For many of us, receiving paper valentines may be the stuff of school days — a piece of the past. The tradition goes back much further, of course, and wasn’t always just for kids. The first commercial valentines in America were made by Esther Howland in Massachusetts in 1850. They were made with paper lace and featured written verses. Before then, people exchanged homemade valentines. Surviving examples are collected as folk art today.

The one shown here, preserved in a frame with fabric backing, dates to the mid-1800s and sold at Jeffrey S. Evans & Associates for $279. It is an example of scherenschnitte (literally “scissor cuts”), a paper-cutting art that originated in Germany and was later brought to America. It was especially popular among the Pennsylvania Dutch. It features hearts, tulips, and birds known as distelfinks (a name for European goldfinches that means “thistle-finch”), all of which were favorite motifs. Scherenschnitte could be made for any festive occasion, or simply as artwork. We know this one must have been a Valentine because it is inscribed with a verse commemorating “the fourteenth day of February.”

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Q: I have a small vase from my grandmother. It is brown with flowers and reads “Louwelsa Weller” on the bottom, but I have never seen one like it. Can you tell me about it and an average resale value, please?

A: In the early 20th century, Weller Pottery was the largest art pottery in the world. Its pieces are still popular among art pottery collectors. Weller opened in 1872 in Fultonham, Ohio, moved to Zanesville, Ohio, in 1882 and began making artware in 1893. It closed in 1948. Louwelsa, introduced in 1896, was one of its first art pottery lines. It has a glossy glaze over a shaded background. Flowers are a common decoration, but some Louwelsa pieces are decorated with portraits or pictures of animals or fruit. The style of the mark can help you estimate the age of your vase. The earliest Weller marks look handwritten. A stamped mark with the name of the pottery line (in your case, Louwelsa) in a half circle over the word “Weller” was used from about 1896 to 1910. A full circle mark was used after 1910. Small Weller Louwelsa vases generally sell for about $50 to $100. Yours may sell for more if it is an especially rare shape or if it has an artist’s signature.

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Q: I am curious about the bronze sculpture my father purchased from an estate sale around 1950. He converted the sculpture into a lamp. The sculpture shows a woman in a draped gown with one hand raised and the other arm outstretched. It is 27 inches high and weighs 26 pounds. I did not find any markings or signatures. Where was it made, when was it made, who was the artist and is there any value?

A: Bronze sculptures like yours were a common decoration in the late nineteenth to early twentieth centuries. They were often made in the art nouveau style of the time. The most famous were made in France, but some were made in other European countries and the U.S. as well. They were often copies of sculptures by famous artists. Many were made into lamp bases, like yours. Unmarked bronze sculptures or lamp bases usually sell for about $200. We have not been able to identify its maker, but a book like “The Encyclopedia of Bronzes, Sculptors & Founders” by Harold Berman may help. A library or museum in your area may have a copy.

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Q: I would like more information on a Harker semi-porcelain pitcher that I inherited. It has a bird pattern and a bow and arrow mark.

A: Harker Pottery Company was incorporated in East Liverpool, Ohio, in 1890. Initially, the pottery made brown glazed pottery and yellowware using local clay. They were making semi-porcelain by about 1890, which is also when they started using the bow and arrow mark. The mark included the word “Semiporcelain” until about 1920. Harker stopped production in 1972. The company made many popular dinnerware patterns. For more information, look for the book The Collector’s Guide to Harker Pottery: Identification and Values by Neva Colbert (Collector Books, Paducah Kentucky, 1993).

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Tip: on framing paper documents and prints: No glue, transparent tape, or rubber cement. No scissors — don’t trim anything. No pencils or pens, and don’t try to rewrite an autograph. No staples or clips. No extremes of temperature or humidity. No direct sunlight — it fades the ink.