St. Louis blown glass paperweight, blue and green Cruciform Millefiori
These days most of us work in climate-controlled offices, spaces with windows that were designed NOT to open, so it’s likely that there aren’t drafts rifling through the papers on our desks. This is a shame, because as a result, paperweights like the one pictured here have sort of become passé, and they’re just so pretty! And they’re pretty affordable, too, although the record price for a paperweight, sold by Sotheby’s, is over $250,000!
As far as antique paperweights go, while beautiful ones were made by some American makers, the gold standard is set by three French companies: St. Louis, Clichy and Baccarat. Two of the most popular types are millefiori (cross sections of thin multi-colored canes creating a “thousand flowers” look) and lampwork (animals, flowers or other small objects made of bits of colored glass and “suspended” in the center of a glass globe). Other forms are sulfides (small ceramic figures contained in a glass globe), swirls (multi-colored glass twists pinwheeling from a central millefiori flower) and paint-decorated. These beautiful objects, whether they’re newer collectibles or 19th century antiques, make dazzling, colorful displays. And, if you’re still able, you can open up your window and let in a breeze without fear!
-Hollie Davis, Senior Editor, p4A.com
