Antiques slideshow – in pictures

Item one: Japanese Satsuma-style biscuit barrel and cover, sent in by Pat Barnes. The cylindrical body of the pot has a domed circular cover, the body has side lugs to which an overhead wicker handle is attached. It is decorated in overglaze enamels and piped slip with scenes of Heian-period courtiers and nobles in an imaginary landscape. The base is marked with a seal reading Dai Nihon (Great Japan) and the symbol of the Suzuki factory with the words Made in Japan. It dates from the 1940s-1950s, so is sadly too recent to be highly valuable. Value: £20-£30. Photograph: Pat Barnes

Item two: Upright piano inscribed Neischalke & Nitsche, Berlin, sent in by Julija. This piano dates from the second half of the 20th century. There is no trace of a maker of this name in the literature, so it may have been a music shop that bought pianos from outside manufacturers and sold them under its own name. Another example, in Amsterdam, was offered on the web in 2003. The estimate assumes it is possible to return the piano to playing order without undue expenditure. Regrettably, the cost of reconditioning older upright pianos can vastly exceed their market value. Value: £200-£400. Photograph: Julija

Item three: Chinese plate, sent in by Steve Godden. This plate was made in the Canton area of China in the late 19th to early 20th century. The pattern, together with the paste, is commensurate with wares of this type and period. At this time the East India Company were a finished operation as such in the Far East. It operated in the late 17th, 18th and early 19th century until companies such as Jardines took over. Value: £60-£80. Photograph: Steve Godden

Item four: A Swiss-made, gold hunting case pocket watch, sent in by Ron Hallios. Walco Watch appears in the upper dial but, while it is said Walco was a Pennsylvania jewellery chain in the 1914-1930 era selling Swiss watches with their name on the dial, I am not certain this is what defines your watch. It may have been made by Doxa SA, which was founded in 1889 in Switzerland. They manufactured boutique brand watches under different names, eg Helson, Benarus, Walco etc. A clue to the age of your watch is the second Arabic hour band numbered from 13 to 24. Such watches were made during and after the first and second world wars; the Art Deco style suggests a date closer to the first world war. The value is mostly in its gold case. If it wasn’t gold it would sell in the £50-£60 range, but happily it is 14K gold. Value: £300-£700. Photograph: Picasa/Ron Hallios

Item five: Reverse glass painting in the manner of Johannes Kleinschmidt (1858-1905), sent in by Thomas Hegarty. The 27cm x 21cm painting dates from the second half of the 19th century. This may possibly be a later hand than the Johann Kleinschmidt (1687-1772) the owner attributed it to (see for comparison Johannes Kleinschmidt, 1858-1905, a painter with comparable ability). An attribution to the former could be plausible, but in the medium of reverse glass it can be difficult to ascertain accurate dates for such paintings. Interest remains specialist but good examples are sought by collectors. Value: £200-£300.
Photograph: Thomas Hegarty

Item six: Queen Victoria needlebook, sent in by Mil Ese. This attractive commemorative item dates from 1897. It is not rare but is appealing to collectors. It was sold to the general public at the time and is a different souvenir from the usual mugs, plates and beakers. Value: £30-£35. Photograph: Mil Ese

Item seven: A drawing in the manner of Giovanni Battista Tiepolo, (Italian, 1696-1770), sent in by Alexandra Metaxa. The drawing is in pen, brown ink and wash, and looks to be 19th or 20th century. Tiepolo drawings are quite distinctive and this looks like a much later drawing looking back to the 18th century. The style isn’t 18th century and the paper looks like wove, or machine-made paper, rather than laid 18th-century paper. Value: £50-£100.
Photograph: Alexandra Metaxa

Item eight: Gallé vase, sent in by Alexandra Metaxa. This is a colourless Gallé cameo glass vase with a yellow layer overlaid in shades of red and etched with blossom branches. It is marked with a signature and is 26cm high and dates from about 1920. It’s an original but rather late Gallé. This type of signature was used from 1918-1936. Value: £400-£600. Photograph: Alexandra Metaxa