Orient & Flume was started in 1972 in Chico, California by Douglas Boyd and David Hopper.  It studio took its name from its initial location which was at the corner of Orient & Flume.  Their early weights adopted a style that has become known as the California style of  iridescent paperweights with surface torchworked art nouveau motifs on the outside surface of the weight.  Later work involved interior lampworked designs such as the floral design found encased here.  Every Orient & Flume piece has a registration number which usually includes a date code.   

Large Size:  3 1/16" diameter by 2 3/4" high.  The bottom has been ground flat. 
Signature:    Signed on the base "Orient & Flume C42O1978".  
Condition:  Excellent condition.  No chips or cracks or scratches found on inspection.

For extra pictures, click on the picture at the right and the following links: 

Large picture
Closeup
Signature on base
Another view
Profile
Side view

For more paperweights by contemporary American paperweight makers, see my Contemporary American Paperweights Web Page.

Click on the picture to see a larger image.

Perthshire was a small company in Crieff, Scotland that was devoted to the creation of quality glass paperweights. They stopped production in January 2002 after more than 30 years of production. Their paperweights were consistently high in quality and yet remained reasonable in price.

The birth of Scottish paperweight making is credited to the glass making family of Salvador Ysart, who moved to Crieff, Scotland in 1922. They worked first at John Moncrieff Ltd and made the earliest Scottish paperweights during that period. In 1946 Salvadore and his sons Augustine and Vincent founded Ysart Brothers Glass and produced glass wares under the Vasart label. Salvador Ysart died in 1955 The company name was later changed to Vasart Glass. Stuart Drysdale was hired manage the business side of the enterprise in 1960. The company evolved into a new company Strathearn owned by Teachers Whiskey. In 1967 Drysdale was sent a magazine article on antique paperweights (Woman's Day, July 1965). The inspired him to try to produce weights comparable to the French antiques. With this goal in mind, he and several of the glass workers left Strathearn to found Perthshire in 1968.

Small Size:  Just over 2 1/4" diameter by 1 9/16" high.  The bottom is ground flat with a star-cut pattern.
Signature: Unsigned, but I guarantee this is a genuine Perthshire paperweight.   
Excellent Condition:  No scratches, chips, or cracks found on inspection other than some scratches on the base.

For extra pictures, click on the picture at the right and the following links: 

Large picture of the paperweight
Close-up view
Profile view
Star cut base

For more information about Perthshire Paperweights, see my Perthshire Web Page.

Click on the picture to see a larger image.

Modern Whitefriars paperweights are prized by collectors for their high quality glass and millefiori designs. The paperweights with mosaic canes are especially sought after.  The name Whitefriars Glass dates from sometime in the 1600s.  The original site had been occupied by a community of Carmelite monks known as White Friars, hence the name taken by the glass company.  Some sources state that at least a portion of the company operated under the name of James Powell and Sons from 1834 to 1962.  Other sources state that the Whitefriars name was used from 1680 to 1980.

Limited production of millefiori paperweights and other millefiori items started some time in the 1930s and first appeared in the 1938 catalog.  Millefiori items were made using English full lead crystal (33% lead oxide).  It is difficult to associate specific paperweights with this production.  After 1945, they made colored glass and bubble design paperweights until the modern millefiori production started about 1951.  Even then relatively few designs were produced until the 1970s.  In 1980, Whitefriars glass went out of business. After Whitefriars Glass was liquidated, Caithness Glass purchased the rights to the name and produced paperweights under the Whitefriars name for awhile.

For a long time, collectors believed that English paperweights and inkwells dated 1848 and similar undated items were made by Whitefriars.  The dates, however, are false dates and have been traced to production at Arculus and Walsh-Walsh in the 1920s and 1930s. Most paperweights referred to as old Whitefriars or antique Whitefriars were, in fact, made by other factories such as Richardson, Arculus, Walsh-Walsh,or one of the unidentified Old English factories.  When the maker can not be identified, it is best to call them Old English paperweights and not associate them with Whitefriars.

Very Large Size:  3 1/8" diameter by 2" high.  The base is ground concave. Faceted with one top facet and six side facets.  Numbered 62 on the base. 
Condition:  Outstanding condition.  No chips, cracks or scratches. 
Signature:  Signed in the design with a Whitefriars 1978 white monk signature / date cane and also has a Whitefriars paper label "WHITEFRIARS FULL LEAD CRYSTAL MADE IN ENGLAND".  

For extra pictures, click on the picture at the right and the following links:

Large picture of the paperweight
Closeup view
Profile view including label
Signature Cane
Bottom View with engraved 62
Another profile view
Side view

For more information about Whitefriars and other paperweights from England,see my English Paperweights Web Page.

Click on the picture to see a larger image.

Orient & Flume was started in 1972 in Chico, California by Douglas Boyd and David Hopper.  It studio took its name from its initial location which was at the corner of Orient & Flume.  Their early weights adopted a style that has become known as the California style of  iridescent paperweights with surface torchworked art nouveau motifs on the outside surface of the weight.  Later work involved interior lampworked designs such as the floral design found encased here.  Every Orient & Flume piece has a registration number which usually includes a date code.   

Evan Lee Hudin was a pre-med student in college.  He had many talents including glassworking.  He was also a skilled illustrator, photographer, and painter.  Lee started out in glass at Orient & Flume, but left after a short while in 1980 to partner with Scott Beyers in their own studio, Ophir Studios in Oroville, CA.  The studio was short-lived and was dissolved in 1984.  Both Hudin and Beyers went back to O&F in late 1981 or early 1982.  Lee left O&F a second time in the late 1980s (some sources say 1985, others say 1988) to start a small ceramics studio with his wife Cathryn.  He passed away in 2003.

Large Size:  Just under 3" diameter by just under 2 1/2" high.  The bottom has been ground flat with a concave center. 
Signature:    Signed on the base "Orient & Flume CV55A1983 L. Hudin".  It come with its original certificate.  
Condition:  Excellent condition.  No chips or cracks or scratches found on inspection.

For extra pictures, click on the picture at the right and the following links: 

Large picture
Closeup
Signature on base
Certificate
Profile
Side view

For more paperweights by contemporary American paperweight makers, see my Contemporary American Paperweights Web Page.

Click on the picture to see a larger image.

This design was produced only in 1989 in a limited edition of 200 paperweights.  This is number 49 in that series.  There is a signature cane "B 1989"shown in the pictures.  The bottom has the acid etched Baccarat logo plus it is engraved with the year (1989), the number (49) and the size of the series (200). 

Note:  What I describe as unusual construction above may in fact be a manufacturing flaw.  I have never noticed this technique before.  Because of this, I have set the price lower than it should be.

Baccarat was founded in 1776 in Alsace-Lorraine with the name of Verrerie de Sainte Anne.  The original location was near the town of Baccarat.  Today the firm is known as Compagnie des Cristalleries de Baccarat.  Most collectors refer to three periods of Baccarat paperweight production.

• 1845-1860 - Classic period
• 1920-1934 - Dupont period
• 1953-2002 - Modern period

In 1952, Paul Jokelson approached Baccarat with the idea of making sulphide paperweights again.  In 1953 Baccarat resumed paperweight production with a series of sulphide paperweights the first of which were the unsuccessful Eisenhower sulphide followed by the Queen Elizabeth coronation sulphide.  Millefiori paperweight production was resumed in 1957 and lampwork paperweights were re-introduced in the early 1970s.  Baccarat stopped making this type of fine glass paperweights in 2002.

Magnum Size:  3 1/4" diameter by just under 2 1/2" high.  Bottom is ground slightly concave. 
Condition: Very good condition.  I found one small area with several tiny surface abrasions or scratches (shown in the pictures).  There are also some scratches on the base.  No other cracks, chips or scratches found.  Please see the note above about the unusual construction - which may nor may not be a manufacturing flaw.
Signature:  The paperweight is signed in the design with a millefiori signature cane "B 1989" and also signed on the bottom with the Baccarat logo and etched "49/200 1989". 

For extra pictures, click on the picture at the right and the following links: 

Large picture of the paperweight
Close-up picture
Profile picture
Side view
Baccarat Logo and numbered edition on the base
Damage on side

For more information about Baccarat paperweights, see my Baccarat Paperweights Web Page.

Click on the picture to see a larger image.

Phoenix Paperweights was a small company started by William Manson Sr. to engage three workers from Perthshire after Perthshire closed in January 2002.  They only lasted a year and issued paperweights in 2002 and 2003 before closing in August 2003.  Phoenix operated in the Manson works in Perth, Scotland.  The glass workers were William Manson Sr., David McNichol (paperweight maker), Duncan Smith (lampworking), and Gordon Taylor (glass cutter).  Some of the lampwork was also done by Rosette Fleming.  The 2003 Phoenix catalog lists William Manson Paperweights as the distributor. 

Large Size: 2 7/8" diameter by just under 2" high. The base is ground flat. 
Condition:  Excellent condition with no scratches, chips or cracks. 
Signature:  Signed and numbered "PHOENIX 2003 25/75" on the base.  This paperweight comes with its original certificate and slightly worn box. 

For extra pictures, click on the picture at the right and the following links: 

Large picture of the paperweight
Close-up view
Profile view
Base with signature
Side view
Box and certificate
Paperweight with box and certificate

For more information about paperweights made by Scottish makers, see my Scottish Paperweights Web Page

Click on the picture to see a larger image.

Very Large Size:  Just under 3 1/4" diameter by 5 5/16" tall.
Condition:  It is in excellent condition for its age with only a few minor scratches.  Heavy wear on the base.   
Signature:  Unsigned, but I guarantee this is an antique English paperweight.  

For extra pictures, click on the picture at the right and the following links:

Large picture of the paperweight
Profile View
Another large picture
Picture of the bottom

$185 postage paid in the US.                                                 Added 9/14/2017.   

For more information about paperweights from England, see my English Paperweights Web Page.

Click on the picture to see a larger image.

Peter McDougall started his glass making career as an apprentice at Strathearn Glass in Crieff, Scotland back in the 1960s.  When Perthshire was formed in 1968, he left Strathearn to move to Perthshire and worked there in many positions, eventually becoming Manager and Chief Glassmaker.   Perthshire Paperweights closed early in 2002 after the death of the owner Neil Drysdale.  Peter McDougall then made high quality glass paperweights at his own glass studio, PMcD Glass Studio Ltd. in Crieff, Scotland from 2002 until early 2012.  The studio is now closed but Peter plans to continue to make a limited number of paperweights in the future.

Small Size:  2 1/8" diameter by just over 1 1/2" high.  The base is ground concave. 
Condition:  Outstanding condition with no scratches, chips or cracks. 
Signature:  It is signed on the bottom with a complex cane made from four separate letter canes forming the signature "PMcD".  The "c" in this signature cane is especially small.  This early paperweight does not have a paper label.

For extra pictures, click on the picture at the right and the following links: 

Large picture of the paperweight
Closeup
Profile view
Signature Cane on base
Side view

For more information about paperweights made by Peter McDougall, see my Peter McDougall Web Page .

Click on the picture to see a larger image.

Perthshire made this paperweight as one of their last limited edition designs.  This means the design was made only in 2000 and never again.  The original price of this paperweight in 2000 was $240.  

Perthshire was a small company in Crieff, Scotland that was devoted to the creation of quality glass paperweights. They stopped production in January 2002 after more than 30 years of production. Their paperweights were consistently high in quality and yet remained reasonable in price.

The birth of Scottish paperweight making is credited to the glass making family of Salvador Ysart, who moved to Crieff, Scotland in 1922. They worked first at John Moncrieff Ltd and made the earliest Scottish paperweights during that period. In 1946 Salvadore and his sons Augustine and Vincent founded Ysart Brothers Glass and produced glass wares under the Vasart label. Salvador Ysart died in 1955 The company name was later changed to Vasart Glass. Stuart Drysdale was hired manage the business side of the enterprise in 1960. The company evolved into a new company Strathearn owned by Teachers Whiskey. In 1967 Drysdale was sent a magazine article on antique paperweights (Woman's Day, July 1965). The inspired him to try to produce weights comparable to the French antiques. With this goal in mind, he and several of the glass workers left Strathearn to found Perthshire in 1968.

Medium Size:  Just over 2 7/16" diameter by just over 1 7/8" high.  The bottom is ground concave and has a grid cut.  The paperweight has a complex faceting with one top facet and 60 side facets. 
Signature: Signed on the base with an engraved "P".  The Perthshire paper label "PERTHSHIRE PAPERWEIGHTS CRIEFF SCOTLAND" has come off and will be sent along in the box.  It comes with a Perthshire box, but no certificate.   
Fair Condition:  This paperweight has been dropped on a hard surface and is damaged in several places.  Please examine the pictures carefully before bidding.  There are multiple chips to edge of the top facet plus additional damage to the body.  I have tried to show the worst of the damage in the pictures.  Even with the damage it displays beautifully.

For extra pictures, click on the picture at the right and the following links: 

Large picture of the paperweight
Close-up view
Profile view
Signature
Damage to top facet
Damage on side
Largest chip
Box
Box with paperweight
Grid cut base

For more information about Perthshire Paperweights, see my Perthshire Web Page.

Click on the picture to see a larger image.

Very Large Size:  Just over 3 5/8" diameter by 4 3/4" tall.  The bottom is partially finished.
Condition:  Has two 1/4” diameter circular impact marks plus another smaller faint one.  Otherwise in excellent condition. 
Signature:  Unsigned, but I guarantee this is an antique English paperweight.  

For extra pictures, click on the picture at the right and the following links:

Large picture of the paperweight
Top view
Profile View
Another large picture
Picture of the bottom
Impact marks

$165 postage paid in the US.                                                 Added 9/14/2017.   

For more information about paperweights from England, see my English Paperweights Web Page.

Click on the picture to see a larger image.

In 2006, John Deacons and Willie Manson collaborated to make three sets of 12 paperweight designs or 36 designs in all.  They were called the Strathearn Collection. Each design was a limited edition of 25 paperweights.  Each weight was signed with the signature cane of both artists.  This paperweight is designated S19 12/25, meaning it is the nineteenth design in the Strathearn Collection and is #12 of the limited edition of 25 paperweights. 

Please ignore the white areas, they are glare from the lights.

John Deacons learned his craft at Strathearn Glass in Crieff, Scotland in 1967. When Perthshire was formed in 1968, he left Strathearn to move to Perthshire and worked there for 10 years before leaving in 1978 to start his own glass studio. He has produced paperweights and other glass objects under a variety of labels, including J Glass, St. Kilda, and now under his own name. The St. Kilda line was produced from 1978 or 1979 through 1987.  You can read about John Deacons in the book by Hall - Scottish Paperweights.  Today John works with his son Craig at his own studio.

William Manson, Sr. started his glass working career at Caithness Glass at the age of 15 in the 1960s.  He apprenticed with Paul Ysart.  Manson left Caithness in 1971 to work at Ysart's Harland Glass and rejoined Caithness several years later in 1974.  He was at Caithness on and off between 1974 and 1997 when he left for good to form his own studio William Manson Paperweights.  His son William Manson, Jr. started making paperweights alongside his father starting in 1992.  For a brief period (2004-2006), William Manson, Sr. made collaborative paperweights with John Deacons. 

Large Size:  2 3/4" diameter by 1 11/16" high. The bottom is ground concave. 
Signature:  Signed with John Deacons' "JD 2006" signature cane and William Manson's "WM" signature cane.  The JD 2006 cane also has a green thistle between two green shamrocks just below the JD.  The paperweight is also marked "S19 12/25". 
Condition:  Excellent condition with no scratches, chips or cracks. 

For extra pictures, click on the picture at the right and the following links: 

Large picture of the paperweight
Close-up view
Profile view
Signature Canes on Bottom
Side view
Base

For more information about paperweights made by Scottish makers, see my Scottish Paperweights Web Page

Click on the picture to see a larger image.

This design was produced only in 1994 in a limited edition of 100 paperweights.  This is number 14 in that series.  There is a signature cane "B 1994 " shown in the pictures.  The bottom has the acid etched Baccarat logo plus it is engraved with the year (1994) and the number (14). 

Baccarat was founded in 1776 in Alsace-Lorraine with the name of Verrerie de Sainte Anne.  The original location was near the town of Baccarat.  Today the firm is known as Compagnie des Cristalleries de Baccarat.  Most collectors refer to three periods of Baccarat paperweight production.

• 1845-1860 - Classic period
• 1920-1934 - Dupont period
• 1953-2002 - Modern period

In 1952, Paul Jokelson approached Baccarat with the idea of making sulphide paperweights again.  In 1953 Baccarat resumed paperweight production with a series of sulphide paperweights the first of which were the unsuccessful Eisenhower sulphide followed by the Queen Elizabeth coronation sulphide.  Millefiori paperweight production was resumed in 1957 and lampwork paperweights were re-introduced in the early 1970s.  Baccarat stopped making this type of fine glass paperweights in 2002.

You can read more about the Baccarat paperweights in the new book Baccarat Paperweights - two centuries of beauty by Paul Dunlop or one of the older books on paperweights in general, such as The Encyclopedia of Glass Paperweights by Paul Hollister or World Paperweights by Robert Hall.

Very Large Size:  3 1/4" diameter by 2 1/4" high.    The opaque white base is ground flat.
Signature:  The paperweight is signed with Baccarat's complex signature cane "B 1994" placed near the end of the stem.  It also has an acid etched Baccarat mark on the base along with the the edition size (100) and edition number (14). 
Condition:   Excellent condition.  I found no damage except for scratches and wear on the base. 

For extra pictures, click on the picture at the right and the following links: 

Large picture of the paperweight
Close-up view
Profile view
Base
Signature on base
Signature cane "B 1994"
Side view

For more information about Baccarat paperweights, see my Baccarat Paperweights Web Page

Click on the picture to see a larger image.

Although many people collect scramble paperweights for their own merit, scrambles are also valuable tools for learning to identify the different colors and canes used by each factory. 

New England Glass Company (NEGC) operated in Cambridge, Massachusetts from 1818 to 1888.  You can read about paperweights from the New England Glass Company in the book by Hawley, The Art of the Paperweight  - The Boston & Sandwich and New England Glass Companies . 

Size:   Just under 2 3/8” diameter by 1 3/4” high.  The bottom is ground concave with remnants of the pontil mark. 
Signature:  This paperweight is not signed, but I guarantee it to be an authentic antique New England Glass Company paperweight. 
Condition:  Fair condition with no cracks or chips.  The surface has considerable wear as shown in the pictures and also a few pinpricks.   It is a good candidate for restoration or it can be enjoyed the way it is. 

For extra pictures, click on the picture at the right and the following links: 

Large picture of the paperweight
Close-up View
Profile View
Bottom View with Museum Markings

For more information about Antique Paperweights, see my Antique Paperweights Web Page.

Click on the picture to see a larger image.

Perthshire was a small company in Crieff, Scotland that was devoted to the creation of quality glass paperweights. They stopped production in January 2002 after more than 30 years of production. Their paperweights were consistently high in quality and yet remained reasonable in price.

The birth of Scottish paperweight making is credited to the glass making family of Salvador Ysart, who moved to Crieff, Scotland in 1922. They worked first at John Moncrieff Ltd and made the earliest Scottish paperweights during that period. In 1946 Salvadore and his sons Augustine and Vincent founded Ysart Brothers Glass and produced glass wares under the Vasart label. Salvador Ysart died in 1955 The company name was later changed to Vasart Glass. Stuart Drysdale was hired manage the business side of the enterprise in 1960. The company evolved into a new company Strathearn owned by Teachers Whiskey. In 1967 Drysdale was sent a magazine article on antique paperweights (Woman's Day, July 1965). The inspired him to try to produce weights comparable to the French antiques. With this goal in mind, he and several of the glass workers left Strathearn to found Perthshire in 1968.

Medium Size:  Just over 2 7/16" diameter by 1 13/16" high.  The paperweight is faceted with a large concave top facet and sixteen side facets.  A large V-groove star cut pattern or fan pattern covers the base. 
Signature:  Unsigned except for a poorly engraved "P1980" on the edge of the base that I suspect was added later.  However I have no doubt that it is a Perthshire paperweight and will guarantee the attribution.  It comes with a Perthshire box.     
Condition:  Excellent condition with no cracks, chips, or scratches other than the clumsy "P1980" engraving. 

For extra pictures, click on the picture at the right and the following links: 

Large picture of the paperweight
Close-up view
Profile view
Side view
Base
Engraving on edge of base

For more information about Perthshire Paperweights, see my Perthshire Web Page.

Click on the picture to see a larger image.

This paperweight was one of the special annual editions made in only in 2009.  It was designated Collection 2009 Mid Year #11. 

Peter McDougall started his glass making career as an apprentice at Strathearn Glass in Crieff, Scotland back in the 1960s.  When Perthshire was formed in 1968, he left Strathearn to move to Perthshire and worked there in many positions, eventually becoming Manager and Chief Glassmaker.   Perthshire Paperweights closed early in 2002 after the death of the owner Neil Drysdale.  Peter McDougall then made high quality glass paperweights at his own glass studio, PMcD Glass Studio Ltd. in Crieff, Scotland from 2002 until early 2012.  The studio is now closed but Peter plans to continue to make a limited number of paperweights in the future.

Small Size:  2 3/16" diameter by 1 1/2" high.  The base is ground concave.  
Condition:  Outstanding original condition with no scratches, chips or cracks. 
Signature:  Signed with a complex "PMcD 09" signature / date cane on the base.  It also has a paper label "PMcD Glass Studio LTD, Handmade in Crieff Scotland." 

For extra pictures, click on the picture at the right and the following links: 

Large picture of the paperweight
Close-up view
Profile view
Signature / date cane and label on bottom
Side view 

For more information about paperweights made by Peter McDougall, see my Peter McDougall Web Page .

Click on the picture to see a larger image.

Peter McDougall started his glass making career as an apprentice at Strathearn Glass in Crieff, Scotland back in the 1960s.  When Perthshire was formed in 1968, he left Strathearn to move to Perthshire and worked there in many positions, eventually becoming Manager and Chief Glassmaker.   Perthshire Paperweights closed early in 2002 after the death of the owner Neil Drysdale.  Peter McDougall then made high quality glass paperweights at his own glass studio, PMcD Glass Studio Ltd. in Crieff, Scotland from 2002 until early 2012.  The studio is now closed but Peter plans to continue to make a limited number of paperweights in the future.

Small Size:  This could be considered a miniature.  2" diameter by just under 1 1/2" high.  The base is ground concave. 
Condition:  Outstanding condition with no scratches, chips or cracks. 
Signature:  This paperweight is signed on the base with McDougall's "PMcD" complex signature cane made from four separate letter canes.  The signature cane is small and some people may have difficulty reading the signature on these weights.  It does not have a paper label.

For extra pictures, click on the picture at the right and the following links: 

Large picture of the paperweight
Close-up
Profile view
Signature Cane on base
Side view

For more information about paperweights made by Peter McDougall, see my Peter McDougall Web Page .

Click on the picture to see a larger image.

Peter McDougall started his glass making career as an apprentice at Strathearn Glass in Crieff, Scotland back in the 1960s.  When Perthshire was formed in 1968, he left Strathearn to move to Perthshire and worked there in many positions, eventually becoming Manager and Chief Glassmaker.   Perthshire Paperweights closed early in 2002 after the death of the owner Neil Drysdale.  Peter McDougall then made high quality glass paperweights at his own glass studio, PMcD Glass Studio Ltd. in Crieff, Scotland from 2002 until early 2012.  The studio is now closed but Peter plans to continue to make a limited number of paperweights in the future.

Medium Size:  Just under 2 3/8" diameter by just over 2 1/16" high. 
Condition:  Outstanding condition with no scratches, chips or cracks. 
Signature:  Signed on the base with a complex cane made from four separate letter canes forming the signature PMcD in the center of a cogged cane.  There is no paper label on this paperweight. 

For extra pictures, click on the picture at the right and the following links: 

Large picture of the paperweight
Closeup 
Top view
Base
Profile view
Signature cane on base

For more information about paperweights made by Peter McDougall, see my Peter McDougall Web Page

Click on the picture to see a larger image.

The birth of Scottish paperweight making is credited to the glass making family of Salvador Ysart, who moved to Crieff, Scotland in 1922.  They worked first at John Moncrieff Ltd and made the earliest Scottish paperweights during that period.  In 1946 Salvadore and his sons Augustine and Vincent founded Ysart Brothers Glass and produced glass wares under the Vasart label.  Salvador Ysart died in 1955  The company name was later changed to Vasart Glass.  Strathearn Glass was formed in a reorganization of Vasart glass in 1963. 

John Deacons learned his craft at Strathearn Glass in Crieff, Scotland in 1967. When Perthshire was formed in 1968, he left Strathearn to move to Perthshire and worked there for 10 years before leaving in 1978 to start his own glass studio. He has produced paperweights and other glass objects under a variety of labels, including J Glass, St. Kilda, and now under his own name. The St. Kilda line was produced from 1978 or 1979 through 1987.  You can read about John Deacons in the book by Hall - Scottish Paperweights.

Size:  Just under 2 1/2" diameter by 3 11/16" high with the stopper.  The bottle is just under 2 1/2" diameter by 2 3/8" high.  The stopper is just over 1 5/8" diameter by just under 2 1/8" long.  The base is ground concave. 
Condition:  Excellent condition with no scratches, chips or cracks. 
Signature:  Signed with the St. Kilda signature cane "StK" in the center of both the stopper and the bottle. 

For extra pictures, click on the picture at the right and the following links: 

Large picture of the paperweight
Another view
Profile view
Top view with St.K signature
Base
Inside the bottle
Another view

For more information about paperweights made by Scottish makers, see my Scottish Paperweights Web Page

Click on the picture to see a larger image.

Note:  As stated above, the paperweight is in good condition although with cracked canes both in the center and some cracked canes in the outer ring.  There is also wear on the exterior and minor fleabites on some of the facets.  More specifically,  the cracks in the running rabbit have traveled and at three of the canes in the inner ring are at least partially cracked.  Several canes in the outer ring are also cracked.    

New England Glass Company (NEGC) operated in Cambridge, Massachusetts from 1818 to 1888.  You can read about paperweights from the New England Glass Company in the book by Hawley, The Art of the Paperweight  - The Boston & Sandwich and New England Glass Companies. 

Large Size:  2 7/8” diameter by 2" high.  The bottom is ground concave. 
Signature:  This paperweight is not signed, but I guarantee it to be an authentic antique New England Glass Company paperweight. 
Condition:  Good condition with surface wear, small nicks, and scratches.  There is also one semi-circular impact mark on the side near the base.  The incompatibility cracks described elsewhere in this listing are manufacturing flaws, not post production damage.

For extra pictures, click on the picture at the right and the following links: 

Large picture of the paperweight
Close-up View
Profile View
Base View
Side View
Surface showing wear

For more information about antique paperweights, see my Antique Paperweights Web Page

Click on the picture to see a larger image.

