The Daum glass factory of Nancy, France, is famous for its cameo glass, but that isn’t the only kind it made. When Jean Daum founded the factory in 1875, he made cut and enameled glass. His sons Auguste and Antonin started an art glass department in 1885, adapting to the art glass movement and art nouveau style of the time.

The company started making more ornate types of glass like cameo glass and pate-de-verre. These were very old techniques, but newly popular as they experienced a resurgence in the 19th century. Pate-de-verre was made in ancient Egypt. The term means “glass paste.” It is made by combining ground glass with an adhesive and molding this mixture into forms. It proved to be a good fit for the art nouveau period, when designs drew inspiration from the natural world, especially flowers and plants.

Glassworks like Daum made pate-de-verre pieces with three-dimensional flowers. They are often valuable today.

Q: Could you shed some light on a Mexican pottery pitcher that was given to me by my mother? The pitcher is 7 inches high, 5 inches wide and looks to be hand painted in bright colors with a large flower. There is a stamp on the bottom that looks like it says, “Made in Mexico.” It is in very good condition. It was given to my mother as a wedding gift back in 1951 from a transient gentleman that toured the states via train. When he was passing through town, he would stop at the luncheonette where she worked. I would be interested to know, if possible, the history and approximate value of the piece.

A: Your pitcher is a piece of Mexican folk pottery, which was popular in the mid-20th century. By the 20th century, Mexican folk potters combined traditional techniques practiced for hundreds of years with modern patterns to create pottery for export and the tourist trade. A 1940 exhibit at the Museum of Modern Art in New York helped promote Mexican pottery in the U.S. Mexican folk pottery is generally characterized by bright colors, traditional shapes and the use of stylized nature motifs or cultural symbols. There are several regional variations, such as Talavera, a type of majolica made in the Puebla region and influenced by Spanish ceramics; or Tonalan pottery, a burnished pottery from the town in Tonala in western Mexico that often has flower motifs. Small pieces like your pitcher or similarly sized vases or figures usually sell for about $50. Like most types of pottery, they are worth more if you can identify a maker.

Q: I have a collection of Beanie Baby bears that would like a new home. How can I find them a good one?

A: The resale market for Beanie Babies has been ongoing since the fad exploded in the 1990s. It is still active, although prices are not as high as they were during the original craze. Social media websites like Facebook Marketplace or Craigslist can help you find Beanie Babies collector clubs that may be interested in your bears. They may also sell at estate sales or toy auctions. Websites like eBay and Etsy are also popular places to sell; but if you use them, remember that asking prices are not the same as sold prices. You will see Beanie Babies listed for thousands of dollars on these sites, but that is what the seller is asking, not necessarily what buyers are paying. To see more accurate values on eBay, check “Sold Items” under Advanced Search. There are also several websites specifically for Beanie Baby collectors, like tycollector.com and beaniebabiespriceguide.com, that can help you find the value of your bears. Of course, if you are looking to donate your Beanie Babies and they are in excellent condition, you should contact local charity groups or local hospital.

Q: While cleaning out the house that had been in the family over a century, I found what I’d describe as a tapestry. It has what looks like a party scene with people in 18th-century clothes. It’s roughly 39 x 76 inches and is stamped “Made in France” on the back. Can you tell me anything about it including what it might be worth?

A: Labels with “Made in” and the country name were usually used on goods imported to the U.S. after about 1915. France has a very long history of tapestry making, dating back to medieval times. Tapestries experienced a resurgence in Europe in the twentieth century, largely influenced first by the Arts & Crafts movement, then by modern art. Copies of older designs were made by machine. We believe your tapestry is one of the machine-made copies. Tapestries like these usually sell for about $50 to $100.

TIP: If you like vases of fresh flowers, buy custom-cut pieces of glass to protect wooden table and chest tops from water stains.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Terry Kovel and Kim Kovel answer 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.