“Lacy glass Sandwich salt” would confuse most novices.

It is called “Sandwich” not for the meal made with two pieces of bread, but rather for the Boston and Sandwich glassworks in Sandwich, Mass. Glass was made there from 1825 to 1888.

Deming Jarves, founder of the company, invented a way to make a stippled pressed glass with intricate patterns that resembled lace. That famous type of glass was given the name “lacy.” A salt is an open dish that holds table salt. A small spoon was put in the salt dish so a guest could sprinkle salt on food. Lacy Sandwich salt dishes came in many patterns and have been collected for many years.

Today, they are hard to find and are expensive. Most were made of clear glass, so the colored pieces are the most expensive. Emerald green, cobalt blue and lighter shades can be found. They are true collectors’ items and sell for thousands of dollars.

Q: I bought an antique shelf clock in the early 1980s. There is a label in it that reads “Made and sold by Clarke, Gilbert & Co., Winchester, Conn.” The wooden case is plain. The top half holds the clock face, which has black Roman numerals and a floral border. The bottom half is a reverse-painting on glass of a river, with a tree in the foreground and a mansion in the background.

A: Your shelf clock with two front sections is called a “double-decker.” Clarke, Gilbert & Co. was in business from about 1800 to 1850. Many New England clockmakers made similar clocks. In general, clocks like yours sell for $300 or more.

Q: My daughter was given a very large and very old pottery teapot. It’s glazed dark brown all over, but it’s decorated with raised flowers and flower baskets in pink, green and blue. There’s a white plaque on the neck with a name printed in blue.

A: There are several names for the type of teapot given to your daughter. They were made in England near the end of the 19th century. The teapots were sold to boaters in Measham, England, or were given to them as gifts to be used on the narrow barges that operated on English canals. That’s why the pots go by various names — barge or bargee teapots, narrow-boat teapots or Measham teapots. Their design is distinctive, with brown glaze and floral decorations exactly as you describe them. Many have finials that look like tiny teapots. Measham ware also includes tobacco jars and jugs.

Q: My cast-iron still bank is shaped like a building with a mansard roof. A spread-winged eagle sits on a ball on top of the building, which has a chimney on each side. Embossed above the front door is the name “F. Marshall.” The bank is painted light gray with gold trim. The eagle and ball are also painted gold. What can you tell me?

This rare Lacy-period Sandwich glass open salt dish, 3 inches long, is in the basket of flowers pattern. Because it is in an unlisted emerald-green color, it sold at Green Valley Auction in Mt. Crawford, Va., for 0,450.

A: The design of your bank is well known among collectors. It’s called “Eagle with Ball, Building” and was first made at an unknown American foundry decades ago. But originals are dark brown with copper-colored eagle and trim, and they have the word “Bank”embossed above the door. Sometimes foundries did take special orders and changed the word embossed on a bank. So, you might have an old bank that has been repainted — which lowers its value considerably — or you might have a reproduction. You can learn more if you compare the details on yours with an original. A genuine old bank in excellent condition and with original paint can sell for $2,000 or more.

Q: I just spent hundreds of dollars to have my antique copper and brass cleaned and polished. A local business can put a finish on them to keep the metals from dulling, but most of my pieces have old lead soldering that might be destroyed by this finish. Is there any other way to keep my antique copper and brass items shiny and bright?

A: Now that your copper and brass antiques have been cleaned and polished, you might want a professional to apply a coat of protective lacquer on them. Lacquer will not harm lead solder.

Q: I have a crib quilt that my mother made from red, white and blue squares. The white squares have printed colored pictures of nursery rhyme characters. I think she told me she made it from Martha White flour sacks. Could that be right?

A: You might be remembering the name Martha correctly, but not the flour sacks. Your mother might have made the quilt from a pattern kit produced by Aunt Martha Studios of Kansas City, Mo. That company made crib-quilt kits during the 1930s. Housewives did make quilts from feed sacks during the Depression and earlier. In fact, feed companies used sacks made from pretty fabrics for that very reason.

Tip

To remove the odor in a closed chest or trunk, try spreading cat litter on the inside. Close the drawer or lid for several days. Repeat until the odor seems to be gone. Then wash the inside and let it dry.