Q: I would appreciate any information you might have on the mustache cup seen in this photo. My husband, who is 79 years old, received it from his grandfather who was from Germany, so I think it is at least 100 years old. It is porcelain and half the opening of the cup is covered with three holes. The cup is decorated with fruit and leaves, all against a white background. Marked on the bottom are the word "Germany" and number "168." It is in perfect condition. We would love to know more about it.

A: Mustache cups were popular from around 1850 to 1900. It was fashionable during the Victorian Era for men to have full mustaches. Mustache cups with the half ledge kept mustaches neat, and also kept the mustache wax from melting. Although many were porcelain, some were made of silver or silver plate. The designs were usually transfer prints and not hand-painted. The "168" is a design number. Several porcelain factories in Germany produced a large amount of mustache cups.

Your late 1800s mustache cup would fetch $50 to $75 in an antiques shop.

Q: I have enclosed a photo of the mark that's on each dish of a tea set that belonged to my mother. The set serves six, and each piece is decorated with gold bands against a white background.

Could you please tell me something about the set and what its value might be?

A: Noritake China was made in Japan and exported to the United States by the Morimura Brothers of New York City. Anything marked "Occupied Japan" was made after World War II, from 1947 to 1952. Noritake China continues to be exported to large department stores in the United States.

Your circa-1947 tea set would probably be worth $225 to $325.

Q: Can you tell me the value of a kerosene railroad lantern? It is marked with the words "Nier — Made in Germany — NR 275 — Reg. U.S. Pat Office — Feuerhand Fire Hand." The globe is clear and about 10 inches tall. The base is 4 inches wide. It was given to my grandpa when he was 8 years old and now, he is 84.

A: Bruno Nier and the Feuerhand Lantern Factory, located in Germany, made your lantern. Similar railroad lanterns to yours are selling in the range of $75 to $85.

Mustache cups were popular during the Victorian Era.

Noritake China has been imported to the United States from Japan since the late 1800s.

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