Perthshire made this paperweight as one of their annual collection items.  This means the design was made only that one year and never again.  There were seven annual collection designs in 1988, designated A through G.  

Perthshire was a small company in Crieff, Scotland that was devoted to the creation of quality glass paperweights. They stopped production in January 2002 after more than 30 years of production. Their paperweights were consistently high in quality and yet remained reasonable in price.

The birth of Scottish paperweight making is credited to the glass making family of Salvador Ysart, who moved to Crieff, Scotland in 1922. They worked first at John Moncrieff Ltd and made the earliest Scottish paperweights during that period. In 1946 Salvadore and his sons Augustine and Vincent founded Ysart Brothers Glass and produced glass wares under the Vasart label. Salvador Ysart died in 1955 The company name was later changed to Vasart Glass. Stuart Drysdale was hired manage the business side of the enterprise in 1960. The company evolved into a new company Strathearn owned by Teachers Whiskey. In 1967 Drysdale was sent a magazine article on antique paperweights (Woman's Day, July 1965). The inspired him to try to produce weights comparable to the French antiques. With this goal in mind, he and several of the glass workers left Strathearn to found Perthshire in 1968.

Miniature Size:  Just under 2" diameter by 1 3/8" high.  The bottom is ground concave. 
Signature: Signed with a "P" signature cane in the center of the front two wings.  The Perthshire paper label "PERTHSHIRE PAPERWEIGHTS CRIEFF SCOTLAND" has come off and it will be sent along with the paperweight.  No certificate.   
Condition:  Excellent condition with no cracks, chips, or scratches. 

For extra pictures, click on the picture at the right and the following links: 

Large picture of the paperweight
Close-up view
Profile view
Side view
Base

For more information about Perthshire Paperweights, see my Perthshire Web Page.

Click on the picture to see a larger image.

Sulphide Paperweights are those that contain cast objects (animals, flowers, people) made of a ceramic material that has properties similar to the surrounding glass.  They are normally white, but are also sometimes colored or even painted.  The objects are cast in a mold that copied or made directly from a medallion, coin or sculpture.  Often the object is surrounded by a millefiori or lampwork garland, but it may also appear alone.  The finest sulphides are cast in a mold made by a skilled artist.

The St. Clair line (as far as paperweights are concerned) started with John "Pop" St. Clair, Sr. who worked at the George MacBeth Glass Works in Elwood from around 1903 to 1938.  Local natural gas production faltered in 1938 and the St. Clairs began to develop their ideas for a new business of their own.  Joe St. Clair (1909 - 1987) did the original experimentation and the business was formally started in 1941 in Elwood, Indiana.  John, Sr. and the brothers John, Jr., Joe, Ed and Bob all participated, while another brother, Paul, did not at first.  By 1944 St. Clair paperweights were being sold through Georg Jenson on Fifth Avenue in New York. Joe retired (the first time) in 1971 and sold the factory to new owners in Elwood, Indiana.  Sometime later, the new owners of the original factory sold the factory back to Joe.  For a while, there were two St. Clair factories, one owned by Joe and the other owned by Bob St. Clair.  Some paperweights are marked just "ST. CLAIR".  Those were made under different owners starting in 1971 or later.

Large Size:  3" diameter by 1 13/16" high.  The bottom is fire finished flat and hot stamped in the center with the "GERONIMO" mark.   
Condition:  Excellent Condition with no chips or cracks.  No scratches found on inspection.  The sulphide has some discoloration.
Signature:  Hot stamped "GERONIMO" on the bottom, but the remainder of the signature stamp is missing.  The normal signature stamp for this paperweight is "ST. CLAIR 1972 GERONIMO".

For extra pictures, click on the picture at the right and the following links: 

Large picture of the paperweight
Base
Profile View
Partial pontil mark on base
Closeup

For more information about paperweights made by the St. Clair factory, see my St. Clair Paperweights Web Page

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Perthshire made this paperweight as one of their last annual collection items.  This means the design was made only that one year and never again.  There were seven annual collection designs in 1999, designated A through G, plus an undesignated extra special limited edition.  The original price of this paperweight in 1999 was $370.  

Perthshire was a small company in Crieff, Scotland that was devoted to the creation of quality glass paperweights. They stopped production in January 2002 after more than 30 years of production. Their paperweights were consistently high in quality and yet remained reasonable in price.

The birth of Scottish paperweight making is credited to the glass making family of Salvador Ysart, who moved to Crieff, Scotland in 1922. They worked first at John Moncrieff Ltd and made the earliest Scottish paperweights during that period. In 1946 Salvadore and his sons Augustine and Vincent founded Ysart Brothers Glass and produced glass wares under the Vasart label. Salvador Ysart died in 1955 The company name was later changed to Vasart Glass. Stuart Drysdale was hired manage the business side of the enterprise in 1960. The company evolved into a new company Strathearn owned by Teachers Whiskey. In 1967 Drysdale was sent a magazine article on antique paperweights (Woman's Day, July 1965). The inspired him to try to produce weights comparable to the French antiques. With this goal in mind, he and several of the glass workers left Strathearn to found Perthshire in 1968.

Large Size:  Just over 2 13/16" diameter by 2" high.  The bottom is ground concave. 
Signature: Signed on the base with a Perthshire "P1999" signature cane.  It  also has a Perthshire paper label "PERTHSHIRE PAPERWEIGHTS CRIEFF SCOTLAND" and comes with a Perthshire box, but no certificate.   
Condition:  Excellent condition with no cracks, chips, or scratches. 

For extra pictures, click on the picture at the right and the following links: 

Large picture of the paperweight
Closeup view
Closeup showing breaks in red rods (lower flower)
Profile view
Signature with engraved number 6 and label
Box
Box with paperweight
Base

For more information about Perthshire Paperweights, see my Perthshire Web Page.

Click on the picture to see a larger image.

Note:  I had difficulty getting good pictures of this paperweight, because of the bubbles in the glass and the wear on the surface. 

Very Large Size:   3 1/2" tall by just under 3 1/4" diameter. 
Condition:  Good condition.  As is typical for this type of paperweight, it has surface and base wear and scratches.  It also has two small circular impact marks.  No cracks or chips (other than the two impact marks).  The bottom has a the remnants of the pontil mark and also has considerable wear. 
Signature:  Unsigned, but I guarantee this is an antique English paperweight. 

For extra pictures, click on the picture at the right and the following links: 

Large picture of the paperweight
Closeup of sulphide
Side view
Back view
Closeup of back
Base
Side view
Surface with scratches and impact mark

For more information about paperweights made by Whitefriars and other English factories, see my English Paperweights Web Page . 

Click on the picture to see a larger image.

Variations of this design have been made by other Scottish artists.  Caithness had two similar designs, one designed by Jack Allan in 1974 and a smaller "Petals" version designed by Colin Terris in 1988.   

The birth of Scottish paperweight making is credited to the glass making family of Salvador Ysart, who moved to Crieff, Scotland in 1922.  They worked first at John Moncrieff Ltd and made the earliest Scottish paperweights during that period.  In 1946 Salvadore and his sons Augustine and Vincent founded Ysart Brothers Glass and produced glass wares under the Vasart label.  Salvador Ysart died in 1955  The company name was later changed to Vasart Glass.  Strathearn Glass was formed in a reorganization of Vasart glass in 1963. 

John Deacons learned his craft at Strathearn Glass in Crieff, Scotland in 1967. When Perthshire was formed in 1968, he left Strathearn to move to Perthshire and worked there for 10 years before leaving in 1978 to start his own glass studio. He has produced paperweights and other glass objects under a variety of labels, including J Glass, St. Kilda, and now under his own name. The St. Kilda line was produced from 1978 or 1979 through 1987.  You can read about John Deacons in the book by Hall - Scottish Paperweights.  Today John works with his son Craig at his own studio.

Very large Size: 3 1/4" diameter by  2 9/16" high.  The base is ground concave. 
Condition:  Excellent condition.  No chips or cracks or scratches found on inspection.   
Signature:  Signed on the base with John Deacons' "JD 2004" signature cane.  The cane also has two hearts and a green thistle just below the JD.  It also has a "HANDMADE IN SCOTLAND by John Deacons" label on the base.

For extra pictures, click on the picture at the right and the following links: 

Large picture of the paperweight
Side view
Signature cane and label
Close-up
Top view
Base

For more information about paperweights made by Scottish makers, see my Scottish Paperweights Web Page

Click on the picture to see a larger image.

Orient & Flume was started in 1972 in Chico, California by Douglas Boyd and David Hopper.  It studio took its name from its initial location which was at the corner of Orient & Flume.  Their early weights adopted a style that has become known as the California style of  iridescent paperweights with surface torchworked art nouveau motifs on the outside surface of the weight.  Later work involved interior lampworked designs such as the floral design found encased here.  Every Orient & Flume piece has a registration number which usually includes a date code.  In this case, I believe the "T" is for 1992. 

Ed Alexander (aka Ed Seaira) worked as a glass blower at Orient & Flume for 20 years.  He died in 2010. 

Very Large Size:  Just under 3 1/2" diameter by 3 3/16" high.  The bottom has been ground flat. 
Signature:    Signed on the base "Orient & Flume 3031TZSFNO12SA 74/250 Alexander". 
Condition:  Excellent condition.  Some scratches on the base.  No other chips or cracks or scratches found on inspection.

For extra pictures, click on the picture at the right and the following links: 

Large picture
Closeup
Signature on base
Registration Number
Top view (shows buds)
Back view (shows buds)
Another view
Another view of base

For more paperweights by contemporary American paperweight makers, see my Contemporary American Paperweights Web Page.

Click on the picture to see a larger image.

This is called a pressed weight because a mold is used to form the shape.  The top is flattened. 

Peter McDougall started his glass making career as an apprentice at Strathearn Glass in Crieff, Scotland back in the 1960s.  When Perthshire was formed in 1968, he left Strathearn to move to Perthshire and worked there in many positions, eventually becoming Manager and Chief Glassmaker.   Perthshire Paperweights closed early in 2002 after the death of the owner Neil Drysdale.  Peter McDougall then made high quality glass paperweights at his own glass studio, PMcD Glass Studio Ltd. in Crieff, Scotland from 2002 until early 2012.  The studio is now closed but Peter plans to continue to make a limited number of paperweights in the future.

Miniature Size:  1 15/16" diameter by 1 1/4" high. 
Condition:  Outstanding condition with no scratches, chips or cracks. 
Signature:  Signed with a complex cane in the design and it also has a paper label "PMcD Glass Studio LTD, Hand Made in Crieff Scotland."

For extra pictures, click on the picture at the right and the following links:

Large picture of the paperweight
Closeup
Profile View
Peter McDougall Label
Signature Cane

For more information about paperweights made by Peter McDougall, see my Peter McDougall Web Page .

Click on the picture to see a larger image.

David New-Small was born in 1945 in Riverside California and studied at the University of California and the Pilchuck School in Stanwood, Washington (1978, 1979, 1981).  He is currently a Canadian citizen.  In 1983, David New-Small and Nora Sterling founded the New-Small and Sterling Studio Glass on Granville, Island in Vancouver, BC.  He makes a variety of glass from the functional to the whimsical.  He has exhibited widely and his work can be found in many important collections including the Corning Museum of Glass (with Margot Thomson), the Vancouver Art Gallery, the Canadian Craft Museum and others.    

Large Size:  3 1/4" wide by just under 2 1/8" thick by 5" high with the stopper.  The bottle is 3 11/16" high without the stopper.  The stopper has a ground tip and is just over 1/2" diameter by 3 1/2" long.  The base is ground flat.   
Condition:  Excellent condition.  No damage found, no chips, crack, or scratches.  There is a thin string of bubbles on the front from when it was made and some will prefer to display the other side. 
Signature:  Signed on the base "NEW-SMALL '00".  

For extra pictures, click on the picture at the right and the following links: 

Large picture of the paperweight
Close-up view
Back view
Close-up of back
Profile view
Side view
Base with signature
Another view showing the stopper

For more paperweights by contemporary American paperweight makers, see my Contemporary American Paperweights Web Page.

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Pairpoint Glass has a long history extending back to its earliest origins with Mount Washington Glass in 1837.  Owners and locations changed a number of times and the name Pairpoint was first used in the 1890s.  The original Pairpoint companies were located in New Bedford, Massachusetts.  In 1938, it was reorganized as Gunderson Glass Works by owner Robert Gunderson and later renamed the Gunderson - Pairpoint Glass Works in 1952.  The name was acquired by Robert Bryden and the company moved briefly to East Wareham, MA in 1957 where it operated as the Pairpoint Glass Company.  They leased production facilities in Spain.  The last New Bedford factory burned down in 1965.  In its latest iteration, Robert Bryden moved Pairpoint to Sagamore, Massachusetts in 1970.  It continues to operate at that location today, with new owners in 2015.

William Clark Burchfield started making paperweights at Pairpoint Glass in Sagamore, Massachusetts in 1970.   He left in 1976 to form the Cape Cod Glass Works (also in Sagamore) which continued in operation until 2000.  It then continued briefly in Crossville, Tennessee until 2001.  Bill Burchfield died in 2012.  Bill's son Mark was also at the glass works until 1998.  

Large Size:  3 3/8" diameter by 4 5/8" high.  The stopper is 1 9/16" diameter by 2 5/8" long.  The base has the remnants of the pontil mark.   
Condition:  Excellent condition.  No damage found, no chips, crack, or scratches other than some wear on the base.   
Signature:  This paperweight bottle is engraved on the base with the Pairpoint "P inside a diamond" mark.  

For extra pictures, click on the picture at the right and the following links: 

Large picture of the paperweight
Close-up view
Profile view
Side view
Base with pontil mark and Pairpoint diamond mark
Another view showing the stopper
Another view

For more vintage American paperweights, see my Vintage American Paperweights Web Page.

Click on the picture to see a larger image.

Please ignore the glare from the lights.   

Debbie Tarsitano has been making wonderful paperweights since 1972, when she and her father Delmo Tarsitano set up a glass studio to explore a shared obsession with glass.  While developing her glass artwork, Debbie earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts and an Associate Degree in Journalism from Hofstra University, Long Island, NY.  Her work has evolved from simple floral paperweights in the 1970s to contemporary sculptural expressions.  The results are powerful, fresh images encased in glass.  Her florals are outstanding.  A formally trained painter, her passions lie in creating work that goes beyond traditional glass, building a bridge to the greater world of art.  She has collaborated with many internationally known glass artists, including Roland (Max) Erlacher, Ed Poore, Dino Rosin, Jiri Harcuba, and others.

Debbie and Delmo Tarsitano shared the same signature cane, feeling that their work was individual and distinctive and collectors would have no difficulty distinguishing between their art.  Although they did not date their work, the signature cane changed over time and provided approximate dates for the works.  The cane in this paperweight was used from about 1978 until 1980.  See Andrew Dohan's Dictionary of Paperweight Signature Canes for more information on the Tarsitano signature canes. 

Medium Size:    2 5/8" diameter by 1 5/16" high.  The base is ground concave.  High dome.  I had difficulty photographing this paperweight because of the high dome. 
Signature:  Signed at the base of the stem with the conjoined "DT" Tarsitano signature cane used by both Delmo and Debbie Tarsitano from about 1978 to 1980. 
Condition:  Excellent condition.  No cracks, chips or scratches found on inspection. 

Large picture of the paperweight
Closeup view
Signature cane
Base
Another view
Back view

For more paperweights by contemporary American paperweight makers, see my Contemporary American Paperweights Web Page.

Click on the picture to see a larger image.

Size:  The knob is 1 13/16" diameter by 2 1/8" high.  No spindle.   
Condition: Very good condition for its age.  It has a worn area on the face about 7/8" wide (shown in one of the pictures) across plus other scratches.  The hardware is worn in places but intact.  There is no spindle.     
Signature:  Unsigned, but I guarantee this is an antique paperweight from Bohemia.  

For extra pictures, click on the picture at the right and the following links: 

Large picture
End View
Another view
Still another view
View of worn area
Large scratch 

For more information about Bohemian paperweights, see my Bohemian Paperweights Web Page . 

Click on the picture to see a larger image.

Size:  The knob is 1 13/16" diameter by 2 1/8" high.  With the 1/4" spindle it is 4" long.  
Condition: Very good condition for its age.  It has a damaged area on one side about 1/4" across (shown in one of the pictures) plus a couple of pinpricks.  The hardware is worn in places but intact.     
Signature:  Unsigned, but I guarantee this is an antique paperweight from Bohemia.  

For extra pictures, click on the picture at the right and the following links: 

Large picture
End View
Side view
Another view
View of damaged area

For more information about Bohemian paperweights, see my Bohemian Paperweights Web Page . 

Click on the picture to see a larger image.

Please ignore the glare from the lights.   

Debbie Tarsitano has been making wonderful paperweights since 1972, when she and her father Delmo Tarsitano set up a glass studio to explore a shared obsession with glass.  While developing her glass artwork, Debbie earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts and an Associate Degree in Journalism from Hofstra University, Long Island, NY.  Her work has evolved from simple floral paperweights in the 1970s to contemporary sculptural expressions.  The results are powerful, fresh images encased in glass.  Her florals are outstanding.  A formally trained painter, her passions lie in creating work that goes beyond traditional glass, building a bridge to the greater world of art.  She has collaborated with many internationally known glass artists, including Roland (Max) Erlacher, Ed Poore, Dino Rosin, Jiri Harcuba, and others.

Debbie and Delmo Tarsitano shared the same signature cane, feeling that their work was individual and distinctive and collectors would have no difficulty distinguishing between their art.  Although they did not date their work, the signature cane changed over time and provided approximate dates for the works.  The cane in this paperweight was used from about 1976 until 1978.  See Andrew Dohan's Dictionary of Paperweight Signature Canes for more information on the Tarsitano signature canes. 

Small Size:    2 3/16" diameter by 1 7/16" high.  The base is ground concave.  High dome.  I had difficulty photographing this paperweight because of the high dome. 
Signature: Signed at the base of the stem with the earliest Delmo and Debbie Tarsitano "T" signature cane.  This cane was use from about 1976 to 1978. 
Condition:  Excellent condition.  No cracks, chips or scratches found on inspection. 

For extra pictures, click on the picture at the right and the following links: 

Large picture of the paperweight
Closeup view
Signature cane
Base
Another view

For more paperweights by contemporary American paperweight makers, see my Contemporary American Paperweights Web Page.

Click on the picture to see a larger image.

Hal David Berger was a glass artist who worked in the Emporia, Kansas area.  He died unexpectedly in 2003 after 20 years of making glass and teaching.  I was unable to out anything more about this skilled artist. 

Very Large Size: 3 7/16" diameter by just over 3 1/8" tall.  The bottom is ground flat. 
Signature:  Signed "Hal David Berger 92" on the base. 
Condition:  Excellent condition with no scratches, chips, or other damage.  There is a small rough area on the side near the base (see picture) left over from when it was made.  This is a defect but is not damage.

For extra pictures, click on the picture at the right and the following links: 

Large picture of the paperweight
Top View
Signature
Rough area near base
Another View

For more paperweights by contemporary American paperweight makers, see my Contemporary American Paperweights Web Page.

Click on the picture to see a larger image.

Randy Strong has studied at the California College of Arts and Crafts, Oakland, CA and has a Bachelor of Fine Arts 1971 from the Osaka University of the Arts, Osaka, Japan.  He has been blowing glass and running his own studio in Northern California for over 40 years.  His work has been collected and displayed throughout the world in such places as The Corning Museum of Glass (New York), The Louvre, the Osaka Museum of Art, The San Francisco Museum of Art, The Ludwig Shraffarth Collection (Germany), The John D. Rockefeller Collection, the IBM Collection (USA) and at the American Crafts exhibitions at Baltimore, West Springfield and Rhinebeck.  

Very Large Size:  3 5/16" diameter by 3 5/16" high.  The base is ground flat and covered with felt.
Condition:  Excellent condition.  No chips, cracks or scratches.  The base is covered with black felt.   
Signature:  It is signed "R. Strong 1992" on the edge just above the base. 

For extra pictures, click on the picture at the right and the following links: 

Large picture of the paperweight
Profile view
Top view
Signature
Another view
Base with black felt

For more paperweights by contemporary American paperweight makers, see my Contemporary American Paperweights Web Page.

Click on the picture to see a larger image.

This design is listed and designated CT-985 on page 147 of the Charlton Standard Catalog of Caithness Paperweights.  It was designed in 1993 by Margot Thomson as part of the Weight - Spherical series.  The paperweight is recorded as coming in three colors (Gold, Ruby, and Silver).  Since this paperweight is white, it leaves me wondering if maybe it is the "silver" version or maybe white was added later.  

Caithness Glass was founded by Robin Sinclair in Wick in north eastern Scotland in 1961.  The factory did not start making paperweights until 1962 when Paul Ysart joined Caithness.  Colin Terris joined Caithness in 1968 and started the modern line of paperweights in 1969.  A second factory was opened in Oban in 1969 and the Perth factory opened in 1979.  In 1980, Caithness purchased the Whitefriars name and designs.  More recently Caithness recently went through a number of changes of ownership.  After going into receivership in 2004, it was purchased by Edinburgh Crystal, but went into receivership again in 2006.  Finally, it was bought out of receivership by Dartington Crystal.  The factories in Wick, Oban and Perth all closed and were replaced by a smaller operation and visitors' center in Crieff.

Very Large Size:  Just over 3 1/8" diameter by just over 2 7/8" high.  The base is ground flat. 
Condition:  Excellent condition.  No chips or cracks or scratches found on inspection except for some scratches on the base. 
Signature:  It is signed on the base "Caithness CONGRATULATIONS Scotland" along with a registration number "TS9650". 

For extra pictures, click on the picture at the right and the following links: 

Large picture of the paperweight
Profile view
Signature
Top view
Another view
Another view
Another view

For more information about paperweights made by Scottish makers, see my Scottish Paperweights Web Page

Click on the picture to see a larger image.

Robert Eickholt has been making glass paperweights since 1978 when he founded Eickholt Glass in Columbus, Ohio.  His designs often make use of precious metals such as gold and silver, and rare oxides such as cobalt and copper.  In later paperweights by Eickholt the design moved to the interior and veiling techniques began to appear. He retired from full time glassworking in 2013, but still creates beautiful glass on a part time basis.

Very Large Size:  3 7/8" diameter by 3 13/16" high by 1 3/4" thick.  There is a flat area on the back and on the base. 
Signature: Signed "Eickholt 1993 DNA" on the base. 
Condition:  Excellent condition. There are no chips or cracks.  I could find no scratches on the body, but there is some wear and a rough area on the edge of the base.   

For extra pictures, click on the picture at the right and the following links: 

Large picture of the paperweight
Signature
Closeup view
Another view
Back view
Side view

For more paperweights by contemporary American paperweight makers, see my Contemporary American Paperweights Web Page.

Click on the picture to see a larger image.

Please ignore the white areas, they are glare from the lights. 

Peter McDougall started his glass making career as an apprentice at Strathearn Glass in Crieff, Scotland back in the 1960s.  When Perthshire was formed in 1968, he left Strathearn to move to Perthshire and worked there in many positions, eventually becoming Manager and Chief Glassmaker.   Perthshire Paperweights closed early in 2002 after the death of the owner Neil Drysdale.  Peter McDougall then made high quality glass paperweights at his own glass studio, PMcD Glass Studio Ltd. in Crieff, Scotland from 2002 until early 2012.  The studio is now closed but Peter plans to continue to make a limited number of paperweights in the future.

Medium Size:   2 1/2" diameter by just under 1 3/4" high.  The base is ground concave. 
Condition:  Outstanding condition with no scratches, chips or cracks. 
Signature:  This paperweight is signed on the base with McDougall's "PMcD" complex signature cane made from four separate letter canes.  The signature cane is small and some people may have difficulty reading the signature on these weights.  It also has a paper label "PMcD Glass Studio LTD, Hand Made in Crieff Scotland" on the base. 

For extra pictures, click on the picture at the right and the following links: 

Large picture of the paperweight
Close-up
Profile view
Label and Signature Cane on base

For more information about paperweights made by Peter McDougall, see my Peter McDougall Web Page .

Click on the picture to see a larger image.

The current list price for this paperweight is $168 as shown on the Lundberg web page.  My price is much lower.   

In 1970 James Lundberg founded a small "backyard" studio Nouveau Glass in San Jose, California.  He was joined by his brother Steven Lundberg, Daniel Salazar, David Salazar, and several other glass artists.  The first paperweights were made in 1972.  They were known for their surface decorated designs and torchwork and later for their lampwork.  In 1973 the firm was renamed Lundberg Studios and moved to Davenport, California.  James died in a bicycle accident in 1992. Steven left Lundberg Studios in 1997 and set up his own studio.  He died from ALS in 2008.   Although in later years, each paperweight produced at Lundberg Studios was signed and dated by the studio and signed by the artist, the earliest paperweights did not have the artists signature 

The Lundberg World Weight can be found in the Oval Office of the White House, as well as numerous public and private collections, including those of the late Jacques Cousteau, ABC News Anchorman Ted Koppel & the National Geographic Society.  

Please ignore the white areas in the picture caused by the light. 

Small Size:   Just under 2 3/8" diameter by just under 2 1/4" high. The base is ground flat. 
Signature:  Signed and dated on the base "Lundberg Studios 1990".  This paperweight was made only one year after the original design in 1989 while James Lundberg was still alive. It does not have the signature of James Lundberg and was made by James or by another glassworker at Lundberg Studios.
Condition:  Excellent condition with no cracks or chips.  There are no scratches except for minor scratches on the base.  It has a very slight crease in the surface in the clouds just above Asia (see picture with arrow).  I would like to imagine that was deliberate, but it may just be an accidental tool mark.  It is not damage.

For extra pictures, click on the picture at the right and the following links: 

Large picture of the paperweight
Another view
Crease in clouds
Still Another View
Profile View
Top View
Signature on base

For more paperweights by contemporary American paperweight makers, see my Contemporary American Paperweights Web Page.

Click on the picture to see a larger image.

Large Size:  Just over 3" diameter by just over 2 9/16" tall.  The base is ground with a matte finish with some parts unfinished and remnants of the pontil mark.  
Condition:  Very good condition with no chips,or cracks.  I found a couple of very faint scratches. 
Signature:  Signed on the base with an engraved signature "RLS '90" and it also has the original label "SCHUSTER STUDIOS NASHVILLE INDIANA".

For extra pictures, click on the picture at the right and the following links: 

Large picture of the paperweight
Side View
Base with signature, date, and pontil mark
Label

For more paperweights by contemporary American paperweight makers, see my Contemporary American Paperweights Web Page.

Click on the picture to see a larger image.

