Article: Garniture lights mantel in timely way; 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. Pez candy dispenser: white lamb's head, blue and pink accents, pink stem, 5 inches: $25. Lunchbox: "Bless Our Happy Home," vinyl, Hallmark, dated 1973: $65. Beatles wallet: vinyl, Day-Glo pink, autographed, copyright Ramat & Co., London, 1964: $85. Green River advertising sign: "Whiskey Without Regrets," cardboard, 1935, 25 by 19 inches: $110. Mettlach stein: No. 1527, cavaliers drinking at table, pewter lid shows woman and shield, 1 liter: $550. Federal game table: inlaid mahogany with curly maple, hinged top, circa 1805, 36 inches: $625. Kathe Kruse cloth doll: painted face and hair, dress, original underwear, 1930s, 16 inches: $700. Patchwork quilt: calico, circle with heart border, signed squares, 1850, 84 by 98 inches: $1,275. Herman Miller table: oak top, brushed chrome base, 1938, 181 2 by 24 inches, pair: $3,000.

A garniture is a decoration for the top of a fireplace mantel. Most antique garnitures are composed of a clock with two matching vases, candelabra or other pieces. Some sets have three or five vases and no clock.

The clock garniture was first used in 18th-century France to decorate the lower mantelpiece that had become fashionable. Early examples were made of gilded bronze, porcelain and marble.

By the 19th century, clock garnitures were widely used in England and the United States. By the early 1900s, when mantels had become larger and often included a top section, the garniture went out of style. The best garniture sets have clocks in metal cases with gilded bronze known as "ormolu." ...

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