The papier-mache the Victorians loved is scarce, and its perfect fit with English chintz has made it a favorite with modern collectors.
The basic laws of supply and demand have driven up the price for the antique article.
The ancient Chinese molded pulped paper or laminated sheets into pot lids and vessels, and later artisans in China and Japan used it, as well as wood, as a base for their exquisite lacquer furniture and accessories.
In Europe, the turning point for papier-mache came around 1770 when Henry Clay of Birmingham, England, developed a process for producing sturdy pasteboard that could withstand the heat of a kiln without warping.
Made from layers of paper, glue and flour smoothed into a mold, the panels when dried were planed, filed, drenched in water-resistant linseed oil and dried again in a kiln, then ``japanned,`` Europe`s answer to Oriental lacquer, and decorated.
Clay fashioned bread baskets, tea trays and a sedan chair for Queen Charlotte, George III`s wife. Later came hand-held fans, jewelry cabinets, music stands and fancy chair frames.
By the 18th Century, molded papier-mache simulating ornamental plasterwork, such as ceiling roses and wall brackets, was produced in Colonial Philadelphia.
Benjamin Franklin, who started 18 papermills, suggested to his wife their home would benefit from papier-mache ceiling ornaments, while George Washington imported architectural papier-mache to bedeck his Mt. Vernon home. It was not until the mid-1800s that japanned papier-mache was manufactured in the United States.
By 1830 at least 30 English firms were manufacturing papier-mache bedsteads, pianofortes, tea caddies, candlesticks, sandwich trays and boxes for everything from snuff to sewing gear.
Rococo chairs, fancy tilt-top tables and ornate picture frames graced England`s fashionable parlors.
The drawback of the medium was its fragility.
``Get it wet and that was it,`` said Charlotte Moss, owner of New York`s Charlotte Moss & Co. Objects that were not well-made, reinforced with wooden or wire frames, have not survived.
``Even though a great deal of papier-mache was produced, its perishability has made it scarce,`` Moss said. ``And then, when interest in English country style began to spread, pieces that did survive started to vanish from the market.``
One form particularly favored by today`s collectors is the tray table.
``Coffee tables as we know them were nonexistent in 19th Century houses;
so people built stands for trays,`` Moss said. ``They were quite common, but collectors would be lucky to find a good quality example today.``
Such a piece would cost a minimum of $5,000.
Decorative accessories, such as boxes and tea trays-perhaps the most frequently produced of all forms-are less expensive, but not necessarily easier to find. Boxes can cost anywhere from $50 to $500 or more, depending on period, condition, form and quality of the decoration.