Large Size:  Just over 3 1/16" diameter by just over 1 9/16" tall.  The profile is flat and the base has been ground flat.
Condition:  Excellent condition with no chips, cracks or scratches found on inspection with the exception of a few scratches on the base.  The surface is textured which makes inspection for scratches difficult.  
Signature:  Unsigned.  I do not know the age, maker, or country of origin for this paperweight.  It was part of a collection that dated from the 1960s and 1970s.

For extra pictures, click on the picture at the right and the following links: 

Large picture of the paperweight
Top View
Side View
Base

For more information about paperweights by unknown makers, see my Unknown Makers Paperweights Web Page .

Click on the picture to see a larger image.

As with most Baccarat sulphides of this period, this paperweight was made with an overlay and also different base treatments.  According to Dunlop, this paperweight was issued with a transparent green overlay (415 made) and 2733 examples on a red base with various base cuts.   

James Monroe was the fifth president of the United States.  He served from 1817 to 1825 (two terms).

Sulphides are cast objects (animals, flowers, people) made of a ceramic material that has properties similar to the surrounding glass.  They are normally white, but are also sometimes colored or even painted.  The objects are cast in a mold that copied or made directly from a medallion, coin or sculpture.  The finest French sulphides are cast in a mold made by a skilled artist.  Sometimes a sulphide will have a silvery appearance due to a thin layer of trapped bubbles between the glass and the sulphide itself. 

Baccarat was founded in 1776 in Alsace-Lorraine with the name of Verrerie de Sainte Anne.  The original location was near the town of Baccarat.  Today the firm is known as Compagnie des Cristalleries de Baccarat.  Most collectors refer to three periods of Baccarat paperweight production.

• 1845-1860 - Classic period
• 1920-1934 - Dupont period
• 1953-2002 - Modern period

In 1952, Paul Jokelson approached Baccarat with the idea of making sulphide paperweights again.  In 1953 Baccarat resumed paperweight production with a series of sulphide paperweights the first of which were the unsuccessful Eisenhower sulphide followed by the Queen Elizabeth coronation sulphide.  Millefiori paperweight production was resumed in 1957 and lampwork paperweights were re-introduced in the early 1970s.  Baccarat stopped making this type of fine glass paperweights in 2002.

You can read more about the Baccarat paperweights in the new book Baccarat Paperweights - two centuries of beauty by Paul Dunlop or one of the older books on paperweights in general, such as The Encyclopedia of Glass Paperweights by Paul Hollister or World Paperweights by Robert Hall.

Large Size:  2 13/16" diameter by just under 1 1/2" high.    The red transparent base is ground flat.  The paperweight is faceted with one large top facet and six side facets and is footed. 
Signature:  The paperweight has a "B" incised on the edge of the sulphide and an acid etched Baccarat mark on the base.  The sulphide is also signed with an incised "G. POILLERAT 1955" on the edge.   
Condition:   Excellent condition.  I found no damage except for minor wear on the base.  There is, however, a bubble or striation or a piece of debris in the glass below the surface.  This does not look like damage (see the picture with red arrow).

For extra pictures, click on the picture at the right and the following links: 

Large picture of the paperweight
Close-up view
Profile view
Base
Baccarat mark on base
G. POILLERAT 1955 incised on sulphide
B incised on sulphide and bubble or striation below surface of glass

For more information about sulphide paperweights, see my Sulphide Paperweights Web Page

Click on the picture to see a larger image.

This paperweight appears in the book Songs without Words:  The Art of the Paperweight - Rick Ayotte.   This weight is a miniature and is shown on page 144.  The full size paperweight is shown on page 72 and is catalog number A126.  A similar miniature Blue Tit paperweight sold for $700 plus the 20% buyers premium in the Summer 2017 LH Selman auction.  That one was a variation with a blue flower instead of berries.  Still, the paperweight in this listing is being offered at a much lower price. 

Note:  This paperweight has a scratched and pitted area near the signature and elsewhere below the midline.  This damage could be polished out although doing so would remove the signature.  I have chosen to sell it as-is and have set a low starting price. 

As is typical of some of Rick's early weights, this paperweight has a relatively flat profile.  The low profile allows Rick to fill the weight with details and avoid optical distortion, but it also made it difficult eliminate all the glare from the lights when taking pictures.

Roland "Rick" Ayotte specializes in paperweights with themes from nature, including lampworked bird and other animals, flowers, fruits, and berries.  His paperweights range in size from miniatures to super magnums.  He also produces other wonderful glass art objects.  He lives and works in New Boston, New Hampshire and has been making glass paperweights since 1978. 

Miniature Size:  Just under 2" diameter by just under 1 13/16” high.  The base has been ground concave. 
Signature:   Signed “Ayotte M-2  '84" on the side just below the middle of the paperweight.
Condition:  Good condition although there is a scratched and pitted area near the signature and elsewhere below the midline.  There are no cracks or chips.  This damage could be polished out although doing so would remove the signature.

For extra pictures, click on the picture at the right and the following links: 

Large picture of the paperweight
Close-up View
Profile View
Signature with some damage
Another view showing more pitting

For more paperweights by contemporary American paperweight makers, see my Contemporary American Paperweights Web Page.

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Very Large Size:   3 1/2" diameter by 2 11/16" high.  The base is ground flat.  Faceted with a top facet and five side facets.  It weighs 27 ounces. 
Condition:    Very good condition.  There are no chips or cracks.  On close examination I found some faint scratches, but nothing that detracts from the way the paperweight displays.
Signature:  Unsigned, but I guarantee that this paperweight was made on the island of Murano in Venice, Italy. 

For extra pictures, click on the picture at the right and the following links: 

Large picture of the paperweight
Close-up view
Side view
Top view
Base

For more information about Murano paperweights, see my Murano Paperweights Web Page . 

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In 1970 James Lundberg founded a small "backyard" studio Nouveau Glass in San Jose, California.  He was joined by his brother Steven Lundberg, Daniel Salazar, David Salazar, and several other glass artists.  The first paperweights were made in 1972.  They were known for their surface decorated designs and torchwork and later for their lampwork.  In 1973 the firm was renamed Lundberg Studios and moved to Davenport, California.  James died in an accident in 1991. Steven left Lundberg Studios in 1997 and set up his own studio.  He died from ALS in 2008.   Although in later years, each paperweight produced at Lundberg Studios was signed and dated by the studio and signed by the artist, the earliest paperweights did not have the artists signature.. 

Daniel Salazar is one of the lead gaffers at Lundberg Studios in Davenport, California and is their primary paperweight designer and maker.  He joined Lundberg in 1975. 

Large Size:   Just over 3" diameter by 2 11/16" high. The base is ground flat. 
Signature: Signed the base "Daniel Salazar 88 Lundberg Studios 11-25-88 DS-32".   
Condition:  Excellent condition with no cracks, chips or scratches.  

For extra pictures, click on the picture at the right and the following links: 

Large picture of the paperweight
Profile  view
Signature on base
Another view
Base

For more paperweights by contemporary American paperweight makers, see my Contemporary American Paperweights Web Page.

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Robert Eickholt has been making glass paperweights since 1978 when he founded Eickholt Glass in Columbus, Ohio.  His designs often make use of precious metals such as gold and silver, and rare oxides such as cobalt and copper.  In later paperweights by Eickholt the design moved to the interior and veiling techniques began to appear. He retired from full time glassworking in 2013, but still creates beautiful glass on a part time basis.

Very Large Size:  3 1/8" diameter by 3 3/16" high.  The bottom is ground flat.
Signature: Signed "Eickholt 1982" on the base. 
Condition:  Excellent condition. There are no chips or cracks.  I could find no scratches on the body, but there is some wear on the base.   

For extra pictures, click on the picture at the right and the following links: 

Large picture of the paperweight
Signature
Another view
Top view

For more paperweights by contemporary American paperweight makers, see my Contemporary American Paperweights Web Page.

Click on the picture to see a larger image.

Baccarat was founded in 1776 in Alsace-Lorraine with the name of Verrerie de Sainte Anne.  The original location was near the town of Baccarat.  Today the firm is known as Compagnie des Cristalleries de Baccarat.  Most collectors refer to three periods of Baccarat paperweight production.

• 1845-1860 - Classic period
• 1920-1934 - Dupont period
• 1953-2002 - Modern period

In 1952, Paul Jokelson approached Baccarat with the idea of making sulphide paperweights again.  In 1953 Baccarat resumed paperweight production with a series of sulphide paperweights the first of which were the unsuccessful Eisenhower sulphide followed by the Queen Elizabeth coronation sulphide.  Millefiori paperweight production was resumed in 1957 and lampwork paperweights were re-introduced in the early 1970s.  Baccarat stopped making this type of fine glass paperweights in 2002.  The opaline agate series were made in the 1960s or early 1970s.

You can read more about the Baccarat paperweights in the new book Baccarat Paperweights - two centuries of beauty by Paul Dunlop or one of the older books on paperweights in general, such as The Encyclopedia of Glass Paperweights by Paul Hollister or World Paperweights by Robert Hall.

Size:  Just under 2 5/8" diameter by just over 1 7/8" high.    The base is ground concave. 
Signature:  This paperweight has the Baccarat acid etched mark in the center of the base plus the words "OPALINE AGATE".     
Condition:   Very good to excellent condition.  I found some tiny depressions in the finish, but believe they are not damage but were intended to create the agate texture.  I have seen the same depressions in other opaline agate paperweights.

For extra pictures, click on the picture at the right and the following links: 

Large picture of the paperweight
Profile view
Base with signature

For more information about Baccarat paperweights, see my Baccarat Paperweights Web Page.

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This style of flower is called an ice-pick flower because of the ice-pick like tool used to push each flower down to the ground to form a stem. 

The St. Clair line (as far as paperweights are concerned) started with John "Pop" St. Clair, Sr. who worked at the George MacBeth Glass Works in Elwood from around 1903 to 1938.  Local natural gas production faltered in 1938 and the St. Clairs began to develop their ideas for a new business of their own.  Joe St. Clair (1909 - 1987) did the original experimentation and the business was formally started in 1941 in Elwood, Indiana.  John, Sr. and the brothers John, Jr., Joe, Ed and Bob all participated, while another brother, Paul, did not at first.  By 1944 St. Clair paperweights were being sold through Georg Jenson on Fifth Avenue in New York. Joe retired (the first time) in 1971 and sold the factory to new owners in Elwood, Indiana.  Sometime later, the new owners of the original factory sold the factory back to Joe.  For a while, there were two St. Clair factories, one owned by Joe and the other owned by Bob St. Clair.

Very Large Size:  3 3/8" diameter by just under 3 1/2" high.  It weighs just under two pounds.  The bottom is finished flat and hot stamped in the center with the signature. 
Condition:  Excellent Condition with no chips or cracks.  No scratches found on inspection.
Signature:  Hot stamped JOE ST. CLAIR on the bottom.  This probably dates from the 1960s or 1970s, but may be earlier.  Joe St. Clair died in 1987. 

For extra pictures, click on the picture at the right and the following links: 

Large picture of the paperweight
Top view
Profile View
Signature on bottom
Another view

For more information about paperweights made by the St. Clair factory, see my St. Clair Paperweights Web Page

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Large Size :  3 5/8” diameter by just under 9” in height including the stopper.  The body is 3 5/8” diameter by just over 6” tall.  The foot is just over 2 3/4” in diameter.  The stopper is 2 1/8” diameter by just over 3 5/8” tall.  The base is ground concave.  Weighs just over three pounds.
Signature :  No signature, but I guarantee that this is an authentic Millville umbrella paperweight inkwell from the period 1860-1912. 
Condition :  In excellent condition except for wear and damage to the paperweight stopper.  The ball of the stopper has scratches on top and one circular chip with glass loss (a depression in the surface).  There are also some chips at the end of the dowel (plug) of the stopper.  In addition, there is a rough area on the side of the stopper which was from when it was made (not damage).  The body of the lower part is in excellent condition with no damage found on inspection.  Some age appropriate wear on the base.

For extra pictures, click on the picture at the right and the following links: 

Large picture of the paperweight
Another large picture showing the top
Close-up of top showing scratches and chip
Stopper
Base
Profile

For more vintage American paperweights, see my Vintage American Paperweights Web Page.

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Perthshire was a small company in Crieff, Scotland that was devoted to the creation of quality glass paperweights. They stopped production in January 2002 after more than 30 years of production. Their paperweights were consistently high in quality and yet remained reasonable in price.  There are three books on Perthshire Paperweights.  If you collect Perthshire paperweights, you should have them in your library.

The birth of Scottish paperweight making is credited to the glass making family of Salvador Ysart, who moved to Crieff, Scotland in 1922. They worked first at John Moncrieff Ltd and made the earliest Scottish paperweights during that period. In 1946 Salvadore and his sons Augustine and Vincent founded Ysart Brothers Glass and produced glass wares under the Vasart label. Salvador Ysart died in 1955 The company name was later changed to Vasart Glass. Stuart Drysdale was hired manage the business side of the enterprise in 1960. The company evolved into a new company Strathearn owned by Teachers Whiskey. In 1967 Drysdale was sent a magazine article on antique paperweights (Woman's Day, July 1965). The inspired him to try to produce weights comparable to the French antiques. With this goal in mind, he and several of the glass workers left Strathearn to found Perthshire in 1968.

Large Size:  2 5/8" diameter by 1 15/16" high.  The base is ground flat. 
Condition:  Excellent condition.  No scratches, chips, or cracks.   The box has a small spot with its covering missing.
Signature:  Signed with a Perthshire "P1971" date-signature cane in center of the design.  This paperweight does not have a paper label.  It comes with an early Perthshire box.   

For extra pictures, click on the picture at the right and the following links: 

Large picture of the paperweight
Closeup view
Signature / date cane
Profile view
Base
Box
Box with paperweight

For more information about Perthshire Paperweights, see my Perthshire Web Page.

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The birth of Scottish paperweight making is credited to the glass making family of Salvador Ysart, who moved to Crieff, Scotland in 1922. They worked first at John Moncrieff Ltd and made the earliest Scottish paperweights during that period. In 1946 Salvadore and his sons Augustine and Vincent founded Ysart Brothers Glass and produced glass wares under the Vasart label. Salvador Ysart died in 1955 The company name was later changed to Vasart Glass. Stuart Drysdale was hired manage the business side of the enterprise in 1960. The company evolved into a new company Strathearn owned by Teachers Whiskey. In 1967 Drysdale was sent a magazine article on antique paperweights (Woman's Day, July 1965). The inspired him to try to produce weights comparable to the French antiques. With this goal in mind, he and several of the glass workers left Strathearn to found Perthshire in 1968.

Large Size:  2 15/16" diameter by 2" high. 
Signature: Signed on the bottom with a Perthshire "P" cane.  It also has a worn paper label "PERTHSHIRE PAPERWEIGHTS CRIEFF SCOTLAND".  
Condition:  Outstanding condition with no cracks, chips, or scratches.  The paper label is worn.

For extra pictures, click on the picture at the right and the following links:

Large picture of the paperweight
Close-up view
Profile view
Label and signature cane

For more information about Perthshire Paperweights, see my Perthshire Web Page.

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Richard Olma is a third generation glass artist born in Poland.  He worked in Czechoslovakia and Germany before coming to the US in 1960.  With his wife, Christine, he established the Olma Art Glass Studio in 1962 in the Chicago suburb of Norridge, Illinois.  In addition to paperweights, the studio made other forms of art glass and reproductions and did repairs.  His son, Robert, also makes glass paperweights.  Richard Olma is now deceased.   

Large Size:   2 15/16” diameter by 2 1/2” high.  The bottom is ground flat.
Condition:  Very good condition with no major scratches.  No chips or cracks.  I found one faint 1/2" scratch on the top as shown in the pictures and reduced the price accordingly. 
Signature:  Signed on the base "Richard Olma 1998".   

For extra pictures, click on the picture at the right and the following links: 

Large picture of the paperweight
Profile view
Signature on base
Top view
Scratch near top

For more paperweights by contemporary American paperweight makers, see my Contemporary American Paperweights Web Page.

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The Cape Cod Glass Works was operated by William Clark Burchfield in Sagamore, Massachusetts from 1976 to 2000.  It then continued briefly in Crossville, Tennessee until 2001.  Bill Burchfield died in 2012.  Bill's son Mark was also at the glass works until 1998.  Bill started making paperweights at Pairpoint Glass in 1970.

Although many people collect scramble paperweights for their own merit, scrambles are also valuable tools for learning to identify the different colors and canes used by each factory. 

Medium Size:   2 9/16” diameter by 2 1/16” high.  The bottom is ground concave with a remnant of the pontil mark in the center.
Condition:  Excellent condition with no scratches, chips, or cracks found on inspection.  It does have a remnant of the pontil mark in the center of the base.
Signature:  This paperweight has two of Bill Burchfield's signature canes plus his engraved signature on the base.  It has both the "CCGW 93" cane and the rose cane with "WBC" in the center.   

For extra pictures, click on the picture at the right and the following links: 

Large picture of the paperweight
Close-up view
Profile view
Another view showing the second rose cane on the side
Base with engraved signature and remnant of pontil mark
Rose cane with WCB in center
CCGW 93 cane
Top view

For more paperweights by contemporary American paperweight makers, see my Contemporary American Paperweights Web Page.

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The birth of Scottish paperweight making is credited to the glass making family of Salvador Ysart, who moved to Crieff, Scotland in 1922.  They worked first at John Moncrieff Ltd and made the earliest Scottish paperweights during that period.  In 1946 Salvadore and his sons Augustine and Vincent founded Ysart Brothers Glass and produced glass wares under the Vasart label.  Salvador Ysart died in 1955  The company name was later changed to Vasart Glass.  Strathearn Glass was formed in a reorganization of Vasart glass in 1963. 

John Deacons learned his craft at Strathearn Glass in Crieff, Scotland in 1967. When Perthshire was formed in 1968, he left Strathearn to move to Perthshire and worked there for 10 years before leaving in 1978 to start his own glass studio. He has produced paperweights and other glass objects under a variety of labels, including J Glass, St. Kilda, and now under his own name. Some of the lines were produced simultaneously.  J Glass was produced from 1978 to 1983.  The St. Kilda line was produced from 1978 or 1979 through 1987.  You can read about John Deacons in the book by Hall - Scottish Paperweights. 

Allan Scott began his paperweight career as a lampworker apprentice with Perthshire Paperweights in 1975.  When John Deacons left Perthshire in 1978 to set up J Glass, Allan Scott and Harry McKay followed John to J Glass.  They stayed at J Glass until it closed in March 1983.  After that, Allan Scott joined Caithness Glass, where he stayed until 2007.

Medium Size:  Just over 2 1/4" diameter by 1 1/2" high. The bottom is ground concave.  The paperweight is faceted with one top facet and six side facets.
Condition:  Excellent condition with no scratches, chips or cracks.  There are some tiny bubbles in the glass. 
Signature:  Signed with the J Glass "J" signature cane and Allan Scott's "A" signature cane in the garland.  These are very tiny and are best viewed from the base.  

For extra pictures, click on the picture at the right and the following links: 

Large picture of the paperweight
Close-up view
Profile view
Signature canes viewed from base
Base

For more information about paperweights made by Scottish makers, see my Scottish Paperweights Web Page

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As with most Baccarat sulphides of this period, the Coronation sulphide was issued with a number of overlays and different base treatments.  There were 195 overlays (rose and white and blue and white) and 1,492 non-overlay weights, of which only 180 had a uncut rose colored base like this example. 

Sulphides are cast objects (animals, flowers, people) made of a ceramic material that has properties similar to the surrounding glass.  They are normally white, but are also sometimes colored or even painted.  The objects are cast in a mold that copied or made directly from a medallion, coin or sculpture.  The finest French sulphides are cast in a mold made by a skilled artist.  Sometimes a sulphide will have a silvery appearance due to a thin layer of trapped bubbles between the glass and the sulphide itself. 

Baccarat was founded in 1776 in Alsace-Lorraine with the name of Verrerie de Sainte Anne.  The original location was near the town of Baccarat.  Today the firm is known as Compagnie des Cristalleries de Baccarat.  Most collectors refer to three periods of Baccarat paperweight production.

• 1845-1860 - Classic period
• 1920-1934 - Dupont period
• 1953-2002 - Modern period

New research of the Baccarat archives has identified the actual makers during the Dupont period as Joseph Boyé (1877-1948)and Louis Idoux (1882-1941).  Boyé is recorded as the maker of millefiori canes and millefiori paperweights during this period (1920-1934). Very little is known about Mr. Boyé, but there is enough similarity in the millefiori canes to suggest that he had access to the original molds or some of the original millefiori canes from the classic period.  He later trained another glassworker, Georges Brocard, to make open concentric paperweights in 1946.  Armed with this knowledge, Brocard was influential in the revival of paperweight making at Baccarat in the 1950s.  Louis Idoux is recorded as making the Baccarat pansy paperweights during the 1920-1934 period.

In 1952, Paul Jokelson approached Baccarat with the idea of making sulphide paperweights again.  In 1953 Baccarat resumed paperweight production with a series of sulphide paperweights the first of which were the unsuccessful Eisenhower sulphide followed by the Queen Elizabeth coronation sulphide.  Millefiori paperweight production was resumed in 1957 and lampwork paperweights were re-introduced in the early 1970s.  Baccarat stopped making this type of fine glass paperweights in 2002.

You can read more about the Baccarat paperweights in the new book Baccarat Paperweights - two centuries of beauty by Paul Dunlop or one of the older books on paperweights in general, such as The Encyclopedia of Glass Paperweights by Paul Hollister or World Paperweights by Robert Hall.

Large Size:  Just over 2 11/16" diameter by just over 1 5/8" high.    The rose colored base is ground flat. 
Signature:  The weight is engraved "BACCARAT 1953" on the side near the base.  The sulphide is signed with an incised "G. POILLERAT" on the edge.   
Condition:   Very good condition.  The only damage found was a pinprick on the dome (marked with an arrow in one of the pictures) and scratches on the base (shown in another picture).  
 

For extra pictures, click on the picture at the right and the following links: 

Large picture of the paperweight
Close-up view
Profile view
Base
Baccarat 1955 engraved on side near base
G. POILLERAT incised on sulphide
Pinprick on dome

For more information about sulphide paperweights, see my Sulphide Paperweights Web Page

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Large Size:  3" diameter by 2 1/16" high.  The base is ground concave. 
Condition:  Very good condition for its age.  This paperweight has a few light scratches and minor abrasions on the surface, but no chips or cracks. It may have been polished in the past.  It displays beautifully.
Signature:  Unsigned but I guarantee this to be an authentic Boston & Sandwich antique paperweight.  Circa 1869 - 1888. 

For extra pictures, click on the picture at the right and the following links: 

Large picture of the paperweight
Profile view
Another large picture
Close up view
View of base

For more information about Antique Paperweights, see my Antique Paperweights Web Page.

The picture does not do justice to this paperweight.  Ignore the white areas, they are reflections and glare from the lights. 

Peter McDougall started his glass making career as an apprentice at Strathearn Glass in Crieff, Scotland back in the 1960s.  When Perthshire was formed in 1968, he left Strathearn to move to Perthshire and worked there in many positions, eventually becoming Manager and Chief Glassmaker.   Perthshire Paperweights closed early in 2002 after the death of the owner Neil Drysdale.  Peter McDougall then made high quality glass paperweights at his own glass studio, PMcD Glass Studio Ltd. in Crieff, Scotland from 2002 until early 2012.  The studio is now closed but Peter plans to continue to make a limited number of paperweights in the future.

Large Size:  Just over 3" diameter by 2 3/16" high.  The bottom is ground concave.
Condition:  Excellent condition with no scratches, chips or cracks.  The paper label is worn. 
Signature:  Signed with a complex cane in the design and it also has a paper label "PMcD Glass Studio LTD, Hand Made in Crieff Scotland."  

For extra pictures, click on the picture at the right and the following links:

Large picture of the paperweight
Close-up view
Profile view
Side view
Signature and label on base

For more information about paperweights made by Peter McDougall, see my Peter McDougall Web Page

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Modern Whitefriars paperweights are prized by collectors for their high quality glass and millefiori designs. The paperweights with mosaic canes are especially sought after.  The name Whitefriars Glass dates from sometime in the 1600s.  The original site had been occupied by a community of Carmelite monks known as White Friars, hence the name taken by the glass company.  Some sources state that at least a portion of the company operated under the name of James Powell and Sons from 1834 to 1962.  Other sources state that the Whitefriars name was used from 1680 to 1980.

Limited production of millefiori paperweights and other millefiori items started some time in the 1930s and first appeared in the 1938 catalog.  Millefiori items were made using English full lead crystal (33% lead oxide).  It is difficult to associate specific paperweights with this production.  After 1945, they made colored glass and bubble design paperweights until the modern millefiori production started about 1951.  Even then relatively few designs were produced until the 1970s.  In 1980, Whitefriars glass went out of business. After Whitefriars Glass was liquidated, Caithness Glass purchased the rights to the name and produced paperweights under the Whitefriars name for awhile.

For a long time, collectors believed that English paperweights and inkwells dated 1848 and similar undated items were made by Whitefriars.  The dates, however, are false dates and have been traced to production at Arculus and Walsh-Walsh in the 1920s and 1930s. Most paperweights referred to as old Whitefriars or antique Whitefriars were, in fact, made by other factories such as Richardson, Arculus, Walsh-Walsh,or one of the unidentified Old English factories.  When the maker can not be identified, it is best to call them Old English paperweights and not associate them with Whitefriars.

Large Size:  3 1/8" diameter by 1 7/8" high.  The base is ground concave. Faceted with one top facet and five side facets.
Condition:  Outstanding condition.  No chips, cracks or scratches. 
Signature:  Signed in the design with a Whitefriars 1977 signature / date cane and also has a Whitefriars paper label.  It comes with its original Whitefriars round box.

For extra pictures, click on the picture at the right and the following links:

Large picture of the paperweight
Closeup view
Profile view including label
Signature Cane
Bottom View
Box
Box with paperweight

For more information about Whitefriars and other paperweights from England,see my English Paperweights Web Page.

Click on the picture to see a larger image.

Size:  3 1/8" diameter by just under 2" high.  It has the setup and low profile typical to old English paperweights from factories such as Walsh-Walsh and Arculus.
Signature:  Unsigned.  The maker cannot be identified, but I can guarantee that it is an old English paperweight probably from the 1920s.  
Condition:  Good condition although it has some noticeable surface wear and nicks.

For extra pictures, click on the picture at the right and the following links:

Large picture of the paperweight
Side View
Base
Closeup
Profile

SOLD.                                                  Added 7/1/2017.  

For more information about Whitefriars and other paperweights from England, see my English Paperweights Web Page.

Click on the picture to see a larger image.

