This Federal mahogany and bird's-eye maple work table was made in Boston about 1800. In a home today, it would probably not hold sewing, but would be a useful table. It sold this year for 9,200 at Sotheby's New York.

Small tables are selling quickly at the antiques shows. There are so many ways to use them. Clever buyers sometimes think of new uses for old tables. A sewing or work table was a household need in the 18th and 19th centuries because wives spent so much time doing needlework and wanted the fabric and tools nearby. The table was often a fine piece of furniture suitable for the main sitting room. Now it probably doesn’t hold sewing. A bedside stand was needed in the days before indoor plumbing to hold a bowl, pitcher and toiletries. Today the stand is more likely to hold a lamp or stacks of books. A tavern table was made to serve food and beverages in the tavern to a small group, often just one or two. Today an 18th- or early 19th-century tavern table probably will be used in an informal living room near the sofa. It makes the perfect lamp table. The table remains the same; it is just the needs of a modern home that have changed its use.

Q: I have a large antique Staffordshire platter my grandparents brought from England. It’s the typical blue and white, with a leafy border and a central scene showing a group of fishermen near a river. The mark on the back reads, “Vintage, J. & G. Alcock, Cobridge.” When was it made?

A: Your platter was made by John & George Alcock at the Elder Pottery in Cobridge, Staffordshire, England. The company was in business from only 1839 to 1846, so your platter was made more than 150 years ago.

Q: I have my grandmother’s small tooled leather purse. When were they in style? I want to know how old it is.

A: Tooled leather purses came into style with the Arts and Crafts designs of the early 1900s. Although they look handmade because of the leather lacing used on the edges and the laced or braided handles, most were made by commercial companies in Ohio, Missouri, Kansas and other nearby states. The purses are small compared with today’s fashions – from 5 by 7 inches to 7 by 9 inches. Each purse has a tooled design in the Art Nouveau or Arts and Crafts style. The design could be made by hand or by a pressing machine. Sometimes color – black, brown, dark green or red – was added to the tooled leather design.

Few are labeled with the name of the maker, although Meeker, Reedcraft, Bosca, Cameo and Best Made are all names of important makers. Makers’ names usually are impressed on the leather inside. Collectors also can estimate the age of vintage purses by the patent date stamped on the frame of some purses marked “Jemco.”

Some early purses have “turn locks.” A large ornamental tab is turned one way to open, another to lock the frame shut. Inside each purse there should be a leather-covered mirror and a leather coin purse. Collectors pay extra for handmade marked purses made by the Roycroft community, the famous collective started by Elbert Hubbard that is known today for its furniture and metalwork.

Q: I have a large copper pitcher and a dozen copper mugs that I’m told are called Moscow Mule cups. What were they used for?

A: Smirnoff vodka promoted a new drink in the 1940s made from Cock’n Bull ginger beer and vodka with a wedge of lime. The Russian-vodka taste was masked, but the drink had an unexpected kick, so it was called a Moscow Mule. It was served in a very cold copper mug with a kicking mule pictured on the side. Suddenly there were Moscow Mule parties, and everyone seemed to be buying the special ingredients and serving sets like yours. The craze vanished in the 1960s. You can still order a Moscow Mule at some bars, but it is not fashionable. Mugs and ginger beer can still be found in stores. A new Moscow Mule mug with the old logo sells for $10 to $40. A vintage mug sells for about the same.

Q: I own a Winsted spool cabinet with 30 drawers. What is it worth?

A: Winsted Silk Co. and its Potter’s Silk brand of thread are not as famous as Clark’s O.N.T. (Our New Thread) brand. But Winsted spool cabinets of all sizes and styles sell for good prices if they’re in good condition. Spool cabinets originally were used in general stores to store spools for sale. Some have glass doors or drawer fronts so the colors of the thread can be seen. Winsted Silk Co. was in business about 1900. The company probably was founded in Winsted, Conn., but later operated in Chicago.

Tip: To clean alabaster, first dust with a soft brush. Then wipe with turpentine or dry-cleaning fluid. Do not use water. Alabaster dissolves in water. Some people like to polish with paste furniture wax, but the wax eventually will yellow slightly.

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