Father’s Day is a time to treat Dad to the finer things in life. What could be finer than accessories for a Victorian gentleman? Maybe the box that holds them. This Victorian gentleman’s traveling dresser set, which sold for $243 at an auction by Rachel Davis Fine Arts, includes nine bottles and jars to hold the various lotions, colognes, pomades, hair oils, and other personal products that a well-to-do man of the late 19th century couldn’t possibly do without.

If you have seen photographs of Victorian gentlemen with their slick hairstyles, sculpted mustaches, and well-maintained whiskers, it’s easy to see the importance of personal grooming at the time — and to estimate how much work, and how many products, went into it. The Victorians even invented household items to accommodate gentlemen’s hair products. The antimacassar, a small, usually lacy, piece of cloth draped over the back of a chair, protected furniture from hair oil. Mustache cups had a small ridge to keep a well-groomed, probably waxed, mustache safe from damage while the gentleman drank a cup of hot tea. (Mustache cups, as Kovels founder Terry Kovel discovered as a child, are also an excellent gateway into the world of antiques.) And, of course, the containers that held these products, and the boxes that held the containers, did not escape the Victorian love of decoration.

Many of the glass jars in this traveling set have silver plate lids, a favorite Victorian material. The box itself also reflects the taste of the time. It is rosewood, one of the favored woods of the period, with a mother-of-pearl escutcheon. The blue velvet lining trimmed with gold thread provides further luxury. It even has a few secrets: The lining of the lid folds down to reveal a mirror, and a hidden drawer pulls out of one side.

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Q: I have a cast-iron urn that is a replica of a bronze urn in the garden at the Palace of Versailles. My grandfather was an author and educator and also sold life insurance door-to-door in a wealthy area of South Minneapolis, Minnesota. He came across a laborer who dumped the cast-iron urn on the boulevard. Grandfather asked him what was going to happen to it and was told, “It’s going to the dump, I guess.” Grandfather then asked to use a phone in the home, called a taxi, had the driver put the urn (200-plus pounds) in the trunk, and had him drive him home. The urn resided at his home for several years until his wife passed away, at which time it was moved to mine. I would appreciate getting an estimate of its current value.

A: That was good thinking on your grandfather’s part! Salvaging items other people throw away can be a surprisingly effective way to get valuable antiques. The gardens at Versailles have many famous bronze urns decorated with elaborate reliefs of mythological figures and figural handles in the shape of cherubs or animal masks. They include originals designed by artist Claude Ballin, made in the 1600s, and a set of replicas cast by Christophe-Francois Calla in 1852.

Cast-iron furniture was made in 1823 and became fashionable after the 1851 Crystal Palace Exhibition. Garden furnishings, including urns, were especially popular in the late 19th to early 20th century. Casting iron allowed for fairly inexpensive mass-produced replicas of earlier elaborate styles, including Gothic and Rococo. Replicas of Versailles urns and designs inspired by them were popular. Today, they are worth about $500 to $1,500, depending on condition. If you are planning to sell yours, their provenance will add to their value if sold locally.

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TIP: To clean a veneered box or one made of porcupine quills or matchsticks, use a vacuum cleaner hose covered with a nylon stocking.

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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, King Features Syndicate, 628 Virginia Dr., Orlando, FL 32803 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.

Toy, car, Hot Wheels, Rolls-Royce, Silver Shadow, hood lifts, redline tires, Mattel, 1969, $35.

Advertising, sign, 20 Mule Team Borax, Borax is King, child holding box and mule, Borax Bill Jr., Ask Dealer For Booklet, tin, self frame, 35 x 24 inches, $70.

Popeye, boat, cloth sail, blue graphic, Popeye with spyglass, wood hull, keel, rudder, 24 x 20 inches, $85.

Furniture, table, coaching, Thornton & Herne, mixed wood, round top, hinged, X-shape base, turned supports, stretchers, folding, label, London, late 1800s, 26 x 41 inches open, $140.

Lamp, whale oil, glass font, drop burner, cone base, weighted, saucer bobeche, strap handle, 1800s, 10 inches, $185.