This paperweight is part of a special limited edition series of 400 paperweights issued by St. Louis in 1989.  The normal collector series was marked "BICENTENAIRE DE LA REVOLUTION  Saint-Louis”, without the reference to AC Delco, an electronics manufacturer.  I have not been able to determine whether the weights marked AC Delco are part of the series of 400 or a special commission in addition to the normal run of 400. 

Note:  The date cane on top of this paperweight is faint and the "9" is squeezed in at the right of both dates (1989 and 1789). 

Cristalleries de Saint Louis was founded in 1767 in Lorraine, which became part of France in 1766.  The region was already home to several glassworks.  Paperweight production started at St. Louis in 1845 and most likely continued until about 1860.  Although the modern production of paperweights started in 1952, the output of millefiori and lampwork paperweights was small.  Fewer than 400 lampwork and millefiori paperweights were made between 1952 and 1955.  They were not all signed or dated.  The most successful product of this early revival period was the Queen Elizabeth sulphide which was made to commemorate her coronation in 1953.  After 1955, no additional weights were made at St. Louis until 1965.  In 1965 the factory resumed production of lampwork and millefiori paperweights and then in 1967 they began a series of sulphide weights.  Finally, in 1970 they started producing annual limited edition paperweights.  In addition to the three types already mentioned, millefiori, lampwork, and sulphide paperweights, St. Louis also made a small number of designs with gold inclusions. 

Size:  2 11/16" diameter by 2" high. The bottom is ground concave.
Signature: Signed Saint-Louis in gold lettering on the base.  It also comes with its original St. Louis box.
Condition:  Excellent condition with no no cracks or chips. No scratches found on inspection.  The date canes are difficult to read.

For extra pictures, click on the picture at the right and the following links:

Large picture of the paperweight
Side View
Inscription on base
Date Cane on top
Box
Box and Paperweight
Closeup
Plaque in box

For more information about paperweights made by the St. Louis factory, see my St. Louis Web Page . 

Click on the picture to see a larger image.

Note:  As stated above, the paperweight is in poor condition.  It probably can be restored.  

New England Glass Company (NEGC) operated in Cambridge, Massachusetts from 1818 to 1888.  You can read about paperweights from the New England Glass Company in the book by Hawley, The Art of the Paperweight  - The Boston & Sandwich and New England Glass Companies . 

Size:  1 3/4” diameter by 1 1/8" high.  The bottom is ground concave. 
Signature:  This paperweight is not signed, but I guarantee it to be an authentic antique New England Glass Company paperweight. 
Condition:  Poor condition with many small nicks, chips, and scratches.  There is also one noticeable circular impact mark on the side near the base.  There are also bubbles in the glass. 

For extra pictures, click on the picture at the right and the following links: 

Large picture of the paperweight
Close-up View
Profile View
Bottom View
Side View

For more information about antique paperweights, see my Antique Paperweights Web Page

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Phoenix Paperweights was a small company started by William Manson Sr. to engage three workers from Perthshire after Perthshire closed in January 2002.  They only lasted a year and issued paperweights in 2002 and 2003 before closing in August 2003.  Phoenix operated in the Manson works in Perth, Scotland.  The glass workers were William Manson Sr., David McNichol (paperweight maker), Duncan Smith(lampworking), and Gordon Taylor (glass cutter).  Some of the lampwork was also done by Rosette Fleming.  The 2003 Phoenix catalog lists William Manson Paperweights as the distributor. 

Large Size:  Just over 2 7/8" diameter by 1 7/8" high. The base is ground concave in the center.
Condition:  Very good condition.  There is one tiny faint 1/16" circular impact mark on the dome but no other other damage with the exception of faint wear on the base.
Signature:  Signed "PHOENIX 2003" on the base.  There is also a PP signature cane in the design (although it is reversed). 

For extra pictures, click on the picture at the right and the following links: 

Large picture of the paperweight
Close-up view
Profile view
Signature on base

For more information about paperweights made by Scottish makers, see my Scottish Paperweights Web Page

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This style is also called an icepick flower because of the sharp tool used to push each flower down to the base.  In this case the tool is pushed through a multi-colored glass slice.  Some authors call these morning glory flowers. 

Von Brackel discusses this style in his book Paperweights - Historicism - Art Nouveau - Art Deco.  He lists many variations on pages 106 to 149 with a wide range of values up to $300 and more.  On pages 278 & 279 he describes the process used to make a trumpet flower paperweight.   

Size:  2 7/8" diameter by just over 2 1/2" high.  The bottom is ground flat with a matte finish.
Condition:  Very good condition.  There are minor scratches or abrasions,but no chips or cracks or impact marks.
Signature:  Unsigned.  I believe this is a vintage paperweight from the Bohemia / Czech region and it originates from the pre-WWII period, but it is also possible that it was made in a nearby country and later.   

For extra pictures, click on the picture at the right and the following links:

Large picture of the paperweight
Closeup view
Top view
View of Bottom
Profile

For more information about Bohemian paperweights, see my Bohemian Paperweights Web Page .

Click on the picture to see a larger image.

The PP49 design was made only in 1982 as a limited edition weight,  The edition size was never stated.  

Perthshire was a small company in Crieff, Scotland that was devoted to the creation of quality glass paperweights. They stopped production in January 2002 after more than 30 years of production. Their paperweights were consistently high in quality and yet remained reasonable in price.  There are three books on Perthshire Paperweights.  If you collect Perthshire paperweights, you should have them in your library. 

The birth of Scottish paperweight making is credited to the glass making family of Salvador Ysart, who moved to Crieff, Scotland in 1922. They worked first at John Moncrieff Ltd and made the earliest Scottish paperweights during that period. In 1946 Salvadore and his sons Augustine and Vincent founded Ysart Brothers Glass and produced glass wares under the Vasart label. Salvador Ysart died in 1955 The company name was later changed to Vasart Glass. Stuart Drysdale was hired manage the business side of the enterprise in 1960. The company evolved into a new company Strathearn owned by Teachers Whiskey. In 1967 Drysdale was sent a magazine article on antique paperweights (Woman's Day, July 1965). The inspired him to try to produce weights comparable to the French antiques. With this goal in mind, he and several of the glass workers left Strathearn to found Perthshire in 1968.

Size: 2 9/16" diameter by just under 1 15/16" high.  The base is ground concave. 
Signature:  This paperweight has a Perthshire complex "P1982" signature cane in the base.  It comes with its original box.  It does not have a paper label.
Condition:  Excellent condition with no cracks, chips, or scratches.  

For extra pictures, click on the picture at the right and the following links: 

Large picture of the paperweight
Closeup view
Profile view
Signature on base
Box
Box with paperweight

For more information about Perthshire Paperweights, see my Perthshire Web Page.

Click on the picture to see a larger image.

This style of flower is called an ice-pick flower because of the ice-pick like tool used to push each flower down to the ground to form a stem. 

The St. Clair line (as far as paperweights are concerned) started with John "Pop" St. Clair, Sr. who worked at the George MacBeth Glass Works in Elwood from around 1903 to 1938.  Local natural gas production faltered in 1938 and the St. Clairs began to develop their ideas for a new business of their own.  Joe did the original experimentation and the business was formally started in 1941 in Elwood, Indiana.  John, Sr. and the brothers John, Jr., Joe, Ed and Bob all participated, while another brother, Paul, did not at first.  By 1944 St. Clair paperweights were being sold through Georg Jenson on Fifth Avenue in New York.  Joe retired for the first time) in 1971 and sold the factory to new owners in Elwood, Indiana.  About the same time, Bob St. Clair and his wife Maude opened a new factory in Elwood.  Paul St. Clair retired from General Motors and joined Bob, along with Ed St. Clair and a nephew, Joe Rice.  Sometime later after Bob opened his factory, the new owners of the original factory sold the factory back to Joe.  So, for a while, there were two St. Clair Glass factories.  Bob St. Clair died in 1986.  Joe St. Clair died in 1987.  Ed St. Clair died in 1989 and the last brother,  Paul St. Clair died in 2000.

Robert (Bob) St. Clair was born May 18, 1919 and passed away in 1986.  He is known to have used two signatures from 1971 to 1986.  Most of the time he included his wife and used the stamp "MAUDE AND BOB ST. CLAIR", often with a date with raised lettering.  Less frequently, he used the stamp "BOB ST. CLAIR" with no date.  This stamp, with only BOB, can be found with either raised or indented lettering.  

Very Large Size:   2 7/8" diameter by 2 1/8" high.  The base is ground flat with a matte finish.  
Condition:  Excellent condition with no chips or cracks.  There are a few small bubbles in the glass.
Signature:  Hot stamped signature on the base "BOB ST. CLAIR". 

For extra pictures, click on the picture at the right and the following links: 

Large picture of the paperweight
Profile View
Side view
Hot stamped signature on base

For more information about paperweights made by the St. Clair factory, see my St. Clair Paperweights Web Page

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Modern Whitefriars paperweights are prized by collectors for their high quality glass and millefiori designs. The limited edition paperweights with mosaic canes are especially sought after.  The name Whitefriars Glass dates from sometime in the 1600s.  The original site had been occupied by a community of Carmelite monks known as White Friars, hence the name taken by the glass company.  Some sources state that at least a portion of the company operated under the name of James Powell and Sons from 1834 to 1962.  Other sources state that the Whitefriars name was used from 1680 to 1980.

Limited production of millefiori paperweights and other millefiori items started some time in the 1930s and first appeared in the 1938 catalog.  Millefiori items were made using English full lead crystal (33% lead oxide).  It is difficult to associate specific paperweights with this production.  After 1945, they made colored glass and bubble design paperweights until the modern millefiori production started about 1951.  Even then relatively few designs were produced until the 1970s.  In 1980, Whitefriars glass went out of business. After Whitefriars Glass was liquidated, Caithness Glass purchased the rights to the name and produced paperweights under the Whitefriars name for awhile.

For a long time, collectors believed that English paperweights and inkwells dated 1848 and similar undated items were made by Whitefriars.  The dates, however, are false dates and have been traced to production at Arculus and Walsh-Walsh in the 1920s and 1930s. Most paperweights referred to as old Whitefriars or antique Whitefriars were, in fact, made by other factories such as Richardson, Arculus, Walsh-Walsh,or one of the unidentified Old English factories.  When the maker can not be identified, it is best to call them Old English paperweights and not associate them with Whitefriars.

Large Size:  3" diameter by 3" tall.  It is faceted with one top facet and six side facets.  The bottom is ground concave with the millefiori set close to the base (typical of Whitefriars weights).
Condition:  Excellent condition.  No chips, cracks or scratches. 
Signature:  Signed with a Whitefriars signature / date cane showing a Whitefriar and the date 1978.    It also has the Whitefriars paper label. 

For extra pictures, click on the picture at the right and the following links:  

Large picture of the paperweight
Closeup view
Top view
Side view
Signature cane
Label

For more information about Whitefriars and other paperweights from England,see my English Paperweights Web Page.

Click on the picture to see a larger image.

Modern Whitefriars paperweights are prized by collectors for their high quality glass and millefiori designs. The limited edition paperweights with mosaic canes are especially sought after.  The name Whitefriars Glass dates from sometime in the 1600s.  The original site had been occupied by a community of Carmelite monks known as White Friars, hence the name taken by the glass company.  Some sources state that at least a portion of the company operated under the name of James Powell and Sons from 1834 to 1962.  Other sources state that the Whitefriars name was used from 1680 to 1980.

Limited production of millefiori paperweights and other millefiori items started some time in the 1930s and first appeared in the 1938 catalog.  Millefiori items were made using English full lead crystal (33% lead oxide).  It is difficult to associate specific paperweights with this production.  After 1945, they made colored glass and bubble design paperweights until the modern millefiori production started about 1951.  Even then relatively few designs were produced until the 1970s.  In 1980, Whitefriars glass went out of business. After Whitefriars Glass was liquidated, Caithness Glass purchased the rights to the name and produced paperweights under the Whitefriars name for awhile.

For a long time, collectors believed that English paperweights and inkwells dated 1848 and similar undated items were made by Whitefriars.  The dates, however, are false dates and have been traced to production at Arculus and Walsh-Walsh in the 1920s and 1930s. Most paperweights referred to as old Whitefriars or antique Whitefriars were, in fact, made by other factories such as Richardson, Arculus, Walsh-Walsh,or one of the unidentified Old English factories.  When the maker can not be identified, it is best to call them Old English paperweights and not associate them with Whitefriars.

Medium Size:  2 7/16" diameter by just over 1 3/8" high.  The base is ground concave. Faceted with one top facet and five side facets. 
Condition:  Outstanding condition.  No chips, cracks or scratches.  This is considered a second because of the gap in the garland and is marked with an "S" on the base.
Signature:  Signed in the design with a Whitefriars signature / date cane with a white monk and the date 1979.   The base is marked with an "S" to designate it a second. 

For extra pictures, click on the picture at the right and the following links:  

Large picture of the paperweight
Closeup view
Profile view
Signature cane
Bottom view showing "S" mark (second)
Gap in garland

For more information about Whitefriars and other paperweights from England,see my English Paperweights Web Page.

Click on the picture to see a larger image.

Mayauel Ward is one of the premier lampwork artists working today. He started with a glass class taught by Stuart Abelman at El Camino College. After completing his studies, he went to work at Correia Glass where he worked with Ken Rosenfeld.  In 1979 he joined the Abelman Glass Studio where he started making lampwork designs in 1987.  Although he continued to work at Abelman Glass, he also built a studio in his home in Manhattan Beach, CA.  His work is uniquely his own although he gets inspiration from the fine lampwork designs of Paul Stankard and Chris Buzzini.  There are articles about Mayauel Ward in the 1997 and 2006 issues of the Annual Bulletin of the Paperweight Collectors Association.

Size:   Just over 2 5/8" diameter by just over 2 3/8" tall.  The base is ground flat.
Signature:   Signed "Mayauel Ward 2003" on the base. 
Condition:  Excellent condition with no cracks or chips.  I could not find any scratches. 

For extra pictures, click on the picture at the right and the following links: 

Large picture of the paperweight
Close-up View
Profile View
Signature on base
Side view

For more paperweights by contemporary American paperweight makers, see my Contemporary American Paperweights Web Page.

Click on the picture to see a larger image.

Large Size:  Just over 2 13/16" diameter by just under 3 1/2" tall.  The base has been ground flat with a rough surface.
Condition:  Good condition with only a few surface scratches.  It does however have a 1" chip on the base as shown in the pictures.   
Signature:  Unsigned.  I do not know the age, maker, or country of origin for this paperweight.   

For extra pictures, click on the picture at the right and the following links: 

Large picture of the paperweight
Top View
Side View
View of rough finish on base and showing chip

For more information about paperweights by unknown makers, see my Unknown Makers Paperweights Web Page .

Click on the picture to see a larger image.

The picture does not do justice to this paperweight.  Ignore the white areas, they are reflections and glare from the lights. 

Peter McDougall started his glass making career as an apprentice at Strathearn Glass in Crieff, Scotland back in the 1960s.  When Perthshire was formed in 1968, he left Strathearn to move to Perthshire and worked there in many positions, eventually becoming Manager and Chief Glassmaker.   Perthshire Paperweights closed early in 2002 after the death of the owner Neil Drysdale.  Peter McDougall then made high quality glass paperweights at his own glass studio, PMcD Glass Studio Ltd. in Crieff, Scotland from 2002 until early 2012.  The studio is now closed but Peter plans to continue to make a limited number of paperweights in the future.

Small Size:  Just under 2 3/16" diameter by just over 1 1/2" high.  The bottom is ground concave.
Condition:  Outstanding condition with no scratches, chips or cracks. 
Signature:  Signed with a complex cane in the design and it also has a paper label "PMcD Glass Studio LTD, Hand Made in Crieff Scotland." 

For extra pictures, click on the picture at the right and the following links:

Large picture of the paperweight
Close-up view
Profile view
Side view
Signature and label on base

For more information about paperweights made by Peter McDougall, see my Peter McDougall Web Page

Click on the picture to see a larger image.

In the United States, the Tariff Act of 1930 required that every imported item must be conspicuously and indelibly marked in English with its country of origin.  As a result, many of these Chinese paperweights are scratch signed on the bottom "CHINA".  Many are also not signed, suggesting that either they were imported prior to 1930 or the importer ignored the requirement.  Most likely the earliest Chinese paperweights were made prior to 1930.

The Chinese makers often combined design features found in paperweights from different makers.  For example they copied the latticinio grounds used by New England Glass Company and used them with copies of Baccarat Pansy weights.  The original Baccarat pansy paperweights never had a latticinio ground.  They copied the pedestal rose from Millville and then used the pedestal bottom with other weights. It is fun to collect all the variations. 

In general, Chinese paperweights from the 1930s have a light weight glass mixture that is high in soda and has a greenish tinge. The glass also has a soft almost oily feel. Frequently they have bubbles or debris in the glass.  And because of their age, many of these have minor scratches or other surface defects.  Chinese paperweights made in the 1970s and later usually have better quality glass and are free of debris. 

Size:  The cube shaped aquarium paperweight is approximately 1 3/16" by 1 3/16" x 1 3/8" high.  All of the edges are beveled.  The hexagon shaped weight is just under 1 1/2" across the widest width by 1 3/8" high.  The top and bottom edges are beveled.  The six vertical edges are not beveled.
Signature: Unsigned, but I guarantee these are both Chinese paperweights from approximately 1930.
Condition:  Very good condition with only a few minor scratches and some nicks.  The glass has some bubbles and a green tinge. 

For extra pictures, click on the picture at the right and the following links: 

Large picture of the paperweights
Other side
Bases
Top view
Another view

For more paperweights from China, see my Chinese Paperweights Web Page.

Click on the picture to see a larger image.

Bill Slade, born in 1953, was educated at Jacksonville University (Florida).  He has been working in glass for since the late 1970s and today works with his son Jonathan at their studio Slade Art Glass in Jacksonville, Florida.  They make a variety of glass objects including vessels, paperweights, and sculptural pieces.  Bill has taught glass at Jacksonville University and other places.  He has received many awards and is in the permanent collections of several major museums, including the Corning Museum of Glass, Bergstrom Mahler Museum, WheatonArts Museum of American Glass, and the Chrysler Museum.

Large Size:  3" diameter by 2 5/16" high.  The bottom is ground flat. 
Signature: Signed on the side near the base "B. SLADE '83". 
Condition:  Excellent condition. No chips or cracks or scratches found on inspection.    

For extra pictures, click on the picture at the right and the following links: 

Large picture of the paperweight
Signature
Closeup view
Another view of base
Profile view
Another view

For more paperweights by contemporary American paperweight makers, see my Contemporary American Paperweights Web Page.

Click on the picture to see a larger image.

Michael Egan has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sculpture from the University of Vermont. He apprenticed at the hot glass shop of Alan Goldfarb in Burlington, Vermont from 1991 to 1995.  Over the years he did additional apprentice work with many prominent glass artists including Richard Marquis, Jack Wax and Lino Tagliapietra.  In 2000, he opened the Green Mountain Glassworks in Granville, Vermont.

Glass artist Alan Goldfarb, formerly of Burlington, Vermont is responsible for the design of the paperweight featured here.  His Black Trout Series vases are much sought after.   Alan is now retired from hot glass work.  He currently lives and works with wood in Mexico.  His hand blown art glass pieces are in many museums including the Smithsonian Renwick Gallery, Corning Museum of Glass and Museum of Fine Arts in Boston.    

Medium Size:  Just under 2 1/2" diameter by 1 3/4" high.  The bottom is fire finished with a depression in the center. 
Signature: Signed "MICHAEL EGAN Vt.  93" on the base. 
Condition:  Very good  to excellent condition. There are no chips or cracks.  I could find no scratches on the body, but there is one very small abrasion on the side (shown in the pictures).  

For extra pictures, click on the picture at the right and the following links: 

Large picture of the paperweight
Signature
Another view of base
Profile view
Small abrasion on side

For more paperweights by contemporary American paperweight makers, see my Contemporary American Paperweights Web Page.

Click on the picture to see a larger image.

The original glass worker in the Gentile family was Peter Gentile, born in Naples, Italy in 1884.  He worked in Naples(Italy), Rochester (Pennsylvania), and Morgantown (West Virginia) before building his own factory in Star City (West Virginia) in 1947.  His sons, Frankie, John and Joe Gentile helped him make paperweights in the off hours at the Guild Factory in Morgantown.   However, most paperweight production since WWII has been associated with Peter, John, or John's wife Gertrude Gentile.  Few weights were signed prior to1963.  It is believed that Gentile Glass remained in production until 2006.  Most, if not all, paperweights produced from 1975 on were signed. For more information, you can read about the Gentiles in the book American Glass Paperweights and Their Makers by Jean Melvin (1967 and 1970). 

Large Size:  3 1/8" diameter by 3 3/8" high.  The center of the base is ground. 
Condition:  Very good condition although it has a small 1/4" chip on the base where the pontil used to be.  No other chips or cracks or scratches were found.  
Signature:  Unsigned but this is definitely a Gentile Glass product.  

For extra pictures, click on the picture at the right and the following links:

Large picture of the paperweight
Profile View
Top View
Another view
Base with 1/4" chip in center

For more information about Gentile paperweights, see my Gentile Paperweights Web Page.

Click on the picture to see a larger image.

Mayauel Ward is one of the premier lampwork artists working today. He started with a glass class taught by Stuart Abelman at El Camino College. After completing his studies, he went to work at Correia Glass where he worked with Ken Rosenfeld.  In 1979 he joined the Abelman Glass Studio where he started making lampwork designs in 1987.  Although he continued to work at Abelman Glass, he also built a studio in his home in Manhattan Beach, CA.  His work is uniquely his own although he gets inspiration from the fine lampwork designs of Paul Stankard and Chris Buzzini.  There are articles about Mayauel Ward in the 1997 and 2006 issues of the Annual Bulletin of the Paperweight Collectors Association.

Very Large Size:   3 7/16" diameter by just under 2 15/16" tall.  The base is ground flat.
Signature:   Signed "Mayauel Ward 2008" on the base. 
Condition:  Excellent condition with no cracks or chips.  I could not find any scratches. 

For extra pictures, click on the picture at the right and the following links: 

Large picture of the paperweight
Close-up View
Profile View
Signature on base
Side view

For more paperweights by contemporary American paperweight makers, see my Contemporary American Paperweights Web Page.

Click on the picture to see a larger image.

Perthshire calls this a miniature, but it is slightly larger than a true miniature.  Although the PP47 was made from 1981 to 2002, the design varied each year.  This particular design was made only in 1996. 

Perthshire was a small company in Crieff, Scotland that was devoted to the creation of quality glass paperweights. They stopped production in January 2002 after more than 30 years of production. Their paperweights were consistently high in quality and yet remained reasonable in price.  There are three books on Perthshire Paperweights.  If you collect Perthshire paperweights, you should have them in your library. 

The birth of Scottish paperweight making is credited to the glass making family of Salvador Ysart, who moved to Crieff, Scotland in 1922. They worked first at John Moncrieff Ltd and made the earliest Scottish paperweights during that period. In 1946 Salvadore and his sons Augustine and Vincent founded Ysart Brothers Glass and produced glass wares under the Vasart label. Salvador Ysart died in 1955 The company name was later changed to Vasart Glass. Stuart Drysdale was hired manage the business side of the enterprise in 1960. The company evolved into a new company Strathearn owned by Teachers Whiskey. In 1967 Drysdale was sent a magazine article on antique paperweights (Woman's Day, July 1965). The inspired him to try to produce weights comparable to the French antiques. With this goal in mind, he and several of the glass workers left Strathearn to found Perthshire in 1968.

Size: 2 1/16" diameter by just over 1 9/16" high.  The base is ground concave. 
Signature:  This paperweight has a Perthshire complex "P1996" signature cane in the base.  It comes with its original box and certificate stating that it is number 102 out of a limited edition of 250 paperweights.  It  also has a Perthshire paper label "PERTHSHIRE PAPERWEIGHTS CRIEFF SCOTLAND". 
Condition:  Excellent condition with no cracks, chips, or scratches.  The previous owner wrote his inventory number (380) on the Perthshire label and on the box. 

For extra pictures, click on the picture at the right and the following links: 

Large picture of the paperweight
Closeup view
Profile view
Signature on base
Picture canes
Certificate
Box
Box with paperweight

For more information about Perthshire Paperweights, see my Perthshire Web Page.

Click on the picture to see a larger image.

Mayauel Ward is one of the premier lampwork artists working today. He started with a glass class taught by Stuart Abelman at El Camino College. After completing his studies, he went to work at Correia Glass where he worked with Ken Rosenfeld.  In 1979 he joined the Abelman Glass Studio where he started making lampwork designs in 1987.  Although he continued to work at Abelman Glass, he also built a studio in his home in Manhattan Beach, CA.  His work is uniquely his own although he gets inspiration from the fine lampwork designs of Paul Stankard and Chris Buzzini.  There are articles about Mayauel Ward in the 1997 and 2006 issues of the Annual Bulletin of the Paperweight Collectors Association.

Size:   2 5/8" diameter by 2 3/8" tall.  The base is ground flat.
Signature:   Signed "Mayauel Ward 2004" on the base. 
Condition:  Excellent condition with no cracks or chips.  I could not find any scratches. 

For extra pictures, click on the picture at the right and the following links: 

Large picture of the paperweight
Close-up View
Profile View
Signature
Side view

For more paperweights by contemporary American paperweight makers, see my Contemporary American Paperweights Web Page.

Click on the picture to see a larger image.

Large Size:  2 7/8" diameter by 1 7/8" high. The base is flat with a ruby stain.  The images of the flowers and butterfly are engraved into the base.  The paperweight has 24 side facets in three rows plus a top facet. 
Condition:  Very poor condition. The base has significant damage from wear as shown in the pictures.  This wear has almost entirely obliterated the ruby stain and the engraved design.  There is also damage to the top facet and some nicks on the side facets.    
Signature:  Unsigned, but I guarantee this is an antique paperweight from Bohemia.  

For extra pictures, click on the picture at the right and the following links: 

Large picture
Top view
Bottom view
Side view
Another bottom view

For more information about Bohemian paperweights, see my Bohemian Paperweights Web Page . 

Click on the picture to see a larger image.

Large Size:  3 1/16" diameter by 1 3/4" high. The base is concave with an amber stain.  The image of the pope is engraved into the base. 
Condition: Poor condition. The base has significant damage from wear as shown in the pictures.  Although the body has only a few minor scratches, it is unlikely that this paperweight could be restored without removing the yellow/amber stain ground.   
Signature:  Unsigned, but I guarantee this is an antique paperweight from Bohemia.  

For extra pictures, click on the picture at the right and the following links: 

Large picture
Close-up View
Bottom view
Profile view
Another bottom view

For more information about Bohemian paperweights, see my Bohemian Paperweights Web Page . 

Click on the picture to see a larger image.

