Stoves and central heating, 20th-century luxuries, changed how a family spent their waking hours, the way furniture was arranged in a room and even what types of furniture were popular. Upholstered chairs with tall backs and large, padded arms were popular in past centuries because they kept off drafts of cold air. If the fireplace was the main source of heat in a room, people sat as close to the fire as possible. This meant there had to be some type of screen or hearth rug that kept hot coals from burning the carpet or floor. The pole screen – a small, flat, traylike piece attached to a pole – was placed next to a chair. The screen could be moved up and down the pole to shield a person’s exposed skin from the intense heat. Screens were decorated with embroidery, banners, lacquer, straw-work, cut paper or paint. A different type of fire screen, called a cheval or horse screen, was a wide screen attached to two legs. It was kept in front of the empty fireplace to hide ashes or the empty grate. Fire screens have been used for centuries, and modern examples are still made.

Q: We have a minipiano built in the 1930s. It’s not a toy, but it has only 73 keys (instead of 88) and is only 3 feet high. Several marks are stamped in gold above the keys. One reads, “Eavestaff Pianette, sole Mfrs. in U.S., Hardman, Peck & Co., New York.” Above that are two crowns and the phrases, “As used by HRH Princess Ingrid of Sweden” and “As used by HRH Princess Elizabeth and Princess Margaret Rose of York.” Before we give the piano away, we would like to know its value.

This is a cheval screen used to hide an unused fireplace. It is walnut with a needlework screen. The 41-inch-high screen sold last year for 60 at a James Julia auction in Fairfield, Maine.

Eavestaff, a piano brand that dates back to 1823, introduced its minipianos in 1934. The pianettes, as some models were called, were mass-produced and marketed heavily. The company thought people who lived in apartments or small houses were more likely to buy a piano if it didn’t take up a lot of living space. The “royal” connection must have helped sales, especially in England. Hardman, Peck & Co. owned a license to manufacture Eavestaff minipianos in the United States in the 1950s and ’60s. Most pianists do not care for the musical quality of Eavestaff minipianos, so unless yours is in mint condition and in tune or has an interesting cabinet style or color, it is not exceptionally valuable.

Q: I picked up a glass-and-silver carafe and warmer for $10 at a rummage sale. I would like to know how old it is and how much it’s worth. It’s 13 inches tall, including the candleholder base. The mark on the bottom reads “F.B. Rogers, E.P. Brass, Lead and Zinc Mt., U.S.A.”

A: You paid a fair price for your silver-plated carafe and warmer. F.B. Rogers Silver Co. was founded in 1883 in Shelburne Falls, Mass., but incorporated in Taunton, Mass., in 1886. The company became a division of National Silver Co. in 1955. Your carafe probably dates from the 1940s. “E.P. Brass” stands for “electroplated brass.” The mounting (the “Mt.” in the mark) is lead and zinc.

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