Q: Enclosed is a photo of a small round porcelain plate with a matching set of salt and pepper shakers. The plate is almost 6 inches in diameter and decorated with yellow flowers and green leaves. The shaker set is decorated with pastel flowers and green leaves. All the pieces are embellished with gold. The set has been handed down to me from my mother and is in mint condition. Marked on the back of each piece is "T. & V. — France." Also, the letters "RWB" are on all three pieces and are most likely the initials of the artist who hand-painted the design.

I have never seen a tray for a salt and pepper shaker set. Any information you can provide will be greatly appreciated.

A: Tressemanes & Vogt Porcelain Factory made your set. They have been in business in Limoges, France, since 1883. Based on the information that the designs are not the same on the shakers and the plate, you do not have a matching set. The initials are those of the artist.

Your shakers and plate were made between 1892 and 1917. The three pieces would probably be worth $225 to $275.

Q: I have a child's porcelain hand-painted dinner service for six and have enclosed a photo of the mark that is on each dish. The set includes large and small soup tureens with lids, six plates, six saucers, five teacups, one round and one oval serving platter, a teapot with a lid, a sugar bowl with a lid and a cream pitcher. The set is decorated with yellow and pink flowers and blue stripes on the edges. The Ben Hecht family gave the set to my mother when she was a child. He was a well-known screenwriter, novelist, journalist and playwright.

Would you be able to tell me anything about the set and the value?

A: The letter "M" represents the Morimura Brothers. They founded a trading company with offices in New York and Tokyo, and exported china from Japan. The New York offices had both wholesale and retail showrooms. They sold china that appealed to the Western market. Children's dinner sets are always popular with collectors.

Your set was made around 1940 and would probably be worth $150 to $175.

Tressesmanes and Vogt are located in Limoges, France.

Morimura Brothers was a New York-based importers.

Address your questions to Anne McCollam, P. O. Box 247, Notre Dame, IN 46556. Items of a general interest will be answered in this column. Due to the volume of inquiries, she cannot answer individual letters. To find out more about Anne McCollam and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com