The PP14 was made in a limited edition each year from 1969 to 1994.  The 1969 edition was signed with an "A", 1970 was signed with a "B", and so forth.  This is the only series that Perthshire made in a complete series from A to Z. . 

Perthshire was a small company in Crieff, Scotland that was devoted to the creation of quality glass paperweights. They stopped production in January 2002 after more than 30 years of production. Their paperweights were consistently high in quality and yet remained reasonable in price.

The birth of Scottish paperweight making is credited to the glass making family of Salvador Ysart, who moved to Crieff, Scotland in 1922. They worked first at John Moncrieff Ltd and made the earliest Scottish paperweights during that period. In 1946 Salvadore and his sons Augustine and Vincent founded Ysart Brothers Glass and produced glass wares under the Vasart label. Salvador Ysart died in 1955 The company name was later changed to Vasart Glass. Stuart Drysdale was hired manage the business side of the enterprise in 1960. The company evolved into a new company Strathearn owned by Teachers Whiskey. In 1967 Drysdale was sent a magazine article on antique paperweights (Woman's Day, July 1965). The inspired him to try to produce weights comparable to the French antiques. With this goal in mind, he and several of the glass workers left Strathearn to found Perthshire in 1968.

For extra pictures, click on the picture at the right and the following links: 

Large picture of the paperweight
Close-up view
Profile view
Side view
Bottom with star cut

For more information about Perthshire Paperweights, see my Perthshire Web Page.

In addition to the 1987 S, I also have the PP14 for 1974 F weight in stock.  The PP14s are can be found on a separate Perthshire PP14 Web Page . 

PP14 paperweights in stock:
1974 F weight  $150
1975 G weight  $150   SOLD
1987 S weight  $150

Click on the picture to see a larger image.

Similar examples can be found in the book by von Brackel, Paperweights: Historicism - Art Nouveau - Art Deco - 1842 to Today   See pages 90-95 and figure 507 on page 221. 

Large Size:  2 3/4" diameter by 1 11/16" high. The base is ground flat with a matte finish.  There is a depression remaining from the pontil mark in the center.
Condition: Very good condition for its age.  There are some scratches on the surface and one noticeable 1/16" nick on the side (shown in one of the pictures).   
Signature:  Unsigned, but I guarantee this is paperweight is from the regions described (Bohemia or Silesia or Thuringia) and was most likely made pre-WWII.

For extra pictures, click on the picture at the right and the following links: 

Large picture
Close-up View
Bottom view
Profile view
Another view showing damage on side

For more information about Bohemian paperweights, see my Bohemian Paperweights Web Page . 

Click on the picture to see a larger image.

Sulphides are cast objects (animals, flowers, people) made of a ceramic material that has properties similar to the surrounding glass.  They are normally white, but are also sometimes colored or even painted.  The objects are cast in a mold that copied or made directly from a medallion, coin or sculpture.  The finest French sulphides are cast in a mold made by a skilled artist.  Often a sulphide will have a silvery appearance due to a thin layer of trapped bubbles between the glass and the sulphide itself. 

Large Size:  2 3/4" diameter by just over 2 1/4" high.  The bottom has an unfinished pontil.  
Signature:  Unsigned.  I do not know the maker or country of origin with certainty.  I will however guarantee that this is an antique paperweight most likely from Belgium.  
Condition:  Good to very good condition.  The paperweight displays beautifully.  It has four small circular impact marks near the base, the worst of which is shown in one of the pictures.  There is also a small 3/4" incompatibility fracture below the frit ground.  It is shown in the same picture as the impact mark and does not affect the way the paperweight displays.  There are some minor scratches and one tiny nick on the dome.  There are several larger bubbles in the glass and a line of tiny bubbles above the sulphide.  

For extra pictures, click on the picture at the right and the following links: 

Large picture of the paperweight
Close-up view
Profile view
Bottom with unfinished pontil
Side view showing the sulphide is pressed into the ground
Impact mark and fracture

For more information about sulphide paperweights, see my Sulphide Paperweights Web Page

Click on the picture to see a larger image.

In the United States, the Tariff Act of 1930 required that every imported item must be conspicuously and indelibly marked in English with its country of origin.  As a result, many of these Chinese paperweights are scratch signed on the bottom "CHINA".  Many are also not signed, suggesting that either they were imported prior to 1930 or the importer ignored the requirement.  Most likely the earliest Chinese paperweights were made prior to 1930.

The Chinese makers often combined design features found in paperweights from different makers.  For example they copied the latticinio grounds used by New England Glass Company and used them with copies of Baccarat Pansy weights.  The original Baccarat pansy paperweights never had a latticinio ground.  They copied the pedestal rose from Millville and then used the pedestal bottom with other weights. It is fun to collect all the variations. 

In general, Chinese paperweights from the 1930s have a light weight glass mixture that is high in soda and has a greenish tinge. The glass also has a soft almost oily feel. Frequently they have bubbles or debris in the glass.  And because of their age, many of these have minor scratches or other surface defects.  Chinese paperweights made in the 1970s and later usually have better quality glass and are free of debris. 

Size:  2 1/2” long by 2 1/8" deep 2 1/8" high.
Signature: Unsigned, but I guarantee this is a Chinese paperweight, probably made in the 1970s or later.  
Condition:  Very good condition with only a few minor scratches and no cracks or chips.  The glass appears to be good quality but has a slight green tinge. 

For extra pictures, click on the picture at the right and the following links: 

Large picture of the paperweight
Closeup view
Other side
End view
Base
Top view

For more paperweights from China, see my Chinese Paperweights Web Page.

Click on the picture to see a larger image.

Ray Banford worked in Southampton, NJ.  He started making paperweights in 1971 along with his son, Bob Banford.  He continued to make paperweights until his death in 2003.  Bob and Ray did not date their paperweights.  By 1975 both Ray and Bob were using signature canes, so this paperweight predates that use.

Miniature Size:    2" diameter by 1 3/16" high.  The bottom is ground flat.  
Signature:  Signed on the base "Ray Banford".
Condition:  Very good condition.  One tiny chip (less than 1/16") as shown in the pictures.  No other chips, cracks, or scratches. 

For extra pictures, click on the picture at the right and the following links: 

Large picture of the paperweight
Closeup view
Profile view
Signature on base
Tiny nick

For more paperweights by contemporary American paperweight makers, see my Contemporary American Paperweights Web Page.

Click on the picture to see a larger image.

Please ignore the white glare from the lights.  A similar paperweight by Steven Correia is in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.  The paperweight is incorrectly attributed to Roland R. Correia.

Steven Valentine Correia received his bachelor of arts degree from the University of Hawaii in 1972.  He earned a masters in art degree from UCLA and then a second masters degree in fine art from the University of Hawaii.  He was drawn to sculpture and design.  Steven founded Correia Art Glass in 1973, along with a business partner Roger Roland.  It was one of the first privately owned art glass studios to spearhead the Art Glass Movement in the early 1970’s, creating a new American market for contemporary decorative arts.  The company continued to operate under the artistic guidance of Steven Correia until 1987.  The studio is located in Santa Monica, California and is currently operated by Steven Correia's children Algerine Correia and Jeffrey Correia.

In 1987 Steven Correia left Correia Art Glass and founded Correia Crystal in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania where he focuses his attention on creating sculptural objects.  He also has an interest in large-scale environmental kinetic light sculpture as well as his audio and visual performance art.  Roger Roland withdrew from the partnership in 1975 and established his own independent Roland Art Glass studio in Ketchum, Idaho. 

Additional note on signatures:  The history of Correia is confusing because some of the early paperweights and other art glass were signed "Roland R. Correia".  There are some sites on the internet that give Roger Roland credit for the early paperweights.  The paperweight in the MMA collection is identified as being by Roger Roland Correia.  This is incorrect.  There was no such person.  The signature was misleading.  It was a signature used by the partnership.  It is also possible to find paperweights signed "Roland".  These are distinctly different from the style of Correia Art Glass paperweights.

Small Size:  2 3/8" diameter by 2 1/4" high. The bottom is ground flat. 
Signature:    It is signed on the base "Correia PWMSC2M.16.83.7". 
Condition:  Excellent condition with no cracks or chips.  There is considerable wear and many scratches on the base, but the body is in excellent condition.

For extra pictures, click on the picture at the right and the following links: 

Large picture of the paperweight
Profile view
Back side
Top view
Signature on worn base

For more paperweights by contemporary American paperweight makers, see my Contemporary American Paperweights Web Page.

Click on the picture to see a larger image.

In the United States, the Tariff Act of 1930 required that every imported item must be conspicuously and indelibly marked in English with its country of origin.  As a result, many of these Chinese paperweights are scratch signed on the bottom "CHINA".  Many are also not signed, suggesting that either they were imported prior to 1930 or the importer ignored the requirement.  Most likely the earliest Chinese paperweights were made prior to 1930.

The Chinese makers often combined design features found in paperweights from different makers.  For example they copied the latticinio grounds used by New England Glass Company and used them with copies of Baccarat Pansy weights.  The original Baccarat pansy paperweights never had a latticinio ground.  They copied the pedestal rose from Millville and then used the pedestal bottom with other weights. It is fun to collect all the variations. 

In general, Chinese paperweights from this period have a light weight glass mixture that is high in soda and has a greenish tinge. The glass also has a soft almost oily feel. Frequently they have bubbles or debris in the glass.  And because of their age, many of these have minor scratches or other surface defects.

Size:  2 5/8” long by 1 13/16" tall by 1 3/8" deep.
Signature: Scratch signed on the base with the word "CHINA".  I guarantee that this is an authentic 1930s Chinese paperweight. 
Condition:  Very good condition with no cracks or chips.  Some very minor surface scratches.  As is typical of Chinese paperweights from this period, the glass has a slightly green tint and has some tiny bubbles and debris in it.

For extra pictures, click on the picture at the right and the following links: 

Large picture of the paperweight
Profile view
Another view
Signature on base

For more paperweights from China, see my Chinese Paperweights Web Page.

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The list price for this paperweight in May 2010 was $420.  It is also the current list price shown on the Lundberg web page.  My price is 30% lower. 

In 1970 James Lundberg founded a small "backyard" studio Nouveau Glass in San Jose, California.  He was joined by his brother Steven Lundberg, Daniel Salazar, David Salazar, and several other glass artists.  The first paperweights were made in 1972.  They were known for their surface decorated designs and torchwork and later for their lampwork.  In 1973 the firm was renamed Lundberg Studios and moved to Davenport, California.  James died in an accident in 1991. Steven left Lundberg Studios in 1997 and set up his own studio.  He died from ALS in 2008.   Although in later years, each paperweight produced at Lundberg Studios was signed and dated by the studio and signed by the artist, the earliest paperweights did not have the artists signature.. 

Daniel Salazar is one of the lead gaffers at Lundberg Studios in Davenport, California and is their primary paperweight designer and maker.  He joined Lundberg in 1975. 

Please ignore the white areas in the picture caused by the light. 

Large Size:   2 3/4" diameter by 2 5/16" high. The base is ground concave. 
Signature: Signed on the side near the base "Daniel Salazar Lundberg Studios 1998" along with a registration number "031351".  It also has a Daniel Salazar "D.S." lampwork signature under the ground. 
Condition:  Excellent condition with no cracks, chips or scratches.  

For extra pictures, click on the picture at the right and the following links: 

Large picture of the paperweight
Close-up view
Side view
Profile View
Another View
Signature on edge near base and D.S. lampwork signature

For more paperweights by contemporary American paperweight makers, see my Contemporary American Paperweights Web Page.

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The design is on two layers.  This has all the characteristics of a true whimsy, made in spare time by a glass worker.  I believe this was made in the midwest US in the first half of the 20th century. 

This design is sometimes called an icepick flower design because an icepick type tool is pushed down through the frit later to create the stems for the flowers. 

Very Large Size:   3 1/2" diameter by just over 3 5/8" high.  The bottom is finished flat.
Signature: Unsigned, but I believe this was made in the midwest US in the first half of the 20th century. 
Condition:  Good condition for its age.  It has one faint circular impact mark shown in one of the pictures and minor scratches shown in several views.  The base has considerable wear. 

For extra pictures, click on the picture at the right and the following links: 

Large picture of the paperweight
Side view with scratches
Top view
Profile View
View of faint impact mark on side
Base view

For more vintage American paperweights, see my Vintage American Paperweights Web Page.

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Peter McDougall issued a Christmas paperweight each year.  I have most of these in stock.  Please contact me if you are looking for a different year. 

Peter McDougall started his glassmaking career as an apprentice at Strathearn Glass in Crieff, Scotland back in the 1960s.  When Perthshire was formed in 1968, he left Strathearn to move to Perthshire and worked there in many positions, eventually becoming Manager and Chief Glassmaker.   Perthshire Paperweights closed early in 2002 after the death of the owner Neil Drysdale.  Peter McDougall then made high quality glass paperweights at his own glass studio, PMcD Glass Studio Ltd. in Crieff, Scotland from 2002 until early 2012.  The studio is now closed but Peter plans to continue to make a limited number of paperweights in the future.

Karen Maxwell did the lampwork for this paperweight.  She previously worked at Perthshire Paperweights and is identified as the lampwork artist on several Peter McDougall paperweights.  I was unable to learn anything more about her background. 

Small Size:  2  1/4" diameter by just over 1 3/4" high. 
Condition:  Outstanding condition with no scratches, chips or cracks. 
Signature:  Signed with a complex "PMcD" cane on the base.  It also has a paper label "PMcD Glass Studio LTD, Hand Made in Crieff Scotland." 

For extra pictures, click on the picture at the right and the following links: 

Large picture of the paperweight
Closeup view
Profile view
Bottom showing label, star cut base, and edition number (15/40)
Certificate

For more information about paperweights made by Peter McDougall, see my Peter McDougall Web Page

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Aro Schulze and her husband Dutch Schulze are the owners of the Bandon Glass Art Studio located in Bandon, Oregon.  Along with their son, Logan Schulze, they have been blowing glass and creating cast glass sculpture and cast glass vessels for about 30 years.  Aro Schulze began working with glass in 1989 and fusing hand blown roundels, cane and murrini into one of a kind jewelry.  She made a limited number of very large paperweights inspired by life forms hidden in the tidepools near her coastal home.  I believe she is now retired. 

Please ignore the white areas in the picture caused by the light. 

Very Large Size:   5" diameter by 4 1/2" high.  The base is ground flat.  This paperweight weighs over 5 1/2 pounds (89 ounces). 
Signature:  Signed on the side near the base "Aro Schulze #166 2001". 
Condition:  Excellent with no cracks, chips, or scratches found on inspection except for quite a few scratches on the base. 

For extra pictures, click on the picture at the right and the following links: 

Large picture of the paperweight
Another view
Still another view
And another
Signature near base

For more paperweights by contemporary American paperweight makers, see my Contemporary American Paperweights Web Page.

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Crown weights are considered by some to be the most exciting of all millefiori designs.  They are extremely difficult to make.  Peter McDougall did not make many of these medium crowns. 

Peter McDougall started his glassmaking career as an apprentice at Strathearn Glass in Crieff, Scotland back in the 1960s.  When Perthshire was formed in 1968, he left Strathearn to move to Perthshire and worked there in many positions, eventually becoming Manager and Chief Glassmaker.   Perthshire Paperweights closed early in 2002 after the death of the owner Neil Drysdale.  Peter McDougall then made high quality glass paperweights at his own glass studio, PMcD Glass Studio Ltd. in Crieff, Scotland from 2002 until early 2012.  The studio is now closed but Peter plans to continue to make a limited number of paperweights in the future.

Miniature Size:  Just over 1 3/4" diameter by 1 1/2" high. 
Condition:  Outstanding condition with no scratches, chips or cracks. 
Signature:  Signed with a complex "PMcD" cane on the base.  The signature is distinctive in that it is an early PMcD signature and tiny and can be hard to see without magnification.  There is no paper label on this paperweight. 

For extra pictures, click on the picture at the right and the following links: 

Large picture of the paperweight
Top view
Closeup view
Profile view
Signature

For more information about paperweights made by Peter McDougall, see my Peter McDougall Web Page

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Richard Satava was introduced to glassblowing in 1969 while at Oceana High School in Pacifica, California. He subsequently studied art and glassblowing at the College of San Mateo and California State University, Chico.  He also worked as a technician in the glass shop at CSU, Chico.  In 1977 he founded Satava Art Glass in Chico, CA.  His glass art has several themes, mostly focusing on inspiration from nature.  During the 1990s he started to focus more attention on ocean life and nautical themes based on the jellyfish in the Monterey Bay Aquarium.  He has several different series of jellyfish, depicting them in upright and side swimming positions and also as a unusual flat depiction. 
Please ignore the white areas in the picture caused by the light. 

Very Large Size:   4 1/2" diameter by 4 3/4" high.  The base is ground flat.  This paperweight weighs almost five pounds (77 ounces). 
Signature:  Signed on the base "Satava 1390-04". 
Condition:  Excellent with no cracks, chips, or scratches found on inspection except for some scratches on the base.  There are some striations in the glass. 

For extra pictures, click on the picture at the right and the following links: 

Large picture of the paperweight
Another view
Backside
Front
Signature on base

For more paperweights by contemporary American paperweight makers, see my Contemporary American Paperweights Web Page.

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Perthshire was a small company in Crieff, Scotland that was devoted to the creation of quality glass paperweights. They stopped production in January 2002 after more than 30 years of production. Their paperweights were consistently high in quality and yet remained reasonable in price.  There are three books on Perthshire Paperweights.  If you collect Perthshire paperweights, you should have them in your library. 

The birth of Scottish paperweight making is credited to the glass making family of Salvador Ysart, who moved to Crieff, Scotland in 1922. They worked first at John Moncrieff Ltd and made the earliest Scottish paperweights during that period. In 1946 Salvadore and his sons Augustine and Vincent founded Ysart Brothers Glass and produced glass wares under the Vasart label. Salvador Ysart died in 1955 The company name was later changed to Vasart Glass. Stuart Drysdale was hired manage the business side of the enterprise in 1960. The company evolved into a new company Strathearn owned by Teachers Whiskey. In 1967 Drysdale was sent a magazine article on antique paperweights (Woman's Day, July 1965). The inspired him to try to produce weights comparable to the French antiques. With this goal in mind, he and several of the glass workers left Strathearn to found Perthshire in 1968.

Large Size:  2 15/16" in diameter by 2 1/8" high.  The bottom is ground concave. 
Signature:  It is signed in the center of the design with Perthshire's "P' signature cane and also has a paper label "PERTHSHIRE PAPERWEIGHTS CRIEFF SCOTLAND". 
Condition:  Excellent condition with no cracks, chips, or scratches.  Some minor wear on the base. 

For extra pictures, click on the picture at the right and the following links: 

Large picture of the paperweight
Closeup view
Profile view
Label on bottom

For more information about Perthshire Paperweights, see my Perthshire Web Page.

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This is called a pressed weight because a mold is used to form the shape.  The top is flattened. 

Peter McDougall started his glassmaking career as an apprentice at Strathearn Glass in Crieff, Scotland back in the 1960s.  When Perthshire was formed in 1968, he left Strathearn to move to Perthshire and worked there in many positions, eventually becoming Manager and Chief Glassmaker.   Perthshire Paperweights closed early in 2002 after the death of the owner Neil Drysdale.  Peter McDougall then made high quality glass paperweights at his own glass studio, PMcD Glass Studio Ltd. in Crieff, Scotland from 2002 until early 2012.  The studio is now closed but Peter plans to continue to make a limited number of paperweights in the future.

Small Size:  2 1/8" diameter by 1 1/4" high. 
Condition:  Outstanding condition with no scratches, chips or cracks. 
Signature:  Signed with a complex cane in the design and it also has a paper label "PMcD Glass Studio LTD, Hand Made in Crieff Scotland."  The signature cane was placed upside down in this paperweight reversing the letters. 

For extra pictures, click on the picture at the right and the following links: 

Large picture of the paperweight
Closeup
Profile View
Side view
Peter McDougall Label

For more information about paperweights made by Peter McDougall, see my Peter McDougall Web Page

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Although the execution is somewhat primitive, this is an interesting historical addition to your Pairpoint collection. 

Ignore the white areas, they are glare from the lights. 

Pairpoint Glass has a long history extending back to its earliest origins with Mount Washington Glass in 1837.  Owners and locations changed a number of times and the name Pairpoint was first used in the 1890s.  The original Pairpoint companies were located in New Bedford, Massachusetts.  In 1938, it was reorganized as Gunderson Glass Works by owner Robert Gunderson and later renamed the Gunderson - Pairpoint Glass Works in 1952.  The name was acquired by Robert Bryden and the company moved briefly to East Wareham, MA in 1957 where it operated as the Pairpoint Glass Company.  They leased production facilities in Spain.  The last New Bedford factory burned down in 1965.  In its latest iteration, Robert Bryden moved Pairpoint to Sagamore, Massachusetts in 1970.  It continues to operate at that location today, with new owners in 2015. 

Large Size:  2 11/16" diameter by 1 15/16" high.  The base has a rough pontil. 
Condition:  Very good condition.  There are some tiny nicks in the side and some surface irregularities.  The glass has striations in it and also white flecks from the pot used to melt the glass. 
Signature:  This paperweight has an early Pairpoint paper label on the base. 

For extra pictures, click on the picture at the right and the following links: 

Large picture of the paperweight
Close-up view
Profile view
Side view
Base with label

For more vintage American paperweights, see my Vintage American Paperweights Web Page.

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Unknown maker.  Even though the paperweight is signed, I can't identify the maker.  The placement of the signature suggests a North American maker.

Large Size:   2 15/16" diameter by just over 2 1/2" high.  The base is ground flat. 
Condition:  Excellent Condition.  No cracks or chips or scratches found on inspection. 
Signature:  Signed on the side just above the base.  I could not read the signature.  Dated 8-98. 

For extra pictures, click on the picture at the right and the following links: 

Large picture of the paperweight
Another view
Profile view
Signature

For more information about paperweights by unknown makers, see my Unknown Makers Paperweights Web Page . 

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This paperweight does not appear in the "Perthshire Paperweights - The Final Years", but it is similar to the Miniature Picture Cane Weight issued in 2001. Other than not being in the catalog, the other "wrong" feature is that the canes are uneven length. not production cut to even lengths and it is not as closely packed as we have come to expect from Perthshire weights.  Perthshire was known to produce prototypes to show to dealers and collectors prior to committing to a production design.  This may be such a prototype or may have been made at the request of a collector. 

Perthshire was a small company in Crieff, Scotland that was devoted to the creation of quality glass paperweights. They stopped production in January 2002 after more than 30 years of production. Their paperweights were consistently high in quality and yet remained reasonable in price.  There are three books on Perthshire Paperweights.  If you collect Perthshire paperweights, you should have them in your library. 

The birth of Scottish paperweight making is credited to the glass making family of Salvador Ysart, who moved to Crieff, Scotland in 1922. They worked first at John Moncrieff Ltd and made the earliest Scottish paperweights during that period. In 1946 Salvadore and his sons Augustine and Vincent founded Ysart Brothers Glass and produced glass wares under the Vasart label. Salvador Ysart died in 1955 The company name was later changed to Vasart Glass. Stuart Drysdale was hired manage the business side of the enterprise in 1960. The company evolved into a new company Strathearn owned by Teachers Whiskey. In 1967 Drysdale was sent a magazine article on antique paperweights (Woman's Day, July 1965). The inspired him to try to produce weights comparable to the French antiques. With this goal in mind, he and several of the glass workers left Strathearn to found Perthshire in 1968.

Medium Size:  Just over 2 1/2" in diameter by just under  1 7/8" high.  The bottom is ground concave. 
Signature:  Engraved with a "P" on the side near the base. 
Condition:  Outstanding condition with no cracks, chips, or scratches. 

For extra pictures, click on the picture at the right and the following links: 

Large picture of the paperweight
Closeup view
Profile view
Base with engraved P signature
Side view
Bottom

For more information about Perthshire Paperweights, see my Perthshire Web Page.

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Salamandra Art Glass of Portsmouth, New Hampshire was founded in 1975 by David Bellantone and Todd Phillips with apprentice George Cirocco. Todd Philips was a professional glassblower who studied in Venice, Italy.  David Bellantone had participated in the Haystack School of Crafts on Deer Isle, Maine.  The studio was known for their compound paperweights with multiple layers or depths and was included in a show of paperweights at the Elements Gallery in Greenwich, CT in January 1978.  In May 1977, David Bellantone and Todd Phillips, along with 35 other crafts people, were invited to a White House luncheon hosted by Rosalynn Carter.  The studio stayed in operation until 1991 although it is unclear if all three partners remained with the studio.  George Cirocco later re-opened the studio in 1996 in Dover, New Hampshire and continued until 2009.  Todd Phillips later became the President and CEO of the Quoizel Lighting Company. 

Large Size:   3 1/8" diameter by 2 5/8" high. The base is ground flat. 
Signature: Signed on the base "Salamandra Glass 8/79" 
Condition:  Excellent condition with no cracks or chips.  I found no scratches on inspection other than minor scratches on the base. 

For extra pictures, click on the picture at the right and the following links: 

Large picture of the paperweight
Profile View
Another View
Signature

For more paperweights by contemporary American paperweight makers, see my Contemporary American Paperweights Web Page.

Click on the picture to see a larger image.

Large Size:  2 3/4" diameter by 2 1/16" high.  The bottom is ground flat. 
Condition: Excellent condition. 
Signature:  Made by Baccarat in France in 1997.  Signed with a "B1997" in cane in the design.  The date is reversed.  It also has the acid etch Baccarat logo on the base and "Baccarat" engraved on the side. 

Baccarat was founded in 1776 in Alsace-Lorraine with the name of Verrerie de Sainte Anne.  The original location was near the town of Baccarat.  Today the firm is known as Compagnie des Cristalleries de Baccarat.  Most collectors refer to three periods of Baccarat paperweight production.

•     1845-1860 - Classic period
•     1900-1934 - Dupont period
•     1953 - on - Modern period

Baccarat started making modern millefiori paperweights in 1957.  According to Paul Dunlop ( Baccarat Paperweights:  Two Centuries of Beauty ), Baccarat started making the modern spaced millefiori paperweights on muslin or lace in 1958 and continued making undated examples until the limited editions were started in 1970.  The exception is 1964 when special versions were produced for Baccarat's 200th anniversary.

For extra pictures, click on the picture at the right and the following links: 

Large picture of the paperweight
Closeup view
Profile view
Signature cane
Baccarat logo on base
Baccarat engraved on side
Another closeup
Another view

For more information about Baccarat paperweights, see my Baccarat Paperweights Web Page.

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Rollin Karg spent the first part of his career as an industrial engineer, photographer, potter and woodworker before becoming a full time glass artist in 1983.  He studied hot glass at Emporia State University (Kansas) and built his first glassblowing furnace there.  Today he owns a studio and gallery in Kechi, Kansas. 

