Q: I have a large jug with a sort of shiny lustre-finish. It is about 10 inches high, and has a pattern of various colours on a deep blue background. On the base it has a picture of a castle and the name Maling. Do you think it has any value?

Mr H

Maling was a Newcastle-on-Tyne firm in business from the mid-Victorian period until it closed in 1963. Its lustre wares are collected and values can vary from about £40 to as much as £400 for larger, rarer pieces. The jug you describe has a post-1900 mark, probably from the 1920s. Value is likely to be about £100, unless it is part of its Delphinium range (you don't describe the pattern) which had a cobalt blue background. These pieces are more sought-after and mostly fetch higher prices, normally £250-plus.