Vintage Italian majolica water pitcher in excellent condition. Molded surface features squash blossoms, acorns, and foliage in shades of blue, green and pink. Measures 7.5 inches high and 9 inches handle to spout.

English brass push-up candlestick circa 1740. Soft rose brass color, excellent condition. Measures 7 inches tall with a 4 inch square base. Please see "The Brass Book" by Peter, Nancy and Herbert Schiffer, publ. 1978, page 182A, for a near identical example.

19th century majolica crowing rooster vase. Probably Portugese. Richly detailed and glazed, excellent condition, heavy. Measures 11" high x 9" wide x 8" long.

Antique French Art Nouveau majolica ewer, or pitcher, circa 1890. Made by Frie Onnaing in the Jacinthes pattern. Primarily olive, aubergine, aqua blue, and mustard with rose pink interior. Featured on The Majolica International Society website and in Pichets en Barbotine by Maryse Bottero. Measures 7.5" wide x 1.25" wide spout to handle. Excellent condition, one tiny flake at base corner.

18th to early 19th century pounce pot, or sander, in ebony and bone, excellent original condition. No cracks or repairs. Measures 3 inches high by 2.75 inches wide. Pounce pots are small containers with perforations at the top that were used to store pounce, a fine powder made from crushed bones, pumice, gum sandarac resin, sandstone, or talc. Pounce was sprinkled on parchment or ink to help it dry and to prepare paper for writing. Pounce pots are also known as sanders. The pounce was gently sprinkled all over the writing on the paper. When using a quill or a steel nib, and with inks that are made up to match those typically in use during the 18th and 19th centuries, and provided the pen has been used with the fine strokes typical of handwriting of that period, the handwriting will be sufficiently dry within 10 seconds to allow the paper to be folded without blotting. Gently vibrating the paper while the pounce or sand is on it ensures that little or no pounce or sand sticks to the handwriting and excess sand or pounce is shaken off before folding the paper.