Large Size:  2 1/2" at the widest by 3 3./4" tall.  The base is ground flat. 
Condition:  Excellent condition with no scratches, chips or cracks found on inspection. There are some rough spots on the edge of the base probably from when the base was ground flat.  The base also has two holes in it that are the remnants of the pontil scar. 
Signature:  Engraved "KARG" on the side near the base. 

For extra pictures, click on the picture at the right and the following links: 

Large picture of the paperweight
Another view
Still another view
Signature
Bottom

For more paperweights by contemporary American paperweight makers, see my Contemporary American Paperweights Web Page.

Click on the picture to see a larger image.

This paperweight was one of the special annual editions made in only in 2010.  It was designated Collection 2010 Midyear #2. 

Peter McDougall started his glassmaking career as an apprentice at Strathearn Glass in Crieff, Scotland back in the 1960s.  When Perthshire was formed in 1968, he left Strathearn to move to Perthshire and worked there in many positions, eventually becoming Manager and Chief Glassmaker.   Perthshire Paperweights closed early in 2002 after the death of the owner Neil Drysdale.  Peter McDougall then made high quality glass paperweights at his own glass studio, PMcD Glass Studio Ltd. in Crieff, Scotland from 2002 until early 2012.  The studio is now closed but Peter plans to continue to make a limited number of paperweights in the future.

Karen Maxwell did the lampwork for this paperweight.  She previously worked at Perthshire Paperweights and is identified as the lampwork artist on several Peter McDougall paperweights.  I was unable to learn anything more about her background. 

Large Size:  2 13/16" diameter by 2 3/16" high.  The base is ground concave.  It is faceted with a large top facet and 12 side facets. 
Condition:  Outstanding original condition with no scratches, chips or cracks. 
Signature:  Signed with a complex "PMcD 10" signature / date cane next to the fruit.  It also has a paper label "PMcD Glass Studio LTD, Handmade in Crieff Scotland." 

For extra pictures, click on the picture at the right and the following links: 

Large picture of the paperweight
Close-up view
Profile view
Signature and label on bottom
Label

For more information about paperweights made by Peter McDougall, see my Peter McDougall Web Page .

Click on the picture to see a larger image.

This paperweight appears in the later of the two books on St. Louis paperweights, The Art of the Paperweight - Saint Louis (Second Edition - 1995) by Gerard Ingold.  It was issued in a limited edition of 300 paperweights. 

Cristalleries de Saint Louis was founded in 1767 in Lorraine, which became part of France in 1766.  The region was already home to several glassworks.  Paperweight production started at St. Louis in 1845 and most likely continued until about 1860.  Although the modern production of paperweights started in 1952, the output of millefiori and lampwork paperweights was small.  Fewer than 400 lampwork and millefiori paperweights were made between 1952 and 1955.  They were not all signed or dated.  The most successful product of this early revival period was the Queen Elizabeth sulphide which was made to commemorate her coronation in 1953.  After 1955, no additional weights were made at St. Louis until 1965.  In 1965 the factory resumed production of lampwork and millefiori paperweights and then in 1967 they began a series of sulphide weights.  Finally, in 1970 they started producing annual limited edition paperweights.  In addition to the three types already mentioned, millefiori, lampwork, and sulphide paperweights, St. Louis also made a small number of designs with gold inclusions. 

Very Large Size :  3 1/16" diameter by 2 1/16" high.  The bottom is ground concave. 
Signature : Signed with a red, white, and blue complex signature/date cane "SL 1983" on the base.  It also has a gold foil label "CRISTAL SAINT LOUIS FRANCE" on the side. 
Condition :  Excellent condition with no cracks, chips, or scratches. 

For extra pictures, click on the picture at the right and the following links: 

Large picture of the paperweight
Close-up view
Profile View
Side view
St. Louis Signature on the base
Label on side

For more information about paperweights made by the St. Louis factory, see my St. Louis Web Page . 

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A wonderful example of a relatively rare style of paperweight.  Please ignore the white areas in the pictures; they are caused by the light. 

Ed Rithner worked in Wellsburg, West Virginia from 1908 to the 1970s or later.  You can read about Ed Rithner in Jean Melvin's book on American Glass Paperweights and their Makers .  All of Rithner's weights are unsigned. 

Large Size:  Just under 3 3/16" diameter by 1 7/8" high.  The base is fire finished and then ground to a matte finish in the center to remove the pontil mark. The profile is relatively flat. 
Condition:   Excellent condition with no chips, cracks, or scratches found on inspection.  There are some bubbles and minor striations in the glass. 
Signature:  Unsigned, but I guarantee this to be a paperweight by Ed Rithner from 1940 - 1970.  As is typical of Ed Rithner paperweights there are small bubbles in the design.  The bottom finish is typical of Rithner, with the remnants of the pontil mark ground out with a frosted finish. 

For extra pictures, click on the picture at the right and the following links: 

Large picture of the paperweight
Closeup view
Profile view
Bottom View

For more vintage American paperweights, see my Vintage American Paperweights Web Page.

Click on the picture to see a larger image.

This paperweight was one of the special annual editions made in only in 2005.  It was designated Collection 2005 #5. 

Peter McDougall started his glassmaking career as an apprentice at Strathearn Glass in Crieff, Scotland back in the 1960s.  When Perthshire was formed in 1968, he left Strathearn to move to Perthshire and worked there in many positions, eventually becoming Manager and Chief Glassmaker.   Perthshire Paperweights closed early in 2002 after the death of the owner Neil Drysdale.  Peter McDougall then made high quality glass paperweights at his own glass studio, PMcD Glass Studio Ltd. in Crieff, Scotland from 2002 until early 2012.  The studio is now closed but Peter plans to continue to make a limited number of paperweights in the future.

Large Size:  3" diameter by 2 1/16" high. 
Condition:  Outstanding original condition with no scratches, chips or cracks. 
Signature:  Signed with a complex "PMcD" cane on the base.  It also has a paper label "PMcD Glass Studio LTD, Handmade in Crieff Scotland." 

For extra pictures, click on the picture at the right and the following links: 

Large picture of the paperweight
Close-up view
Profile view
Signature and label on bottom

For more information about paperweights made by Peter McDougall, see my Peter McDougall Web Page .

Click on the picture to see a larger image.

The St. Clair line (as far as paperweights are concerned) started with John "Pop" St. Clair, Sr. who worked at the George MacBeth Glass Works in Elwood from around 1903 to 1938.  Local natural gas production faltered in 1938 and the St. Clairs began to develop their ideas for a new business of their own.  Joe did the original experimentation and the business was formally started in 1941 in Elwood, Indiana.  John, Sr. and the brothers John, Jr., Joe, Ed and Bob all participated, while another brother, Paul, did not at first.  By 1944 St. Clair paperweights were being sold through Georg Jenson on Fifth Avenue in New York.  Joe retired for the first time) in 1971 and sold the factory to new owners in Elwood, Indiana.  About the same time, Bob St. Clair and his wife Maude opened a new factory in Elwood.  Paul St. Clair retired from General Motors and joined Bob, along with Ed St. Clair and a nephew, Joe Rice.  Sometime later after Bob opened his factory, the new owners of the original factory sold the factory back to Joe.  So, for a while, there were two St. Clair Glass factories.  Joe St. Clair died in 1987. 

Large Size:   Just over 2 3/4" diameter by 1 7/8" high.  The base is fire finished and then hot stamped with the Joe St. Clair hot stamp signature. 
Condition:  Excellent condition with no chips or cracks. 
Signature:  Hot stamped "JOE ST CLAIR" on the bottom.  This dates from the 1970-1980s.  Joe St. Clair died in 1987.

For extra pictures, click on the picture at the right and the following links: 

Large picture of the paperweight
Closeup
Side view
Hot stamped signature on base

For more information about paperweights made by the St. Clair factory, see my St. Clair Paperweights Web Page

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Josh Simpson has been making magical glass objects including paperweights for over 40 years.  He has long had a fascination with space exploration and is married to Astronaut Cady Coleman.  He is a graduate of Hamilton College and has his own glass studio in Shelburne Falls, Massachusetts.  He focuses on creating objects with a range of color, form, contrast, iridescence, tessellating patterns and complexity. 

There is a great book Josh Simpson: Glass Artist by Andrew Chaikin.  I recommend it highly.

Please ignore the white areas in the picture caused by the light. 

Large Size:  Just under 3 1/8" diameter by 3" high. The base is ground flat.  A previous owner applied rubber bumps to the base to protect the bottom.
Signature:   Signed on the base "Simpson" and the serial number "10.42.13" indicating it was made in 2013. 
Condition:  Excellent condition with no cracks, chips or scratches. 

For extra pictures, click on the picture at the right and the following links: 

Large picture of the paperweight
Closeup view
Profile View
Signature on base
Top view

For more paperweights by contemporary American paperweight makers, see my Contemporary American Paperweights Web Page.

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None of the experts I consulted with could identify this paperweight, but one suggested the millefiori canes might be the work of Friedrich Egermann (1777-1864).  A similar (but finer) paperweight with twists (not slices) laying lengthwise over a similar red, white, and blue frit ground appears in the book Glass Paperweights: The Heritage of the 19th Century Riesengebirge and Isergebirge Glassworks by Marek Kordasiewicz (see page See Figure 126 on page 90).  Kordasiewicz attributes his paperweight to Riesengebirge.  The paperweight in the book has overall faceting in addition to the eight large side facets. It is exactly the same diameter as the paperweight listed here.  The faceting on this paperweight matches pattern 31 in the book Paperweights: Historicism - Art Nouveau - Art Deco - 1842 to Today by Peter von Brackel. 

Large Size:  3 1/2" diameter by 2 5/8" high.  Faceted with eight flat facets cut at the same level above the base.  The base is beveled. 
Condition:  Very good condition for its age although with significant wear on the base.  There are also some small nicks and scratches.  No major damage found.  No cracks.  The glass is gray in color. 
Signature:  Unsigned, but I guarantee this is an antique paperweight, most likely from one of the regions in what used to be Czechoslovakia, possibly from Riesengebirge. 

For extra pictures, click on the picture at the right and the following links: 

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Bottom

For more information about antique paperweights, see my Antique Paperweights Web Page . 

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This is a hard to find Baccarat paperweight.   The design was produced only in 1975 in a limited edition of 260 paperweights.  This is number 164 in that series.  There is a signature cane "B 1975" shown in the pictures.  The bottom has the Baccarat logo plus it is engraved with the year (1975), the number (164) and the size of the series (260).  It is unusual to find a Baccarat paperweight with a white opaque ground as they produced very few designs with this choice of ground.  It works perfectly with the dark purple grape cluster. 

Baccarat currently suggests a retail price of $2,461 for this paperweight, but my price is much lower. 

Very Large Size: Just over 3 1/16" diameter by 2 3/16" high.  The bottom is ground concave. 
Condition: Excellent condition with no cracks or chips or scratches.  It is in perfect original condition. 
Signature:  Made by Baccarat in France in 1975.  Signed in cane and on the bottom. 
Execution:  Perfect execution. 

Baccarat was founded in 1776 in Alsace-Lorraine with the name of Verrerie de Sainte Anne.  The original location was near the town of Baccarat.  Today the firm is known as Compagnie des Cristalleries de Baccarat.  Most collectors refer to three periods of Baccarat paperweight production.

•     1845-1860 - Classic period
•     1900-1934 - Dupont period
•     1953 - on - Modern period

Baccarat started making modern millefiori paperweights in 1957.  According to Paul Dunlop ( Baccarat Paperweights:  Two Centuries of Beauty ), Baccarat started making the modern spaced millefiori paperweights on muslin or lace in 1958 and continued making undated examples until the limited editions were started in 1970.  The exception is 1964 when special versions were produced for Baccarat's 200th anniversary.

For extra pictures, click on the picture at the right and the following links: 

Large picture of the paperweight
Closeup view
Profile view
Signature cane
Signature on base

For more information about Baccarat paperweights, see my Baccarat Paperweights Web Page.

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This design is listed and designated CT-323 on page 53 of the Charlton Standard Catalog of Caithness Paperweights.  It was designed by Colin Terris as part of the Whitefriars Series and issued in 1983 in a limited edition of 250 paperweights, of which only 155 were made.  The original issue price in the US was $350.  It also appears in the book Scottish Paperweights by Robert Hall.  See page 109. 

Caithness Glass was founded by Robin Sinclair in Wick in north eastern Scotland in 1961.  The factory did not start making paperweights until 1962 when Paul Ysart joined Caithness.  Colin Terris joined Caithness in 1968 and started the modern line of paperweights in 1969.  A second factory was opened in Oban in 1969 and the Perth factory opened in 1979. 

In 1980, Caithness purchased the Whitefriars name, tools, glass formulas, and designs.  Caithness produced paperweights under the Whitefriars label starting in 1983.  This design "The Zodiac " was one of the first such Whitefriars designs produced under the Caithness name.  More recently Caithness recently went through a number of changes of ownership.  After going into receivership in 2004, it was purchased by Edinburgh Crystal, but went into receivership again in 2006.  Finally, it was bought out of receivership by Dartington Crystal.  The factories in Wick, Oban and Perth all closed and were replaced by a smaller operation and visitors' center in Crieff.

Modern Whitefriars paperweights are prized by collectors for their high quality glass and millefiori designs.  The limited edition paperweights with mosaic canes are especially sought after.  The name Whitefriars Glass dates from sometime in the 1600s.  The original site had been occupied by a community of Carmelite monks known as White Friars, hence the name taken by the glass company.  Some sources state that at least a portion of the company operated under the name of James Powell and Sons from 1834 to 1962.  Other sources state that the Whitefriars name was used from 1680 to 1980. 

Large Size:  3 1/8" diameter by just under 2 1/4" high.  The base is ground flat. The paperweight has a unique overlay of pink and white latticino rods and is faceted with a large top facet and six side facets. 
Condition:  Excellent condition.  No chips or cracks or scratches found on inspection. 
Signature:  It is signed on the base with an acid etch "WHITEFRIARS THE ZODIAC" and the engraved number "23/250".  It comes with its original certificate and box. 

For extra pictures, click on the picture at the right and the following links: 

Large picture of the paperweight
Closeup
Profile
Signature on base
Side view
Certificate
Box
Inside of Box

For more information about paperweights made by Scottish makers, see my Scottish Paperweights Web Page

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Sulphide Paperweights are those that contain cast objects (animals, flowers, people) made of a ceramic material that has properties similar to the surrounding glass.  They are normally white, but are also sometimes colored or even painted.  The objects are cast in a mold that copied or made directly from a medallion, coin or sculpture.  Often the object is surrounded by a millefiori or lampwork garland, but it may also appear alone.  The finest sulphides are cast in a mold made by a skilled artist. 

The St. Clair line (as far as paperweights are concerned) started with John "Pop" St. Clair, Sr. who worked at the George MacBeth Glass Works in Elwood from around 1903 to 1938.  Local natural gas production faltered in 1938 and the St. Clairs began to develop their ideas for a new business of their own.  Joe did the original experimentation and the business was formally started in 1941 in Elwood, Indiana.  John, Sr. and the brothers John, Jr., Joe, Ed and Bob all participated, while another brother, Paul, did not at first.  By 1944 St. Clair paperweights were being sold through Georg Jenson on Fifth Avenue in New York.  Joe retired for the first time) in 1971 and sold the factory to new owners in Elwood, Indiana.  About the same time, Bob St. Clair and his wife Maude opened a new factory in Elwood.  Paul St. Clair retired from General Motors and joined Bob, along with Ed St. Clair and a nephew, Joe Rice.  Sometime later after Bob opened his factory, the new owners of the original factory sold the factory back to Joe.  So, for a while, there were two St. Clair Glass factories.  Joe St. Clair died in 1987. 

Very Large Size:   3 5/8" diameter by 4 1/2" high.  The base is ground flat with a matte finish.  It weighs just over three pounds. 
Condition:  Excellent condition with no chips or cracks.  There are a few small bubbles in the glass. 
Signature:  Hot stamped signature on the base "MAUDE AND BOB ST. CLAIR 1975". 

For extra pictures, click on the picture at the right and the following links: 

Large picture of the paperweight
Another View
Still another view
Back view
Hot stamped signature on base

For more information about paperweights made by the St. Clair factory, see my St. Clair Paperweights Web Page

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Ed Rithner worked in Wellsburg, West Virginia from 1908 to the 1970s or later.  You can read about Ed Rithner in Jean Melvin's book on American Glass Paperweights and their Makers .  All of Rithner's weights are unsigned. 

Very Large Size:  3 3/16" diameter by 2 5/8" high.  The base is fire finished and then ground to a matte finish in the center to remove the pontil mark. 
Condition:  Very good condition with no serious condition issues.   There are a few tiny scratches on the surface and striations in the glass. 
Signature:  Unsigned, but I guarantee this to be a paperweight by Ed Rithner from 1940 - 1970.  As is typical of Ed Rithner paperweights there are small bubbles in the design.  The bottom finish is typical of Rithner, with the remnants of the pontil mark ground out with a frosted finish.  The glass has a slight tint of color. 

For extra pictures, click on the picture at the right and the following links: 

Large picture of the paperweight
Top View
Profile view
Bottom View

For more vintage American paperweights, see my Vintage American Paperweights Web Page.

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Perthshire made this paperweight as one of their Annual Collection for 1980.  This means the design was made only that one year and never again.  The edition size for this paperweight was 400 weights, but only 285 were made.  Each year's Annual Collection designs were lettered to indicated this special status.  In 1980, there were nine Annual Collection designs, designated 1980A through 1980I. 

Perthshire was a small company in Crieff, Scotland that was devoted to the creation of quality glass paperweights. They stopped production in January 2002 after more than 30 years of production. Their paperweights were consistently high in quality and yet remained reasonable in price.  There are three books on Perthshire Paperweights.  If you collect Perthshire paperweights, you should have them in your library. 

The birth of Scottish paperweight making is credited to the glass making family of Salvador Ysart, who moved to Crieff, Scotland in 1922. They worked first at John Moncrieff Ltd and made the earliest Scottish paperweights during that period. In 1946 Salvadore and his sons Augustine and Vincent founded Ysart Brothers Glass and produced glass wares under the Vasart label. Salvador Ysart died in 1955 The company name was later changed to Vasart Glass. Stuart Drysdale was hired manage the business side of the enterprise in 1960. The company evolved into a new company Strathearn owned by Teachers Whiskey. In 1967 Drysdale was sent a magazine article on antique paperweights (Woman's Day, July 1965). The inspired him to try to produce weights comparable to the French antiques. With this goal in mind, he and several of the glass workers left Strathearn to found Perthshire in 1968.

Very Large Size :  Just under 3 1/4" diameter by just under 2 1/2" high.  The base is ground concave. 
Signature:  This paperweight has a Perthshire complex "P1980" signature cane in the base. 
Condition: Excellent condition with no cracks, chips, or scratches. 

For extra pictures, click on the picture at the right and the following links: 

Large picture of the paperweight
Closeup view
Profile view
Signature Cane on base
Five picture canes and signature cane

For more information about Perthshire Paperweights, see my Perthshire Web Page.

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Note:  The bowl is not as deep as what would be expected for a wine glass.  It is possible that it has been cut down or that the intended purpose was different (e.g., a candle holder). 

At first I thought the glued construction was unusual, but von Brackel discusses multiple examples of two part paperweights glued together from this region (France, Germany, Bavaria) in his book Paperweights: Historicism - Art Nouveau - Art Deco - 1842 to Today.      See pages 202-205. 

Meisenthal is in north-eastern France (originally part of Alsace Lorraine).  The village is famous for the Centre International d’Art Verrier (CIAV; international center for studio glass).  Glass has been produced in Meisenthal since the early 18th century, and since the 19th century Christmas decorations from Meisenthal were famous – some say they were invented there.

Large Size:  The bowl is 2 13/16” in diameter, the paperweight stem is 1 7/8” diameter, and the foot is 3 ¾” in diameter.  The entire chalice is 5 7/8” high. 
Condition:  Excellent condition.  No damage found. 
Signature:  Unsigned, but I guarantee this is an antique paperweight chalice, most likely from the border area between France and Germany. 

For extra pictures, click on the picture at the right and the following links: 

Large picture
Close-up View
Star cut in base of bowl
View of joint
View of foot

For more information about antique paperweights, see my Antique Paperweights Web Page . 

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This is often called a pressed weight because a mold is used to form the outside ribbing or flutes.  The top is flattened.  The ribbing gives the glass a real glittery appearance as you can see in the picture. 

Perthshire was a small company in Crieff, Scotland that was devoted to the creation of quality glass paperweights. They stopped production in January 2002 after more than 30 years of production. Their paperweights were consistently high in quality and yet remained reasonable in price.  There are three books on Perthshire Paperweights.  If you collect Perthshire paperweights, you should have them in your library. 

The birth of Scottish paperweight making is credited to the glass making family of Salvador Ysart, who moved to Crieff, Scotland in 1922. They worked first at John Moncrieff Ltd and made the earliest Scottish paperweights during that period. In 1946 Salvadore and his sons Augustine and Vincent founded Ysart Brothers Glass and produced glass wares under the Vasart label. Salvador Ysart died in 1955 The company name was later changed to Vasart Glass. Stuart Drysdale was hired manage the business side of the enterprise in 1960. The company evolved into a new company Strathearn owned by Teachers Whiskey. In 1967 Drysdale was sent a magazine article on antique paperweights (Woman's Day, July 1965). The inspired him to try to produce weights comparable to the French antiques. With this goal in mind, he and several of the glass workers left Strathearn to found Perthshire in 1968.

Miniature Size:  1 7/8" diameter by 1 3/8" high.  The base is ground concave. 
Condition:  Excellent condition with no scratches, chips or cracks.  Some wear on the base. 
Signature:  Signed with a Perthshire "P" signature cane in the center of the design.  This paperweight does not have a Perthshire paper label. 

For extra pictures, click on the picture at the right and the following links: 

Large picture of the paperweight
Closeup view
Profile view
Base

For more information about Perthshire Paperweights, see my Perthshire Web Page.

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Scottish makers have a history of making candy dishes and other shapes out of paperweights when they realize that the product is flawed in some way.  I suspect that they also make these dishes to order.  In this case, I can see no flaws.  A paperweight of this design was originally made by Perthshire exclusively for L.H. Selman, Ltd., so it is possible Peter continued to make the design for Selman after Perthshire closed. 

Peter McDougall started his glassmaking career as an apprentice at Strathearn Glass in Crieff, Scotland back in the 1960s.  When Perthshire was formed in 1968, he left Strathearn to move to Perthshire and worked there in many positions, eventually becoming Manager and Chief Glassmaker.   Perthshire Paperweights closed early in 2002 after the death of the owner Neil Drysdale.  Peter McDougall then made high quality glass paperweights at his own glass studio, PMcD Glass Studio Ltd. in Crieff, Scotland from 2002 until early 2012.  The studio is now closed but Peter plans to continue to make a limited number of paperweights in the future.

Large Size:  3 3/4" diameter by 1 1/2" high. The base is ground concave. 
Condition:  Outstanding condition with no scratches, chips or cracks. 
Signature:  Signed with a paper label "PMcD Glass Studio LTD, Hand Made in Crieff Scotland." 

For extra pictures, click on the picture at the right and the following links: 

Large picture of the pin dish
Close-up view
Profile view
Bottom with label
Side view

For more information about paperweights made by Peter McDougall, see my Peter McDougall Web Page .

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Special thanks to Richard More's Strathearn website https://strathearn.smugmug.com/ for providing the background information on this paperweight.  According to Richard More, the P4 always had three stamen and had a flat base.  This paperweight, however, appears to have only one stamen and the base is ground concave in the center.  The Perthshire PP9 is similar but has a looser design. 

Note:  I had trouble taking pictures due to the gray color of the glass.  As a result, some of the pictures are dark. 

The birth of Scottish paperweight making is credited to the glass making family of Salvador Ysart, who moved to Crieff, Scotland in 1922.  They worked first at John Moncrieff Ltd and made the earliest Scottish paperweights during that period.  In 1946 Salvadore and his sons Augustine and Vincent founded Ysart Brothers Glass and produced glass wares under the Vasart label.  Salvador Ysart died in 1955  The company name was later changed to Vasart Glass.  Strathearn Glass was formed in a reorganization of Vasart glass in 1963.  The new company was owned by Teachers Whiskey.  The factory was taken over by Stuart Glass in 1980, and renamed Stuart Strathearn Ltd.  Production ceased in 1992.

Large Size:   Just under 2 3/4” diameter by 2 1/4” high.  The base is ground concave in the center. 
Condition:  Very good condition.  There are a couple of tiny nicks on the edge of the base and some minor scratches on the base.  No other damage. 
Signature:  The paperweight has a worn paper label "STRATHEARN HAND MADE IN SCOTLAND". 

For extra pictures, click on the picture at the right and the following links: 

Large picture of the paperweight
Profile View
Label
Top view
Another top view

For more information about paperweights made by Scottish makers, see my Scottish Paperweights Web Page

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A.V.E.M. or Arte Vetraria Muranese was founded on the Island of Murano in Venice, Italy in 1932.  For more details see pages 48 & 49 of the book Fifties Glass by Leslie Pina.  The figural paperweights on page 49 are similar to this paperweight.

Very Large Size:  Approximately 3 3/8" diameter by 3 1/4" high.  The paperweight weighs 28.1 ounces. The base has been ground flat. 
Condition:    Excellent condition.  Some wear on the base. 
Signature:  Unsigned, but I believe this paperweight was made at the AVEM factory on the island of Murano in Venice, Italy. 

For extra pictures, click on the picture at the right and the following links: 

Large picture of the paperweight
Another view
Profile View
Bottom View
Top view
Back view

For more information about Murano paperweights, see my Murano Paperweights Web Page . 

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This design was produced in 1979.  It is not listed as a limited edition, but the individual paperweights were numbered sequentially.  This is number 17 in that series.  There is a signature cane "B 1979" shown in the pictures.  The bottom has the acid etched Baccarat logo plus it is engraved with the year (1979) and the number (17). 

Baccarat started making modern millefiori paperweights in 1957.  According to Paul Dunlop ( Baccarat Paperweights:  Two Centuries of Beauty ), Baccarat started making the modern spaced millefiori paperweights on muslin or lace in 1958 and continued making undated examples until the limited editions were started in 1970.  The exception is 1964 when special versions were produced for Baccarat's 200th anniversary.

Large Size:  3 1/16" diameter by  just over 2 1/16" high.  The bottom is ground flat. 
Signature:  Made by Baccarat in France in 1979.  Signed on the bottom with the Baccarat logo and with a "B1979" signature cane. 
Condition:    Excellent condition with no cracks or chips.   There are some minor scratches on the bottom. 

