Artist Dan Johnson (1918-1979) designed furniture for many companies with the midcentury modern look. He worked in Rome and California, and designed a number of lines of modern furniture, especially chairs and tables, for Danish and U.S. companies.
Johnson often used thin, patinated metal, iron or aluminum for arms, legs and seats, and added caning or fabric upholstery. All of his designs looked lightweight, but a chair with a bronze or iron frame is heavy and hard to shove into place at a dining-room table. One of his most famous designs was the Gazelle line designed in Rome and then sold in the U.S. He used metal parts patinated “Pompeian Verde,” a green color that was inspired by the excavations at Pompeii.
The pictured Gazelle bronze and cane chair, made in the 1950s, was estimated to be worth $4,000-$6,000 recently. Lines made for other companies were similar, including maple furniture made in 1947, Viscount made in the late 1950s of brass and ivory or nickel and walnut or other combinations, and Satyr made with thin shapely legs. They were made by Arch Industries, Selig and others.
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Q: We were given a 10-inch sterling silver “Revere bowl” as a wedding gift in 1948. It’s in good condition with a liner (which I added). Can you tell me what it’s worth?
A: Revere Silver bowls have been popular wedding gifts for years. The simple shape with slightly flared lip is based on the “Liberty Bowl,” which was made by Paul Revere at his silver shop in Boston in 1768. Revere bowls have been made in silver plate, sterling silver and pewter by many different makers. The value of your bowl depends on the silver content. Solid silver (sterling) is worth at least the price of the silver it contains, the meltdown value. Silver plate is worth less because it contains less silver. A well-known maker adds value. Recent prices for a 10-inch Revere bowl range from $600 to $1,000 for a bowl made by Gorham. Silver plate sells for $50 to $300. Your bowl might sell at an auction or consignment shop.
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CURRENT PRICES
Glass-Bohemian candy dish, green cut to clear, hand painted pink, yellow and green flowers, gilt scrolls and trim, domed cover with large knob finial, 5 x 3 inches, $60.
Redware, pitcher, mottled brown and green glaze, bulbous, squat, rolled rim, applied S-curved handle, Shenandoah Valley, 5 inches, $730.
Jewelry, necklace, three strands of green beads, six large gilt roses, emerald green blown glass clusters, Miriam Haskell, 16 3/4 inches, $1,130.
Game of the Wild West, board, two spinners with bases, nine cowboys and Indians, instruction booklet, R. Bliss, original box with graphics, 1889, 19 inches, $2,250.
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TIP: When hanging pictures, use a smartphone app for a level to be sure the pictures are not crooked.
For more collecting news, tips and resources, visit www.Kovels.com
(c) 2022 King Features Synd., Inc.
Photo Credit: Kovels
Photo Caption: There are matching dining and coffee tables, several types of chairs, and more in the Gazelle group. The various styles of chairs sell for about $5,000 each.
