Q: My brass ashtray is marked “Frecourt.” It has a small enclosed glass container with a lid. How old is it? Does it have any value?

A: It’s not an ashtray, it’s an inkwell. It was made by Maurice Frecourt, a French sculptor who was born in 1890. He became well known after his work was exhibited at the Salon des Artistes Français in Paris in 1920. His Art Deco bronze sculptures, bookends and desk sets have sold at auction for hundreds of dollars. Your bronze inkwell was probably part of a desk set. Frecourt’s desk sets included a letter opener, a seal, a tray for pen nibs, and an inkwell like yours. Value, about $200 to an inkwell collector.