Baccarat was founded in 1776 in Alsace-Lorraine with the name of Verrerie de Sainte Anne.  The original location was near the town of Baccarat.  Today the firm is known as Compagnie des Cristalleries de Baccarat.  Most collectors refer to three periods of Baccarat paperweight production.

•     1845-1860 - Classic period
•     1900-1934 - Dupont period
•     1953 - on - Modern period

For extra pictures, click on the picture at the right and the following links: 

Large picture of the paperweight
Close-up view
Profile view
Signature
Another view of signature showing "17" better
Signature cane

For more information about Baccarat paperweights, see my Baccarat Paperweights Web Page.

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Although many people collect scramble paperweights for their own merit, scrambles are also valuable tools for learning to identify the different colors and canes used by each factory. 

New England Glass Company (NEGC) operated in Cambridge, Massachusetts from 1818 to 1888.  You can read about paperweights from the New England Glass Company in the book by Hawley, The Art of the Paperweight  - The Boston & Sandwich and New England Glass Companies .

Size:   Just under 2 3/4” diameter by 1 5/8” high.  The bottom is ground concave. 
Signature:  This paperweight is not signed, but I guarantee it to be an authentic antique New England Glass Company paperweight. 
Condition:  Fair condition for its age.  The surface has noticeable scratches.  There is one internal compatibility fracture.  No other cracks, impact marks, or chips.  The bottom shows considerable wear. 

For extra pictures, click on the picture at the right and the following links: 

Large picture of the paperweight
Close-up View
Profile View
Bottom View
Mystery cane
Star cane
Two eagle canes visible from bottom
View of compatibility fracture

For more information about Antique Paperweights, see my Antique Paperweights Web Page.

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Chinese Paperweights were made in the late 1920s and throughout the 1930s as an attempt to duplicate 19th Century antique weights made in the United States and France.  Because they are almost 100 years old, they are very collectible and every collector should own a few of these as study pieces.  The history of the early Chinese paperweights is mostly anecdotal as no written records have been discovered.  The story is that an American dealer sent examples of paperweights made by the New England Glass Company (NEGC), Boston & Sandwich Glass Company (B&S), Millville makers, and French factories to a Chinese factory and requested copies be made.  The results are interesting and sometimes confused with the originals by inexperienced collectors.  The earliest pictures of these paperweights appeared in the book American Glass Paperweights by Francis Edgar Smith published in 1939.  Smith was aware that at least one of the paperweights shown in his book was Chinese.  Since Smith was not an expert collector, this indicates that there was some general knowledge that these were Chinese prior to 1939.

In the United States, the Tariff Act of 1930 required that every imported item must be conspicuously and indelibly marked in English with its country of origin.  As a result, many of these Chinese paperweights are scratch signed on the bottom "CHINA".  Many are also not signed, suggesting that either they were imported prior to 1930 or the importer ignored the requirement.  Most likely the earliest Chinese paperweights were made prior to 1930.

The Chinese makers often combined design features found in paperweights from different makers.  For example they copied the latticinio grounds used by New England Glass Company and used them with copies of Baccarat Pansy weights.  The original Baccarat pansy paperweights never had a latticinio ground.  They copied the pedestal rose from Millville and then used the pedestal bottom with other weights.  It is fun to collect all the variations.

In general, Chinese paperweights from this period have a light weight glass mixture that is high in soda and has a greenish tinge. The glass also has a soft almost oily feel. Frequently they have bubbles or debris in the glass.  And because of their age, many of these have minor scratches or other surface defects.

Very Large Size:    3 1/8” diameter by 1 9/16"  high.  The base is fire finished and the center of the base is ground.  The profile is relatively low, as is typical of Chinese paperweights from this period. 
Signature: Scratch signed "CHINA" on the base. 
Condition:  Very good condition, perhaps better than the typical Chinese paperweight from this period.  Some tiny surface blemishes.  No chips and no cracks.  The glass has a soft oily feel.   There are bubbles and debris in the glass.

For extra pictures, click on the picture at the right and the following links: 

Large picture of the paperweight
Close-up view
Profile view
Bottom view with CHINA signature
Side view

For more information about paperweights from China, see my Chinese Paperweights Web Page

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Perthshire made this paperweight as one of their Annual Collection for 1977.  This means the design was made only that one year and never again.  The edition size for this paperweight was 500 weights, but only 315 were made, thus making this one of the rarer Perthshire paperweights.  Each year's Annual Collection designs were lettered to indicated this special status.  In 1977, there were six Annual Collection designs, designated 1977A through 1977F. 

Perthshire was a small company in Crieff, Scotland that was devoted to the creation of quality glass paperweights. They stopped production in January 2002 after more than 30 years of production. Their paperweights were consistently high in quality and yet remained reasonable in price.  There are three books on Perthshire Paperweights.  If you collect Perthshire paperweights, you should have them in your library. 

The birth of Scottish paperweight making is credited to the glass making family of Salvador Ysart, who moved to Crieff, Scotland in 1922. They worked first at John Moncrieff Ltd and made the earliest Scottish paperweights during that period. In 1946 Salvadore and his sons Augustine and Vincent founded Ysart Brothers Glass and produced glass wares under the Vasart label. Salvador Ysart died in 1955 The company name was later changed to Vasart Glass. Stuart Drysdale was hired manage the business side of the enterprise in 1960. The company evolved into a new company Strathearn owned by Teachers Whiskey. In 1967 Drysdale was sent a magazine article on antique paperweights (Woman's Day, July 1965). The inspired him to try to produce weights comparable to the French antiques. With this goal in mind, he and several of the glass workers left Strathearn to found Perthshire in 1968.

Small Size :  Just under 2 1/8" diameter by 1 7/16" high.  Perthshire calls it a miniature but it is slightly larger than a true miniature.  It is faceted with one large top facet and 16 side facets (eight large and eight smaller facets).  There is an extra tiny facet near the base where the "P" signature is engraved in reverse.  The base is ground concave and finished with a strawberry (grid) cut. 
Signature :  Engraved with a reversed "P" on a tiny facet near the base.  It also has a Perthshire paper label "PERTHSHIRE PAPERWEIGHTS CRIEFF SCOTLAND" on the base.  It comes with its original box and original certificate identifying this as #108 out of a limited edition of 500 weights. 
Condition :  Outstanding condition with no cracks, chips, or scratches. 

For extra pictures, click on the picture at the right and the following links: 

Large picture of the paperweight
Profile view
Base with label and engraved P signature (reversed)
Close-up showing Engraved P signature viewed from the top
Box
Box with paperweight and certificate
Certificate

For more information about Perthshire Paperweights, see my Perthshire Web Page.

Click on the picture to see a larger image.

Although many people collect scramble paperweights for their own merit, scrambles are also valuable tools for learning to identify the different colors and canes used by each factory. 

New England Glass Company (NEGC) operated in Cambridge, Massachusetts from 1818 to 1888.  You can read about paperweights from the New England Glass Company in the book by Hawley, The Art of the Paperweight  - The Boston & Sandwich and New England Glass Companies .

Size:   2 1/2” diameter by 1 1/2” high.  The bottom is ground concave. 
Signature:  This paperweight is not signed, but I guarantee it to be an authentic antique New England Glass Company paperweight. 
Condition:  Excellent condition for its age with no noticeable scratches.  No cracks, impact marks, or chips. 

For extra pictures, click on the picture at the right and the following links: 

Large picture of the paperweight
Close-up View
Profile View
Bottom View
Side view
Another side view
Third side view

For more information about Antique Paperweights, see my Antique Paperweights Web Page.

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Pairpoint Glass has a long history extending back to its earliest origins with Mount Washington Glass in 1837.  Owners and locations changed a number of times and the name Pairpoint was first used in the 1890s.  The original Pairpoint companies were located in New Bedford, Massachusetts.  In 1938, it was reorganized as Gunderson Glass Works by owner Robert Gunderson and later renamed the Gunderson - Pairpoint Glass Works in 1952.  The name was acquired by Robert Bryden and the company moved briefly to East Wareham, MA in 1957 where it operated as the Pairpoint Glass Company.  They leased production facilities in Spain.  The last New Bedford factory burned down in 1965.  In its latest iteration, Robert Bryden moved Pairpoint to Sagamore, Massachusetts in 1970.  It continues to operate at that location today, with new owners in 2015. 

Large Size:  3" diameter by 4 1/4" high.  The base is 2 3/4" in diameter and has a rough pontil. 
Condition:  Excellent condition.  No damage found. 
Signature:  Unsigned but I guarantee this paperweight to be by Pairpoint Glass. 

For extra pictures, click on the picture at the right and the following links: 

Large picture of the paperweight
Close-up view
Back view
Another view
Base

For more vintage American paperweights, see my Vintage American Paperweights Web Page.

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Note:  In this example the flower separated slightly from the stem during the stem during encasement.

Chinese Paperweights were made in the late 1920s and throughout the 1930s as an attempt to duplicate 19th Century antique weights made in the United States and France.  Because they are almost 100 years old, they are very collectible and every collector should own a few of these as study pieces.  The history of the early Chinese paperweights is mostly anecdotal as no written records have been discovered.  The story is that an American dealer sent examples of paperweights made by the New England Glass Company (NEGC), Boston & Sandwich Glass Company (B&S), Millville makers, and French factories to a Chinese factory and requested copies be made.  The results are interesting and sometimes confused with the originals by inexperienced collectors.  The earliest pictures of these paperweights appeared in the book American Glass Paperweights by Francis Edgar Smith published in 1939.  Smith was aware that at least one of the paperweights shown in his book was Chinese.  Since Smith was not an expert collector, this indicates that there was some general knowledge that these were Chinese prior to 1939.

In the United States, the Tariff Act of 1930 required that every imported item must be conspicuously and indelibly marked in English with its country of origin.  As a result, many of these Chinese paperweights are scratch signed on the bottom "CHINA".  Many are also not signed, suggesting that either they were imported prior to 1930 or the importer ignored the requirement.  Most likely the earliest Chinese paperweights were made prior to 1930.

The Chinese makers often combined design features found in paperweights from different makers.  For example they copied the latticinio grounds used by New England Glass Company and used them with copies of Baccarat Pansy weights.  The original Baccarat pansy paperweights never had a latticinio ground.  They copied the pedestal rose from Millville and then used the pedestal bottom with other weights.  It is fun to collect all the variations.

In general, Chinese paperweights from this period have a light weight glass mixture that is high in soda and has a greenish tinge. The glass also has a soft almost oily feel. Frequently they have bubbles or debris in the glass.  And because of their age, many of these have minor scratches or other surface defects.

Size:      2 11/16" diameter by 2" high.  The bottom is ground flat. 
Signature:      Unsigned but I guarantee that this is from China and dates from about 1930. 
Condition:  Very good condition.  There are some minor scratches on the body and one 3/16" chip on one side.  The base has age appropriate wear.  As is typical to weights of this type, the glass has some debris and tiny bubbles.  As with Chinese paperweights from this period, this paperweight has a greenish tinge and a soft almost oily feel.   In this example the flower separated slightly from the stem during the stem during encasement. 

For extra pictures, click on the picture at the right and the following links: 

Large picture of the paperweight
Close-up view
Profile view
Chip on side
Bottom view

For more information about paperweights from China, see my Chinese Paperweights Web Page.

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Please ignore the glare from the lights.  I had difficulty photographing this paperweight because of the high dome. 

Debbie Tarsitano has been making wonderful paperweights since 1972, when she and her father Delmo Tarsitano set up a glass studio to explore a shared obsession with glass.  While developing her glass artwork, Debbie earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts and an Associate Degree in Journalism from Hofstra University, Long Island, NY.  Her work has evolved from simple floral paperweights in the 1970s to contemporary sculptural expressions.  The results are powerful, fresh images encased in glass.  Her florals are outstanding.  A formally trained painter, her passions lie in creating work that goes beyond traditional glass, building a bridge to the greater world of art.  She has collaborated with many internationally known glass artists, including Roland (Max) Erlacher, Ed Poore, Dino Rosin, Jiri Harcuba, and others.

Debbie and Delmo Tarsitano shared the same signature cane, feeling that their work was individual and distinctive and collectors would have no difficulty distinguishing between their art.  Although they did not date their work, the signature cane changed over time and provided approximate dates for the works.  The cane in this paperweight was used from about 1978 until 1980.  See Andrew Dohan's Dictionary of Paperweight Signature Canes for more information on the Tarsitano signature canes. 

Size:    2 9/16" diameter by 2 3/16"" high.  The base is ground concave.  Very high dome.  I had difficulty photographing this paperweight because of the high dome. 
Signature: Signed at the base of the stem with the Delmo and Debbie Tarsitano conjoined "DT" signature cane.  This cane was use from about 1978 to 1980. 
Condition:  Excellent condition.  No cracks, chips or scratches found on inspection, with the exception of one faint (about 1/8") scratch on the side. 

For extra pictures, click on the picture at the right and the following links: 

Large picture of the paperweight
Closeup view
Signature
Bottom
Another view
Scratch on side (about 1/8")
Another view

For more paperweights by contemporary American paperweight makers, see my Contemporary American Paperweights Web Page.

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The birth of Scottish paperweight making is credited to the glass making family of Salvador Ysart, who moved to Crieff, Scotland in 1922.  They worked first at John Moncrieff Ltd and made the earliest Scottish paperweights during that period.  In 1946 Salvadore and his sons Augustine and Vincent founded Ysart Brothers Glass and produced glass wares under the Vasart label.  Salvador Ysart died in 1955  The company name was later changed to Vasart Glass.  Strathearn Glass was formed in a reorganization of Vasart glass in 1963. 

John Deacons learned his craft at Strathearn Glass in Crieff, Scotland in 1967. When Perthshire was formed in 1968, he left Strathearn to move to Perthshire and worked there for 10 years before leaving in 1978 to start his own glass studio. He has produced paperweights and other glass objects under a variety of labels, including J Glass, St. Kilda, and now under his own name. The St. Kilda line was produced from 1978 or 1979 through 1987.  You can read about John Deacons in the book by Hall - Scottish Paperweights .

Size:  Just over 2 3/8" diameter by just under 1 3/4" high. The bottom fire finished (not perfectly smooth) and then ground concave in the center. 
Condition:  Excellent condition with no scratches, chips or cracks. 
Signature:  Signed with the St. Kilda "StK 1987" signature cane in the design. 

For extra pictures, click on the picture at the right and the following links: 

Large picture of the paperweight
Close-up view
Profile view
Signature
Bottom

For more information about paperweights made by Scottish makers, see my Scottish Paperweights Web Page

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Perthshire made this paperweight as one of their first annual collection items.  This means the design was made only that one year and never again.  They made a crown weight as the annual collection item for 1969.  In 1970, they made a dragonfly paperweight and a flash overlay millefiori weight.  There were four annual collection weights for 1971 and only three annual collection weights for 1972.  1972C paperweights have sold for $230 to $460 in Selman's auctions. 

Perthshire was a small company in Crieff, Scotland that was devoted to the creation of quality glass paperweights. They stopped production in January 2002 after more than 30 years of production. Their paperweights were consistently high in quality and yet remained reasonable in price.

The birth of Scottish paperweight making is credited to the glass making family of Salvador Ysart, who moved to Crieff, Scotland in 1922. They worked first at John Moncrieff Ltd and made the earliest Scottish paperweights during that period. In 1946 Salvadore and his sons Augustine and Vincent founded Ysart Brothers Glass and produced glass wares under the Vasart label. Salvador Ysart died in 1955 The company name was later changed to Vasart Glass. Stuart Drysdale was hired manage the business side of the enterprise in 1960. The company evolved into a new company Strathearn owned by Teachers Whiskey. In 1967 Drysdale was sent a magazine article on antique paperweights (Woman's Day, July 1965). The inspired him to try to produce weights comparable to the French antiques. With this goal in mind, he and several of the glass workers left Strathearn to found Perthshire in 1968.

Miniature Size :  1 15/16" diameter by just over 1 7/16" high.  The bottom is ground concave. 
Signature : Signed with a Perthshire "P" in the center. There is no paper label. 
Condition :  Excellent condition with no cracks, chips, or scratches. 

For extra pictures, click on the picture at the right and the following links: 

Large picture of the paperweight
Close-up view
Side view
Bottom

For more information about Perthshire Paperweights, see my Perthshire Web Page.

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This style of paperweight is attributed to Alex Stelzer, a Czechoslovakian immigrant glass worker, who worked at Libbey Glass in Toledo Ohio from 1907 to 1948.  It is a folk weights made by the glass worker in his free time and often given away.  Stelzer had a friendship with Arthur Gorham, a well known paperweight collector and dealer who sold paperweights in his shop in Millville New Jersey.  The Stelzer name is spelled in some places as Steltzer.  The only printed reference I would find on Alex Stelzer was in the 1970 edition of Jean Melvin's American Glass Paperweights and their Makers.

Very Large Size:  3 1/2" diameter by 3 1/8" high.  The bottom is ground flat with a matte finish. 
Signature: Unsigned, but I guarantee this to be an authentic Toledo style paperweight, most likely by Alex Stelzer of Libbey Glass. 
Condition:  Excellent condition. 

For extra pictures, click on the picture at the right and the following links: 

Large picture of the paperweight
Top View

For more vintage American paperweights, see my Vintage American Paperweights Web Page.

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The umbrella shaped weights were originally modeled to resemble the wild tiger lily of Southern New Jersey.  You can read about umbrella weights from Millville in the book Old Glass Paperweights of Southern New Jersey:  An American Folk Art by Clarence A. Newell .   It is not possible to identify the exact maker, but John Ruhlander, Emil Stanger, Marcus Kuntz, and Horace Rhubarth, and Ralph Barber are all known to have made weights of this style.  Sometimes the style is also used as part of an inkwell or other object. 

Large Size :  Just under 3 1/3" diameter by 3 3/5" high.  The diameter of the foot is 3".  The bottom is finished although there is some remnant of the pontil mark. 
Signature :  No signature, but I guarantee that this is an authentic Millville umbrella paperweight from the period 1860-1912. 
Condition :  Very Good.  This paperweight has scratches on the side and some on the top plus good wear on the base.  Although the scratches are noticeable, the paperweight displays well.  No chips and no cracks. 
Execution : Very good.  Very well executed design that is well centered and displays all of the typical Millville umbrella characteristics.  There are some bubbles in the design. 

For extra pictures, click on the picture at the right and the following links: 

Large picture of the paperweight
Another large picture
Close-up view of side showing scratches
Top View
Bottom View

For more vintage American paperweights, see my Vintage American Paperweights Web Page.

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Kossuth was a political reformer who fought for liberty for Hungary and held the office of Governor-President from April 14 to August 11, 1849.  He was appointed to this position after the declaration of Hungarian independence from the Hapsburg Monarchy.  He was widely honored during his lifetime as a freedom fighter and advocate of democracy in Europe.  He demanded parliamentary government for Hungary and constitutional government for the rest of Austria. After abdicating the post of Governor-President he was effectively under house arrest until he was allowed to leave the Ottoman Empire in September 1851 on the American frigate Mississippi.  He then toured Britain and the United States in a futile effort to get support for his cause.  He won favor in New England and souvenirs and other commemorative items were created to celebrate his visit.  This paperweight was probably one of the commemorative objects created around the time of his visit.  Some authors suggest the inscription refers to US support of his cause.  Instead, I think it may refer to his rescue from house arrest by the US. 

New England Glass Company (NEGC) operated in Cambridge, Massachusetts from 1818 to 1888.  You can read about paperweights from the New England Glass Company in the book by Hawley, The Art of the Paperweight  - The Boston & Sandwich and New England Glass Companies . 

Most texts attribute this paperweight to the New England Glass Factory.  It is believed that this paperweight may have been made for the 1851 Great Exhibition at the Crystal Palace in London.  However, the attribution is subject to challenge and the precise origin of this sulphide paperweight remains elusive.  The Bergstrom Mahler Museum has an identical paperweight which they attribute to Clichy.  Hawley attributes this to NEGC in his 1997 book The Art of the Paperweight  - The Boston & Sandwich and New England Glass Companies .  However, in his latest 2011 book on NEGC, he states that no firm evidence exists for this attribution, except that the specific gravity and fluorescence match that of NEGC.  Hollister discusses this paperweight in his Encyclopedia of Glass Paperweights and also states that their is no firm evidence tying the paperweight to NEGC or any other factory.  My own opinion is that the glass quality is more typical of NEGC than the French factories.  It may have originated in Europe or at another American factory. 

Ignore the glare from the lights.  It was difficult to photograph this paperweight.  The sulphide is white. 

Size:  2 9/16" diameter by 1 11/16" high.  The base is ground concave. 
Condition:  Outstanding condition.  No chips, cracks or scratches.  The paperweight has been professionally restored. 
Signature:    Unsigned, but I guarantee this to be an authentic antique paperweight, most likely from the New England Glass Company in Cambridge, Massachusetts.  Circa 1851 
Execution:  Very good, although there are striations and bubbles in the glass.  Some of the Kossuth Sulphides have the name KOSSUTH on the edge.  It is not visible on this example. 

For extra pictures, click on the picture at the right and the following links: 

Large picture of the paperweight
Close-up View
View of Back
Profile View

For more information about Antique Paperweights, see my Antique Paperweights Web Page.

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Clichy paperweights are highly sought after by collectors for their complex canes and brilliant colors.  Clichy paperweights with rose canes are especially desirable.  The Clichy factory was founded at Billancourt near Paris in 1837.  Shortly after that it moved to Clichy-la-Garenne, which gave the factory its best known name.  They stayed in operation until about the 1870s. 

Size:  2 5/8" diameter by 1 3/4" high.  The base is ground concave.  There are six side facets and a top facet. 
Condition:  Very good condition.  There are scratches and small chips on the body and chips on some of the facets, but no cracks and no impact marks.  There is wear on the base.  There is plenty of glass and the paperweight could be restored, but I chose not to do so. 
Signature:   Unsigned but I guarantee this to be an authentic antique Clichy paperweight. 
Execution:  Very good execution.  The design is well centered.  There are some bubbles in the glass. 

For extra pictures, click on the picture at the right and the following links: 

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Close-up view
Profile view
Another close-Up view
Side view
Bottom view

For more information about Antique Paperweights, see my Antique Paperweights Web Page.

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A variation of this paperweight on a red colored ground and attributed to Clichy recently sold at a well known paperweight auction for $1,100 plus a 20% bidders premium.  At my asking price, this is a bargain for a paperweight in perfect condition. 

The Clichy factory was founded at Billancourt near Paris in 1837.  Shortly after that it moved to Clichy-la-Garenne, which gave the factory its best known name.  They stayed in operation until about the 1870s. 

It is believed that this paperweight may have been made for the 1851 Great Exhibition at the Crystal Palace in London.  Prince Albert conceived of the exhibition which was considered the first world's fair.  The exhibition was intended to advance the arts and sciences. 

The precise origin of this sulphide paperweight remains elusive.  The Bergstrom Mahler Museum has an identical paperweight which they attribute to Clichy.  The Art Institute of Chicago has a version in which the sulphide was colored before being encased.  This paperweight, attributed to Clichy, was included in the 1978 Corning Museum of Glass "Paperweights - Flowers which clothe the meadows" exhibition.  The Jokelson Collection had a variation with an uncolored (white) sulphide over a green ground.  The Jokelson paperweight is also attributed to Clichy.  Most authors agree with the Clichy attribution, but there are some authors who attribute the paperweight to Baccarat in France and even to the New England Glass Company in Cambridge, Massachusetts. 

Ignore the glare from the lights.  It was difficult to photograph this paperweight due to the brilliance of the glass.  The sulphide is white but I have included some low light pictures to show the detail. 

Size:  Just over 2 3/4" diameter by just over 1 3/4" high.  The base is ground flat. 
Condition:  Outstanding condition.  No chips, cracks or scratches.  The paperweight has been professionally restored. 
Signature:   Unsigned, but I guarantee this to be an authentic antique paperweight, most likely from Clichy in France.  Circa 1851 
Execution:  Perfect, although there are some tiny bubbles in the glass. 

For extra pictures, click on the picture at the right and the following links: 

Large picture of the paperweight
Closeup View
Another Closeup View 
Profile View

For more information about Antique Paperweights, see my Antique Paperweights Web Page.

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This design was produced only in 1983 in a limited edition of 175 paperweights.  This is number 103 in that series.  There is a distorted signature cane "B 1983" shown in the pictures.  The bottom has the acid etched Baccarat logo plus it is engraved with the year (1983) and the number (103).  It comes with an authentic Baccarat box. 

Some sellers on eBay sell this for the full retail price of $1,573, but my price is much lower. 

Magnum Size: Just under 3 1/4" diameter by just over 2 3/8" high.  Bottom is ground slightly concave. Made by Baccarat in France in 1983. 
Condition: Outstanding condition with no cracks or chips or scratches.  It is in perfect original condition. 
Signature:  Made by Baccarat in France in 1983.  Signed in cane and on the bottom. 

Baccarat was founded in 1776 in Alsace-Lorraine with the name of Verrerie de Sainte Anne.  The original location was near the town of Baccarat.  Today the firm is known as Compagnie des Cristalleries de Baccarat.  Most collectors refer to three periods of Baccarat paperweight production.

•     1845-1860 - Classic period
•     1900-1934 - Dupont period
•     1953 - on - Modern period

Baccarat started making modern millefiori paperweights in 1957.  According to Paul Dunlop ( Baccarat Paperweights:  Two Centuries of Beauty ), Baccarat started making the modern spaced millefiori paperweights on muslin or lace in 1958 and continued making undated examples until the limited editions were started in 1970.  The exception is 1964 when special versions were produced for Baccarat's 200th anniversary.

For extra pictures, click on the picture at the right and the following links: 

Large picture of the paperweight
Close-up picture
Profile view
Distorted Signature cane
View of the bottom with the Baccarat logo and numbered edition
View with box

For more information about Baccarat paperweights, see my Baccarat Paperweights Web Page.

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The Perthshire Christmas Paperweights were special limited editions that changed design each year.  They were near the top of the Perthshire line. 

Perthshire was a small company in Crieff, Scotland that was devoted to the creation of quality glass paperweights. They stopped production in January 2002 after more than 30 years of production. Their paperweights were consistently high in quality and yet remained reasonable in price.

The birth of Scottish paperweight making is credited to the glass making family of Salvador Ysart, who moved to Crieff, Scotland in 1922. They worked first at John Moncrieff Ltd and made the earliest Scottish paperweights during that period. In 1946 Salvadore and his sons Augustine and Vincent founded Ysart Brothers Glass and produced glass wares under the Vasart label. Salvador Ysart died in 1955 The company name was later changed to Vasart Glass. Stuart Drysdale was hired manage the business side of the enterprise in 1960. The company evolved into a new company Strathearn owned by Teachers Whiskey. In 1967 Drysdale was sent a magazine article on antique paperweights (Woman's Day, July 1965). The inspired him to try to produce weights comparable to the French antiques. With this goal in mind, he and several of the glass workers left Strathearn to found Perthshire in 1968.

Large Size: Just under 2 15/16" diameter by 2" high. The base is ground concave. 
Condition:  Excellent condition with no scratches, chips or cracks.  The label on the base shows wear and a previous owner has written "81" on it. 
Signature:  It is signed on the base with a "P1981" signature cane and also has a Perthshire paper label "PERTHSHIRE PAPERWEIGHTS CRIEFF SCOTLAND" on the base. 

For extra pictures, click on the picture at the right and the following links: 

Large picture of the paperweight
Close-up view
Profile view
Label and signature on base

For more information about Perthshire Paperweights, see my Perthshire Web Page.

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Grant Randolph started the Grant Randolph Studios in Santa Barbara, California in 1977, so this is a very early weight from this artist.  He has a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Glass from the University of Hawaii.  The studio has also been the home to other artists working with surface decorated designs, including Chris Buzzini.

Large Size:    2 3/4" diameter by 2 1/2"" high.  The base is ground flat. 
Signature: Signed on the base "Grant Randolph Studios 79/4015" and also has the studio's gold seal. 
Condition:  Excellent condition.  No cracks, chips or scratches found on inspection. 

For extra pictures, click on the picture at the right and the following links: 

Large picture of the paperweight
Closeup view
Profile view
Signature on base with seal
Another view
View from top
Paperweight with certificate in box
Certificate
A better view of seal

For more paperweights by contemporary American paperweight makers, see my Contemporary American Paperweights Web Page.

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Some, but not all, PP4 paperweights have a signature cane in the outer row.  This one has a signature cane.  The design was made with a hollow ground base from 1972 to 1992. 

Perthshire was a small company in Crieff, Scotland that was devoted to the creation of quality glass paperweights. They stopped production in January 2002 after more than 30 years of production. Their paperweights were consistently high in quality and yet remained reasonable in price.

The birth of Scottish paperweight making is credited to the glass making family of Salvador Ysart, who moved to Crieff, Scotland in 1922. They worked first at John Moncrieff Ltd and made the earliest Scottish paperweights during that period. In 1946 Salvadore and his sons Augustine and Vincent founded Ysart Brothers Glass and produced glass wares under the Vasart label. Salvador Ysart died in 1955 The company name was later changed to Vasart Glass. Stuart Drysdale was hired manage the business side of the enterprise in 1960. The company evolved into a new company Strathearn owned by Teachers Whiskey. In 1967 Drysdale was sent a magazine article on antique paperweights (Woman's Day, July 1965). The inspired him to try to produce weights comparable to the French antiques. With this goal in mind, he and several of the glass workers left Strathearn to found Perthshire in 1968.

Size:  Just over 2 1/2” diameter by 1 13/16" high.  The base is hollow ground. 
Condition:  Excellent condition with no chips, cracks or scratches. 
Signature:  Signed with Perthshire's "P" signature cane in the outer row.  This paperweight does not have a paper label. 

For extra pictures, click on the picture at the right and the following links: 

Large picture of the paperweight
Close-up view
Profile view
Signature cane
Bottom

For more information about Perthshire Paperweights, see my Perthshire Web Page.

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The base has a sharp edge where the pontil has been ground off, so I will cover this with tape before shipping. 

Pairpoint Glass has a long history extending back to its earliest origins with Mount Washington Glass in 1837.  Owners and locations changed a number of times and the name Pairpoint was first used in the 1890s.  The original Pairpoint companies were located in New Bedford, Massachusetts.  In 1938, it was reorganized as Gunderson Glass Works by owner Robert Gunderson and later renamed the Gunderson - Pairpoint Glass Works in 1952.  The name was acquired by Robert Bryden and the company moved briefly to East Wareham, MA in 1957 where it operated as the Pairpoint Glass Company.  They leased production facilities in Spain.  The last New Bedford factory burned down in 1965.  In its latest iteration, Robert Bryden moved Pairpoint to Sagamore, Massachusetts in 1970.  It continues to operate at that location today (2015) although under new owners. 

Huge Size:  4 ¾” diameter by 3 ¾” high  It weighs 5 pounds 5 oz. The pontil has a sharp edge. 
Condition:  Excellent condition.  With the busy design, it was hard to inspect, but I couldn't find any damage.. 
Signature:  Unsigned but I guarantee this paperweight to be by Pairpoint Glass. 

For extra pictures, click on the picture at the right and the following links: 

Large picture of the paperweight
Close-up view
Profile view
Pontil mark on base

For more vintage American paperweights, see my Vintage American Paperweights Web Page.

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A.V.E.M. or Arte Vetraria Muranese was founded on the Island of Murano in Venice, Italy in 1932.  For more details see pages 48 & 49 of the book Fifties Glass by Leslie Pina.  The figural paperweights on page 49 are similar in construction.

Very Large Size:  Approximately 3 3/4" diameter by 2 1/2" high.  The paperweight weighs almost three pounds. The base has been ground flat.  This paperweight has a low profile. 
Condition:   Very good to Excellent Condition.  Some wear on the base.  There are some tiny scratches and nicks on the body, but no other flaws that I could find.  No chips or cracks.  The surface is smooth but slightly irregular, as if shaped by hand due to its size. 
Signature:  Unsigned, but I believe this paperweight was made at the AVEM factory on the island of Murano in Venice, Italy. 

For extra pictures, click on the picture at the right and the following links: 

Large picture of the paperweight
Close-up View
Profile View
Bottom View

For more information about Murano paperweights, see my Murano Paperweights Web Page . 

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This paperweight was made on the island of Murano in Venice, Italy.  Venetian glass making dates back centuries and the Venetians are given credit for the earliest millefiori canes and paperweights in 1840s.  More recently, paperweight making was revived in the 1930s and again in the 1960s.

Small Size:  2 1/8" diameter by 1 7/8" high. The bottom is ground flat. 
Condition:   Excellent condition. No cracks, chips, or scratches found on inspection, with the exception of age-appropriate wear on the base. 
Signature:  Unsigned but I guarantee that this was made on the island of Murano. 

For extra pictures, click on the picture at the right and the following links: 

Large picture of the paperweight
Close-up view
Profile view
Side view
Bottom

For more information about Murano paperweights, see my Murano Paperweights Web Page . 

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The Lion's Mane is the largest of all jellyfish, with its pink hued umbrella approaching a diameter of up to 6 feet and its tentacles sometimes reaching  90 feet downward.  It is found in arctic waters.  It weights up to a ton. 

Glass Eye Studio was founded in 1978 in Seattle, Washington.  Managed by Dale Leman, GES is a production glass company that produces a range of glass products.  Most paperweights are signed with the acid etched initials GES, although some are signed with the engraved Glass Eye Studio signature or even a signature cane.  Each GES glass product includes some ash from the 1980 eruption of the nearby Mount St. Helens volcano. 

Large Size:     Just under 4 1/2" tall by 2 3/4" in diameter.  The bottom ground flat 
Signature: Signed with an acid etch on the base "GES 07" and engraved "Lions Mane". 
Condition:  Excellent Condition. No chips or cracks or scratches found on inspection. 

For extra pictures, click on the picture at the right and the following links: 

Large picture of the paperweight
Profile view
Another view
Signature

For more paperweights by contemporary American paperweight makers, see my Contemporary American Paperweights Web Page.

Click on the picture to see a larger image.

This paperweight is undated, but I believe it was made as an experiment in the late 1950s or early 1960s. 

Baccarat was founded in 1776 in Alsace-Lorraine with the name of Verrerie de Sainte Anne.  The original location was near the town of Baccarat.  Today the firm is known as Compagnie des Cristalleries de Baccarat.  Most collectors refer to three periods of Baccarat paperweight production.

•     1845-1860 - Classic period
•     1900-1934 - Dupont period
•     1953 - on - Modern period

Baccarat started making modern millefiori paperweights in 1957.  According to Paul Dunlop ( Baccarat Paperweights:  Two Centuries of Beauty ), Baccarat started making the modern spaced millefiori paperweights on muslin or lace in 1958 and continued making undated examples until the limited editions were started in 1970.  The exception is 1964 when special versions were produced for Baccarat's 200th anniversary.

Large Size:   Just under 3” diameter by 1 15/16” high.  Bottom is ground concave. 
Signature:  Made by Baccarat in France.  Signed on the bottom with the Baccarat logo. 
Condition: Good condition with no cracks or chips.   There are some shallow surface scratches and one pinprick (See pictures)  There is also minor wear on the bottom.  These flaws can only be seen with careful examination under a strong light.  Normally this would be a $700 plus paperweight, but I have adjusted the price due to these scratches. 

For extra pictures, click on the picture at the right and the following links: 

Large picture of the paperweight
Close-up view
Profile view
Bottom with Baccarat logo
Faint scratches on body

For more information about Baccarat paperweights, see my Baccarat Paperweights Web Page.

Click on the picture to see a larger image.

Note:  Unfortunately the pontil scar is unfinished and shows through the design.  The paperweight would benefit from a restoration to remove the blemishes and pontil. 

I cannot be sure when or where this paperweight was made.  Most likely it was made in Millville, New Jersey in the first half of the 19th century.  This type of construction has been associated with factories such as Whitall Tatum that operated in the early 1900s in the Millville area of Southern New Jersey.  Frit refers to the powdered glass used to make the design.  The design is set up in a metal die and then picked up with a gather of a ground color.  This weight has the typical Millville two piece construction, as shown in the bottom view. 

According to Newell's Old Glass Paperweights of Southern New Jersey , frit weights were made as early as 1863.  Newell identifies this style as a true folk art. 

Very Large Size :  3 1/4" diameter by just under 2" high.  The bottom is unfinished with the pontil scar remaining. 
Signature :  Unsigned.. 
Condition :  Fair to Poor.  This paperweight has extensive scratching and also one 1/4" bruise on the side.  The paperweight could be refinished to remove the scratching and pontil scar. 
Execution:    The base still has the pontil scar.  The Home Sweet Home text is incomplete.  There are some bubbles in the glass. 

For extra pictures, click on the picture at the right and the following links: 

Large picture of the paperweight
Close-up view
Profile view
Side view
Bottom view
View of bruise on side

For more vintage American paperweights, see my Vintage American Paperweights Web Page.

Click on the picture to see a larger image.

Clichy paperweights are highly sought after by collectors for their complex canes and brilliant colors.  Clichy paperweights with rose canes are especially desirable.  The Clichy factory was founded at Billancourt near Paris in 1837.  Shortly after that it moved to Clichy-la-Garenne, which gave the factory its best known name.  They stayed in operation until about the 1870s. 

Large Size:  2 5/8" diameter by just under 1 3/4" high.  The base is ground concave.  There are six side facets and a large top facet. 
Condition:  Very good condition for its age.  There are scratches and tiny chips on the body and on some of the facets.  The largest bruise is a 1/8" bruise on one facet.  There is wear on the base.  There is plenty of glass and the paperweight could be restored, but I chose not to do so. 
Signature:   Unsigned but I guarantee this to be an authentic antique Clichy paperweight. 
Execution:  Very good execution.  The design is well centered.  There are some bubbles in the glass. 

For extra pictures, click on the picture at the right and the following links: 

Large picture of the paperweight
Close-up view
Profile view
Side view
Bottom view
Another view of base
Bruise on facet

For more information about Antique Paperweights, see my Antique Paperweights Web Page.

Click on the picture to see a larger image.

I believe believe this is a recent example dating from 1970 or later because the variety was not documented earlier and the thin leaves are more typical of post 1970 Chinese flowers. 

Chinese Paperweights were made in the late 1920s and throughout the 1930s as an attempt to duplicate 19th Century antique weights made in the United States and France.  Because they are almost 100 years old, they are very collectible and every collector should own a few of these as study pieces.  The history of the early Chinese paperweights is mostly anecdotal as no written records have been discovered.  The story is that an American dealer sent examples of paperweights made by the New England Glass Company (NEGC), Boston & Sandwich Glass Company (B&S), Millville makers, and French factories to a Chinese factory and requested copies be made.  The results are interesting and sometimes confused with the originals by inexperienced collectors.  The earliest pictures of these paperweights appeared in the book American Glass Paperweights by Francis Edgar Smith published in 1939.  Smith was aware that at least one of the paperweights shown in his book was Chinese.      Since Smith was not an expert collector, this indicates that there was some general knowledge that these were Chinese prior to 1939.

In the United States, the Tariff Act of 1930 required that every imported item must be conspicuously and indelibly marked in English with its country of origin.  As a result, many of these Chinese paperweights are scratch signed on the bottom "CHINA".  Many are also not signed, suggesting that either they were imported prior to 1930 or the importer ignored the requirement.  Most likely the earliest Chinese paperweights were made prior to 1930.

The Chinese makers often combined design features found in paperweights from different makers.  For example they copied the latticinio grounds used by New England Glass Company and used them with copies of Baccarat Pansy weights.  The original Baccarat pansy paperweights never had a latticinio ground.  They copied the pedestal rose from Millville and then used the pedestal bottom with other weights.  It is fun to collect all the variations.

In general, Chinese paperweights from the 1930s have a light weight glass mixture that is high in soda and has a greenish tinge. The glass also has a soft almost oily feel. Frequently they have bubbles or debris in the glass.  And because of their age, many of these have minor scratches or other surface defects.  Those made in the 1970s and later have better quality glass. 

Large Size:   Just under 2 3/4” diameter by just under 3 1/2"  high.  The pedestal bottom has the remainder of the pontil mark. 
Signature: Unsigned, but I guarantee this paperweight was made in China, most likely in the 1970s or later. 
Condition:  Good condition with a few light scratches on the top.  The longest scratch is just under 1/4" long.  No cracks or chips. 

For extra pictures, click on the picture at the right and the following links: 

Large picture of the paperweight
Close-up view
Profile view
Bottom view
Top view
Another view

For more information about paperweights from China, see my Chinese Paperweights Web Page

Click on the picture to see a larger image.

Ignore the white areas, they are glare from the lights. 

Baccarat was founded in 1776 in Alsace-Lorraine with the name of Verrerie de Sainte Anne.  The original location was near the town of Baccarat.  Today the firm is known as Compagnie des Cristalleries de Baccarat.  Most collectors refer to three periods of Baccarat paperweight production. 

• 1845-1860 - Classic period 
• 1900-1934 - Dupont period 
• 1953 - on - Modern period

Baccarat continued to make paperweights after the classic period (1845-1860), but little is known about the extent of the product line or who made the paperweights.  It is known that by 1910, the offering in the catalog had dwindled to pansy paperweights, simple open concentric paperweights, and rock paperweights.  Popular lore attributes 1920-1934 Baccarat paperweights to a Mr. Dupont, who supposedly was the last worker at Baccarat to know the secrets of paperweight making.  These paperweights were sold at a Baccarat retail shop in Paris.  No collector or scholar ever met Mr. Dupont although at least one visited the Baccarat factory and asked to meet with him.  The weights stopped appearing in the shop in 1934. 

New research of the Baccarat archives has identified the actual maker as Joseph Boyé (1877-1948).  He is recorded as the maker of millefiori canes and millefiori paperweights during this period (1920-1934).  Very little is known about Mr. Boyé, but there is enough similarity in the millefiori canes to suggest that he had access to the original molds or some of the original millefiori canes from the classic period.  He later trained another glassworker, Georges Brocard, to make open concentric paperweights in 1946.  Armed with this knowledge, Brocard was influential in the revival of paperweight making at Baccarat in the 1950s.  Another glassworker, Louis Idoux (1882-1941), is recorded as making the Baccarat pansy paperweights during the 1920-1934 period. 

You can read more about the Baccarat paperweights and the Dupont connection in the new book Baccarat Paperweights - two centuries of beauty by Paul Dunlop or one of the older books on paperweights in general, such as The Encyclopedia of Glass Paperweights by Paul Hollister or World Paperweights by Robert Hall.

Medium Size:  Just under 2 1/2" diameter by just under 1 1/2" high.   The bottom is ground concave. 
Condition: Excellent condition with no cracks or chips.  On inspection, I could not find any noticeable scratches.  This weight may have been professionally restored. 
Signature:  Unsigned but I guarantee that this was made by Baccarat during the classic period (1845-1860). 

For extra pictures, click on the picture at the right and the following links: 

Large picture of the paperweight
Close-up picture
Profile view
Another view
Bottom view
Another close-up view
Concave base

For more information about Baccarat paperweights, see my Baccarat Paperweights Web Page.

Click on the picture to see a larger image.

Note:  There is a defect in the finish on one side.   This is shown in one of the pictures.  It looks like that side was allowed to cool too fast resulting in a slightly crackled finish.  Price greatly reduced as a result. 

Charles and John Degenhart started their careers in glass working in glass at the Dalzell, Gilmore & Leighton Company factory in Findlay, Ohio.  Charles, born in 1882, started first and then John, born in 1884, started at the age of ten in 1894. In 1901, both joined Cambridge Glass in Cambridge, Ohio.  The original paperweight production was an after hours activity at Cambridge Glass by Charles and his two sons in the 1920s.  John also produced paperweights to help meet the demand.  This was with the approval of the company.  Of the two, Charles Degenhart was the more skilled artistically.

John retired from Cambridge Glass in 1946 and opened the Crystal Art Glass Company shortly after that.  Most of the early production was devoted to paperweights.  The factory also produced pressed glass novelties in an incredible range of colors. After John died in 1964, his wife Elizabeth took over production.  Prior to that, the paperweights were unsigned.  There was also a close association with Zack Boyd and his son Bernard, both of whom worked at Crystal Arts. Today in Cambridge, the Boyd family continues to run Crystal Arts.

For more information, you can read about the Degenharts in the books  American Glass Paperweights and Their Makers by Jean Melvin (1967 and 1970) and  Degenhart Glass and Paperweights by Gene Florence .

Very Large Size:  3 3/16" diameter by 2 3/8" high.  The bottom is ground flat. 
Condition:  Very good condition with no chips or cracks.  There is a defect in the finish on one side.  This is shown in one of the pictures.  It looks like that side was allowed to cool too fast resulting in a slightly crackled finish.  Price greatly reduced as a result. 
Signature:  Signed with a "D." in the design.  I guarantee this is a genuine Degenhart paperweight. 

For extra pictures, click on the picture at the right and the following links: 

Large picture of the paperweight
Closeup
Profile View
Bottom view
Defect in finish on side

For more information about paperweights made by Degenhart Glass in Cambridge, Ohio, see my Degenhart Web Page

Click on the picture to see a larger image.

Pairpoint Glass has a long history extending back to its earliest origins with Mount Washington Glass in 1837. Owners and locations changed a number of times and the name Pairpoint was first used in the 1890s.  The original Pairpoint companies were located in New Bedford, Massachusetts.  In 1938, it was reorganized as Gunderson Glass Works by owner Robert Gunderson and later renamed the Gunderson - Pairpoint Glass Works in 1952.  The name was acquired by Robert Bryden and the company moved briefly to East Wareham, MA in 1957 where it operated as the Pairpoint Glass Company.  They leased production facilities in Spain.  The last New Bedford factory burned down in 1965.  In its latest iteration, Robert Bryden moved Pairpoint to Sagamore, Massachusetts in 1970.  It continues to operate at that location today (2015) although under new owners. 

Large Size:     2 15/16" diameter by 2 1/2" high.  The bottom is ground flat. It is faceted with seven top facets and six side facets. 
Condition:  Excellent condition.  No damage found.  There is minor wear and scratching on the base. 
Signature:  Unsigned but I guarantee this paperweight to be by Pairpoint Glass. 
Execution:  Very good.  The glass is slightly green and there are bubbles in the design. 

For extra pictures, click on the picture at the right and the following links: 

Large picture of the paperweight
Close-up view
Side view
Profile view
Bottom

For more vintage American paperweights, see my Vintage American Paperweights Web Page.

Click on the picture to see a larger image.

This design was Charles Kaziun's signature design and one of the most popular with collectors. This size and style was often referred to as a #1. 

Charles Kaziun Jr. was one of the most famous of the American paperweight artists.  He is often credited with contributing to the rebirth of interest in paperweight making.  He made paperweights from the 1940s until his death in 1992.  His weights are usually signed with a gold K or a special millefiori cane containing a K.  You can read about him in many books, including:

• Magic in the Glass - The Paperweight Artistry of Charles Kaziun, Jr. by Bernard A. Drabeck 
• American Glass Paperweights and Their Makers by Jean Melvin (1970) 

For extra pictures, click on the picture at the right and the following links: 

Large picture of the paperweight
Close-up of the detail in this paperweight
Side View
Profile view
Another view
Gold foil K signature on base

For more paperweights by Charles Kaziun, see my Kaziun Paperweights Web Page.

Click on the picture to see a larger image.

This paperweight appears in photograph SI-30 on page 136 of the book Magic in the Glass - The Paperweight Artistry of Charles Kaziun, Jr. by Bernard A. Drabeck.  Drabeck states that the gold foil is 24 karat gold. 

Charles Kaziun Jr. was one of the most famous of the American paperweight artists.  He is often credited with contributing to the rebirth of interest in paperweight making.  He made paperweights from the 1940s until his death in 1992.  His weights are usually signed with a gold K or a special millefiori cane containing a K.  You can read about him in many books, including:

• Magic in the Glass - The Paperweight Artistry of Charles Kaziun, Jr. by Bernard A. Drabeck 
• American Glass Paperweights and Their Makers by Jean Melvin (1970) 

For extra pictures, click on the picture at the right and the following links: 

Large picture of the paperweight
Profile View
Signature on Bottom
Another view

For more paperweights by Charles Kaziun, see my Kaziun Paperweights Web Page.

Click on the picture to see a larger image.

Masaryk was the president of Czechoslovakia from 1918 to 1935.  He died in 1937 at the age of 87.  The picture was taken earlier in his life.  Most likely this paperweight was produced during his presidency or possibly at the time of his death.  It is also possible that it was produced earlier in his life when he was a political activist advocating for the creation of an independent Czechoslovakia. 

Von Brackel discusses this style of paperweight in his book Paperweights - Historicism - Art Nouveau - Art Deco .  He shows several examples on pages 102 to 195 with a range of values up to $480.  Unfortunately, the picture in this paperweight is flawed by a defect and bubble covering part of the face.  The price has been reduced to reflect this flaw. 

Large Size: Just over 3" diameter by 3 3/4" high.  The bottom is ground flat. 
Condition:  Good to very good condition for its age.  There are scratches and some nicks on the large window facet, considerable wear on the base, and some nicks where the base meets the sides.  The paperweight displays very well.  The picture of Masaryk is marred by a defect and bubble in one corner of his face. 
Signature :  Unsigned, but I guarantee that this is a vintage paperweight from the Bohemia / Czech region and it originates from approximately 1900-1937. 

For extra pictures, click on the picture at the right and the following links: 

Large picture of the paperweight
Closeup view
Profile view
Back view
Side view
View of Bottom
Some of the scratches and nicks on the face

For more information about Bohemian paperweights, see my Bohemian Paperweights Web Page . 

Click on the picture to see a larger image.

Chinese Paperweights were made in the late 1920s and throughout the 1930s as an attempt to duplicate 19th Century antique weights made in the United States and France.  Because they are almost 100 years old, they are very collectible and every collector should own a few of these as study pieces.  The history of the early Chinese paperweights is mostly anecdotal as no written records have been discovered.  The story is that an American dealer sent examples of paperweights made by the New England Glass Company (NEGC), Boston & Sandwich Glass Company (B&S), Millville makers, and French factories to a Chinese factory and requested copies be made.  The results are interesting and sometimes confused with the originals by inexperienced collectors.  The earliest pictures of these paperweights appeared in the book American Glass Paperweights by Francis Edgar Smith published in 1939.  Smith was aware that at least one of the paperweights shown in his book was Chinese.  Since Smith was not an expert collector, this indicates that there was some general knowledge that these were Chinese prior to 1939.

In the United States, the Tariff Act of 1930 required that every imported item must be conspicuously and indelibly marked in English with its country of origin.  As a result, many of these Chinese paperweights are scratch signed on the bottom "CHINA".  Many are also not signed, suggesting that either they were imported prior to 1930 or the importer ignored the requirement.  Most likely the earliest Chinese paperweights were made prior to 1930.

The Chinese makers often combined design features found in paperweights from different makers.  For example they copied the latticinio grounds used by New England Glass Company and used them with copies of Baccarat Pansy weights.  The original Baccarat pansy paperweights never had a latticinio ground.  They copied the pedestal rose from Millville and then used the pedestal bottom with other weights. It is fun to collect all the variations. 

In general, Chinese paperweights from this period have a light weight glass mixture that is high in soda and has a greenish tinge. The glass also has a soft almost oily feel. Frequently they have bubbles or debris in the glass.  And because of their age, many of these have minor scratches or other surface defects.

Large Size:   Just under 3" diameter by 2" high. The bottom is ground concave. 
Signature:   Unsigned but I guarantee that this is from China and dates from about 1930. 
Condition:  Very good condition.  There are some minor surface scratches and pinpricks and also some tiny pinpricks on the facets plus one 1/8" chip on a facet (see picture).  There is some debris or dirt in the glass as shown in the pictures.  As with all Chinese paperweights from this period, this paperweight has a light weight glass mixture that is high in soda and has a greenish tinge. The glass has a soft almost oily feel. 

For extra pictures, click on the picture at the right and the following links: 

Large picture of the paperweight
Close-up view
Profile view
Side view
Bottom view
Picture of chip

For more information about paperweights from China, see my Chinese Paperweights Web Page.

Click on the picture to see a larger image.

Charles Kaziun Jr. was one of the most famous of the American paperweight artists.  He is often credited with contributing to the rebirth of interest in paperweight making.  He made paperweights from the 1940s until his death in 1992.  His weights are usually signed with a gold K or a special millefiori cane containing a K.  You can read about him in many books, including:

• Magic in the Glass - The Paperweight Artistry of Charles Kaziun, Jr. by Bernard A. Drabeck 
• American Glass Paperweights and Their Makers by Jean Melvin (1970) 

For extra pictures, click on the picture at the right and the following links: 

Large picture of the paperweight
Close-up of the detail in this paperweight
Profile View
Signature on Bottom
Signature Cane

For more paperweights by Charles Kaziun, see my Kaziun Paperweights Web Page.

Click on the picture to see a larger image.

Chinese Paperweights were made in the late 1920s and throughout the 1930s as an attempt to duplicate 19th Century antique weights made in the United States and France.  Because they are almost 100 years old, they are very collectible and every collector should own a few of these as study pieces.  The history of the early Chinese paperweights is mostly anecdotal as no written records have been discovered.  The story is that an American dealer sent examples of paperweights made by the New England Glass Company (NEGC), Boston & Sandwich Glass Company (B&S), