpainted, but more recent marks may be stamped.

The best way to tell if a piece of Chinese porcelain is truly antique is to examine its proportions and the quality of its decorations. Again, there are many books and online resources, as well as museum collections, that can help.

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TIP: Infrequent waxing of furniture is best. Once a year is enough. Go heavy on elbow grease, light on wax.

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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 closeup 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, (Name of this newspaper), 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.

Jewelry, pendant, pin back, figural, grape cluster, two leaves, silver, marked, Mexico, 2 x 2 inches, $20.

Glass, highball, Party Time Firework, gilt fireworks, multicolor centers, gilt rim, Libbey, 5 1/2 inches, eight pieces, $75.

Advertising, tin, Campfire Marshmallows, round, lid, red and blue lettering, red trim, The Campfire Co., Milwaukee, Wis., Cambridge, Mass., 1920s, $100.

Furniture, chair, Victorian, walnut frame, carved, pierced crest, inlaid trim, velvet upholstery, tufted back, turned legs, closed arms, figural supports, casters, 38 1/2 inches, $160.

Toy, noisemaker, horn, flared, painted, red, white, blue, tin, 21 pieces, $260.

Toy, hill climber, boy on sled, lying down, red cap and shoes, yellow sweater, green sled, wheels, tin lithograph, Dayton, 6 x 9 1/2 inches, $370.