Antiques slideshow – French wine and Italian art

Item one: two wine bottles, sent in by Brian Clarke. These bottles were found in Brian’s late grandmother’s drinks cabinet. One is a Château Pontet-Canet 1934, the other a Haut Médoc 1929, both English-bottled by the Army & Navy. While 1934 was a good but not outstanding vintage, 1929 was one of the best vintages of the 20th century. Unfortunately, the Haut Médoc is a generic one rather than of a particular château, so is not of great interest to collectors. Pontet-Canet is a well-recognised middle-ranking Bordeaux, but in a modest vintage of this age it will not be greatly sought after. Neither have the lead capsules covering the cork and both show signs of ullage, with the level of wine having fallen below the neck of the bottle. The cork of the Pontet-Canet looks to be shrinking and one wonders what condition the wine is in. Therefore, ValueMyStuff values the two bottles at £40-£60. Photograph: Brian Clarke

Item two: Newport pottery hors d’oeuvres dish, sent in by Laura Sutton-Long. This ‘orange chintz’ dish was made circa 1932. It is composed of three oval dishes around a central metal handle, painted with stylised water lilies. Chintz was designed by Clarice Cliff in 1932 and was produced in three different colours: orange, blue and green. It is one of a group of patterns belonging to the “fantasque" range. These patterns tend to be the boldest and most popular of Cliff’s designs. Shape is as important as pattern: when this pattern appears on a more desirable shape – such as a spherical globe vase – the price can go up to £1,000. This piece is an example of English art deco at its best and ValueMyStuff’s expert values it at £250 to £350. Photograph: Laura Sutton-Long

Item three: Noritake porcelain vases, sent in by Judith White. This pair of vases was made in the late 19th/early 20th century. Their owner was wondering whether they were uncommon. The Noritake porcelain factory was founded in Japan at the end of the 19th century to produce pieces for export to the West. There is a demand for Noritake pieces, but they still exist in large numbers and so values at auction are relatively low. Value £50-£70. Photograph: Judith White

Item four: an Italian painting, sent in by Rebecca Romanoff. This old master painting was bought in Paris in the late 1990s. She was told the painting was made in Rome circa 1700. It is about 3 x 2 feet. In our expert’s view, it was made in the first half of the 19th century in the manner of, or after, Carlo Maratta or Maratti (1625–1713). Maratta/Maratti worked extensively in Rome and had a huge following during his lifetime, and this could be where the attribution to Rome is founded. From the photographs it would unfortunately appear to have been extensively overpainted. ValueMyStuff’s expert values the piece as a decorative painting, at £600-£800. Photograph: Rebecca Romanoff