Old Stuff Newspaper - Feature Articles

Moss Agates

The moss-agate is a semi-precious stone sometimes found in antique jewelry. It is a member of the quartz family, and received its name because of an imperfection of coloring which resembles green or brown moss.

Moss agate stones were usually set into men’s jewelry, in pieces such as rings, watch fobs or stickpins.

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Early Fire Buckets Made Of Leather

The bucket brigade seems to symbolize fires of earlier days. Originally, the buckets of water would be thrown directly on the fire. As cities grew and prospered, they purchased hand fire engines. They still needed the bucket brigade, though, to fill the reservoirs of the engines. After suction-type engines were invented, in the early 1800s, the buckets were seldom needed by a fire department.

The buckets used by fire departments were made of leather. Other materials had not worked well, but a shoemaker in New York City produced a leather bucket that suited the purpose. In a city like New York, the buckets were distributed throughout the city at bucket stations.

Stores, businesses and warehouses all kept their own buckets handy. The buckets usually were colorfully painted with a scene, a fire picture, or the business name. Many private homes also kept leather fire buckets ready for use.

Check the handles carefully if you are buying a bucket. Over the years, the leather at the point of connection has often given way and the handle may be a replacement.

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‘A Bit Of Irish’ In A Collection

Irish cooking pot would also make a perfect container for a pot of gold.

While Wade termed this 2” tall piece an Irish cooking pot, it would also make a perfect container as the pot of gold to be found at the end of the leprechaun’s rainbow. Collectors will pay $15-$20 for this piece.

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St. Patrick’s Day is the perfect time for collector’s of the Wade (Ireland) company’s Irish Porcelain to highlight their collections. This line, made from 1953 to 1986, is recognizable by the glaze which was used.

This “Lucky Leprechaun” in Irish Porcelain has a current value of about $25.

This “Lucky Leprechaun” in Irish Porcelain is 2 3/4” tall. His current value is about $25.

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No two pieces ever have exactly the same glaze, because it is made by applying several colors in sequence. The result will be a shaded gray/green or gray/blue.

Some of the most popular pieces of Irish Porcelain are the tankards, which come in sizes ranging from 2 inches tall to large ones which will hold up to a pint of beverage. There is also a musical version.

In addition to the tankards, the Irish Porcelain glaze was used on numerous other pieces. The collector may find items such as teapots, ashtrays, vases, goblets, cream and sugar sets, and a variety of novelty items, such as those pictured here.

The Irish Porcelain mark.

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Almost all pieces of Wade’s Irish Porcelain are clearly marked on the bottom.

The World of Wade, a two-volume series by Ian Warner and Mike Posgay, is an excellent reference for collectors of Irish Porcelain.

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