Q: Enclosed is a photo of the cookie jar that my aunt has had ever since I can remember, and I was born in 1948. It does not have any markings on it. I know it is from the nursery rhyme: "Hey diddle diddle, the cat and the fiddle, the cow jumped over the moon. The little dog laughed to see such sport and the dish ran away with the spoon." At the base of the moon are the figures of the dish, the spoon, the cat and the fiddle. The cow is on the lid.
I have not found this cookie jar online. I would like to know its value.
A: Robinson Ransbottom Pottery made your cookie jar around 1950. They have been in business in Roseville, Ohio, since 1901. Between the 1940s and 1950s, they made at least 25 different cookie jars. Several other potteries that included Brush McCoy and Treasure Craft made "Hey Diddle Diddle" cookie jars, all distinctively different. Not all Robinson Ransbottom Pottery cookie jars were marked; some had paper labels. There are recent imports that are on the market.
Your cookie jar would probably be worth $150 to $300.
Q: I have a set of dishes that have the enclosed mark on the bottom of each piece. My aunt passed the set along to me, and I would like to learn more about their background. It is a set for eight and in perfect condition. The dishes are white, and the scalloped edges are fluted or swirled.
What can you tell me about Johnson Brothers, the history of ironstone, and does my set contain lead?
A: Johnson Brothers have made ironstone in Staffordshire, England, since 1883. Their "Snow White Regency" pattern was made in the late 1900s. There are several variations of the pattern in addition to the solid white. Some sets were decorated with gold trim or silver flowers and leaves.
Ironstone was patented in Britain by Charles James Mason. It was strong and durable and a good substitute for the more expensive and delicate porcelain. White Ironstone or white granite was imported to the United States. In the mid 1800s, United States potteries began producing ironstone. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration established guidelines for maximum concentrations of lead in dinnerware in 1971. There is much less lead used in current dinnerware produced in the U.S. Home test kits used to detect lead in dishes can be purchased at hardware stores.
Sets similar to yours can be found selling in the range of $300 to $500.
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
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