ANTIQUES — Horse Collectibles Always a Good Bet

We are told that a king once offered his kingdom for one, and many folks have been told to leave with the one they rode in on. They are horses, of course, and it wasn’t all that long ago that no one got very far without one.
Even more than dogs, horses are the most celebrated animals in human history. From the first primitive drawings of the cavemen to the finest of the fine arts the horse is depicted as majestic and powerful, beautiful, stately, heroic, serene and often at our service.
Horses have won shows, polo matches, races, and even wars. But they have also carried us on their backs, carted our baggage, pulled our carriages, pulled our plows, turned our mills, and herded our cattle.
Equestrian paintings and sculptures in all media can be found in museums and in valuable private collections. They depict horses ain all their roles, as do all the more available and affordable decorative arts, collectibles and jewelry that you can find in any antique shop.
Horse items are ideal crossover collectibles, appealing to a wide range of collectors, and fitting comfortable in any interior decor.
To learn more about the decorating and collecting possibilities of equestrian items, check out “Horse Antiques and Collectible” by Deborah Rashkin (Schiffer), and John Baskett’s beautifully illustrated “The Horse in Art” (Yale).
Appraisals: White horse head planter, ceramic, Lefton, $25-35; Cup and saucer, hunt scene, Copeland Spode, Staffordshire, 50; White Horse Scotch Whiskey advertising figure, plaster standing horse, $75, Horse head hitching post, cast iron, ca.1910, $500 plus;
Also: Jockey and racehorse ashtray, brass-colored metal, ca1935, Philadelphia Mfg. Co., $75; Horse head book ends, Syrocowood, ca.1940, $70; Horse portrait coasters, Lynn Bogue Hunt prints, milk glass & brass $35-40 each, sterling rims, $65-70 each.
And jewelry: Cufflinks, Swank, double horse heads with onyx, $75-100; Black enameled, horse head in with rhinestones, Trifari, Ca. 1930, $125; Celluloid hanger pin, girl w/horse, St. Louis World’s Fair, 1904, Whitehead & Hoag, $225, Triple horse head tie clip, mother-of-pearl, $145; Charm bracelet, eight charms of various equestrian items and poses, and, silvered metal, 1940s, $35.
Arthur Schwerdt, a certified appraiser, is the author of “The Antique Story Book: Finding the Real Value of Old Things,” and co-owner of the August Farmhouse Antiques on route 9 in Swainton. Send your comments, questions and appraisal requests to aschwerdt@cmcherald.com.