Q: Enclosed is a photo of a vase that I have. I believe it is silver and stands over 7 inches tall. Marked on the bottom is a windmill with a smoking pipe on both sides. Also there is the number 3836. It is decorated with a raised ornate pattern of scrolls, flowers and cherubs. Even though it is tarnished and badly in need of polishing, it is in very good condition.

Anything you can tell me would be appreciated.

A: You have a silver plate vase that was made by Barbour Silver Company. Samuel L. Barbour and his brother, Charles Barbour, founded their silver company in Hartford, Connecticut, in 1889. The number is the design number. The ornate pattern is repousse, a method of hammering a design from the reverse side of an object. Barbour Silver Company became part of International Silver Company in 1898.

Your vase was made around 1900, and it would probably be worth $175 to $200.

Q: I have enclosed the mark that is on the bottom of a pink teapot that I bought at a garage sale last summer. It stands about 4 inches high, has a flower-shaped handle on the lid, and is in mint condition.

I hope you can tell me about its history, vintage and value.

A: Your teapot was made by Taylor, Smith & Taylor Co. in East Liverpool, Ohio. Lu-Ray was one of their lines of dinnerware. Complete dinnerware sets were available in pastel colors like Sharon Pink, Persian Cream, Surf Green, Chatham Gray and Windsor Blue. John Taylor and Charles Smith founded their company in 1899 and produced semi-porcelain. They were joined by Taylor's son and built a factory in Chester, Ohio. Around 1906, Smith bought out the

Taylors, but kept the name. Lu-Ray-ware was manufactured in plain, soft pastel colors and can be recognized by simple streamlined shapes that were representative of mid-20th century design.

Through the years, Taylor, Smith and Taylor made dinnerware for hotels and restaurants, as well as kitchenware and ovenware. The factory was bought by Anchor Hocking Corporation in 1972. By 1981, due to a decline in profits, they were forced to close.

Your teapot is an example of the Lu-Ray's Sharon Pink and was made sometime between 1930 and 1950. One similar to yours can be seen selling on eBay in the range of $200 to $250.

Vase made by Barbour Silver Company.

Lu-Ray dinnerware was made by Taylor, Smith, & Taylor Co.

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