Sofa encouraged private conversations

A "tete-a-tete" is a private conversation between two people. The word is French and means "head to head" or "private conversation."

In the late 1800s, furniture designers created a sofa by that name. Two seats were joined together in an S-shape so the seated people faced each other. The pair could lean a bit and have a confidential conversation. Later a third seat was added to make a round tete-a-tete sofa for three people. It was often placed in the center of a large room, perhaps a hotel lobby. Upholstery was as extravagant as possible, with tufting and fringe.

Modern versions of these sofas are made today with simple fabrics in modern, often abstract, patterns.

In February the Carlsen Gallery in Freehold, N.Y., sold a three-person tete-a-tete for $1,035.

Q: I have an 8-inch vase marked "Rosemeade." Is it old?

A: Rosemeade Pottery was in business in Wahpeton, N.D., from 1940 to 1961. It was owned by Laura A. Taylor and her husband, R.I. Hughes. Art pottery and commercial wares were made. The company was also known as the Wahpeton Pottery Co.

Rosemeade vases usually sell for under $100.

Q: My Waterbury calendar clock has white marks on the paper face. It looks like Wite-Out, but I believe it might be caused by a solvent used to clean the clock. What can I do about the white spots? The clock dial is enclosed in an eight-sided case with a short drop for the pendulum. Can you tell me when this clock was made?

A: Paper clock dials should not be cleaned because the result usually is worse than the original problem. You can buy a reproduction dial for your clock by searching on the Internet or trying some of the sources listed in the directory on our Web site, Kovels.com.

Waterbury Clock Co. was founded in Waterbury, Conn., in 1857. Waterbury "drop octagon" (also called "schoolhouse") calendar clocks were popular from about 1880 until the 1920s. Waterbury bought Ingersoll in 1922 and became Ingersoll-Waterbury Co., so your clock was made sometime before 1922.

Drop octagon calendar clocks were offered in the Waterbury 1893 catalog for $5 to $7. Value today for a clock with a perfect dial is about $400.

Q: I would like to know if Avon products are still collectible. I have an Avon bottle shaped like a golf cart carrying two sets of golf bags and clubs. It still contains Wild Country After Shave and is in its original box. Is it worth anything?

A: Avon made the golf cart container for Wild Country After Shave in 1972 and 1973. The containers usually sell for $10 to $15.

Tip: Rearrange lamps, figurines, vases and other knickknacks on tabletops. If you don't, the exposed wood will be lighter than the covered sections under the ornaments.

Terry Kovel's column is syndicated by King Features. Write to: Kovels, (Las Vegas Review-Journal), King Features Syndicate, 300 W. 57th St., New York, NY 10019.