“Say It With Flowers!” No wonder it’s one of the most successful advertising slogans ever. It works for nearly any occasion and is especially appropriate for Mother’s Day. In fact, the slogan was created for the Society of American Florist’s 1918 Mother’s Day campaign, but flowers were already an important part of the holiday.

Anna Jarvis held what is considered the first Mother’s Day observance in 1908. It was on the second Sunday in May, the day her mother, teacher and activist Ann Reeves Jarvis had died in 1905. Ann Reeves Jarvis promoted public health throughout her life and encouraged mothers in her community to get involved in social issues. The 1908 memorial was held at the church in Grafton, West Virginia, where she had taught Sunday school. Anna Jarvis had white carnations, her mother’s favorite flower, distributed to the congregation.

Florists quickly caught on and were advertising for Mother’s Day by 1911, before the day was officially a national holiday. Anna Jarvis would later campaign against the holiday she started, believing it had become too commercial. She would not approve of advertising displays like this one, which sold for $270 at Morphy Auctions.

Q: I have a picture of what I understand is an actual scene of a Chinese city. There are buildings along a canal. The artwork is 16 x 20 inches within a frame, which is 31 1/2 x 36 inches. The item is a hand embroidery of pure silk created in 2008 or 2009 by Dong Xi Wenhua. Can you provide any information on this medium of work, the artist, and what the artwork may be worth?

A: You probably have a piece of Suzhou embroidery, also called Su embroidery or Su Xiu. It is one of four major traditional styles of Chinese embroidery, all named after the regions where they originate. Suzhou is a major city in the Jiangsu province on the eastern coast of China. It is known for its gardens and canals; it may be the city depicted in your textile. Suzhou embroidery has been practiced for over 2,000 years and is known for its use of silk thread and images of animals, nature environments, and scenic pictures. Suzhou embroidery can also copy pre-existing paintings and artworks. It is increasingly popular to embroider copies of photographs and Western paintings. The Su Embroidery Studio was established in Suzhou in 2004, and its artists embroider and sell traditional patterns, copies of famous paintings, and custom designs. It is likely that your textile was made there. A modern Suzhou embroidery like yours has a resale of about $50. Antique pieces from the 19th century can be worth thousands of dollars.

Q: I think I have a salesman’s sample of a dumbwaiter. It is 9 1/2 inches tall with a 4 1/2-inch base. The shelves and base are metal. It has a round hole in the bottom so food can be lowered to the basement. We hope you can help us with more information, including where we could sell it and its approximate value.

A: A dumbwaiter raises and lowers a set of shelves or a platform, usually enclosed in a cabinet, to move items like food and dishes from one floor of a building to another. The first patent for a mechanical dumbwaiter was filed in 1887. They were used in commercial buildings, restaurants, and the homes of wealthy families and were phased out with the introduction of the electric motor in the 1920s.

This time period, the late 19th to early 20th centuries, was also the heyday of salesman samples. It’s likely that your dumbwaiter dates to that period, although we haven’t been able to match it to a maker or specific model. For another possibility, it may have been made for a dollhouse. It is difficult to tell the difference between dollhouse furniture and salesman’s samples if the maker isn’t known. The best clues are usually the size and the quality of the piece. Salesman samples are usually about 1:6 to 1:8 scale and are also often made with higher quality materials and construction than doll furniture. Both salesman samples and dollhouse furniture are sold at general antiques auctions, and shops. The value of your dumbwaiter is probably about $100.

A word about terminology: In the world of antique furniture, “dumbwaiter” (also spelled “dumb waiter”) can also mean a type of tiered table or stand. Party guests could help themselves off the tiers, so waiters did not need to bring them food and drinks. Don’t confuse either type of dumbwaiter with a “silent butler,” usually a metal container with a handle and a hinged cover that was used to empty ashtrays or collect table crumbs.

TIP: Put fresh flowers in view when you’re away for a short period of time. Fresh flowers indicate owners aren’t away for long.

Kovels answers readers’ questions sent to the column. Send a letter with one question describing the size, material (glass, pottery) and what you know about the item. Include only two pictures, the object and a closeup of any marks or damage. Be sure your name and return address are included. By sending a question, you give full permission for use in any Kovel product. Names, addresses or email addresses will not be published. We do not guarantee the return of photographs, but if a stamped envelope is included, we will try. Questions that are answered will appear in Kovels Publications. Write to Kovels, (Name of this newspaper), King Features Syndicate, 628 Virginia Dr., Orlando, FL 32803 or email us at collectorsgallery@kovels.com.

CURRENT PRICES

Current prices are recorded from antiques shows, flea markets, sales and auctions throughout the United States. Prices vary in different locations because of local economic conditions.

Sports, baseball, pendant, commemorative, N.Y. Yankees, lettering around border, Mother’s Day, goldtone, May 14, 1967, Balfour, New York, 2 1/2 x 3/4 inches, $50.

Furniture, table, typewriter, Toledo Metal Furniture Company, wood case, roll top, metal stand, stretcher base, on casters, label, 1910s, 40 x 24 inches, $125.

Jewelry, pin, bar, pierced, four seed pearls alternating with three green enamel leaves, 14K gold, Henry Blank & Co., art nouveau, 1 1/4 inches, $180.

Rosenthal, coffee set, Flash On, coffeepot, lid, warming stand, sugar and creamer, multicolor zigzags, Dorothy Hafner, 1980s, coffeepot 9 inches, four pieces, $190.

Schneider, vase, shaded light purple to cobalt blue, etched and frosted stylized flowers, signed, Charder, 8 1/2 inches, $345.

Purse, crocodile leather, black, shaped front flap, goldtone hardware, Gucci, 7 x 12 inches, $435.

Silver-American, centerpiece, Francis 1 pattern, oval, scalloped rim, scrolled trim, panels, leafy branches, fruits, Reed & Barton, 15 x 12 inches, $495.

Furniture, rocker, art deco, iron, painted black, slat back and seat, hoop arms, 31 1/2 inches, $640.

Gameboard, checkers and Parcheesi, folk art, painted, red and green, applied molded edge, black, 1800s, 17 x 17 inches, $685.

Clock, Gilbert Rhode, model 4706, round, chrome plated steel, aluminum, black center spot, dot indices, rectangular base, Herman Miller, 6 1/2 x 6 inches, $1,265.