Sarna Brass

Q: I’m looking for information on a vase, or what my mother thinks is an old spittoon. “Sarna Brass” is written on the bottom. I haven’t been able to find a single bit of information about this company.

A: “Sarna Brass” is a trademark owned by S.S. Sarna Inc. of Manhasset, N.Y. The business was started by Sajan Singh Sarna in 1920. Sarna was born in Rawalpindi in British India (now part of Pakistan). He came to the western United States to go to college and study dairy manufacturing. He found that people were interested in buying handcrafts from India, so he started an import business in about 1920. Brass, textiles and other items were among the products he sold. In 1933, with the Depression in full swing, he moved to New York and began selling goods imported from Japan. In 1938, after having a dream about a bell, he went to Indonesia to buy bells, which he sold to department stores in the United States. The bells, each with a “story” tag attached, were popular during the 1960s. His company became known as the Bells of Sarna. S.S. Sarna died in the 1970s. The company is now called S.S. Sarna Inc. and sells a variety of gift items. The value of your vase or spittoon is about $50 to $75.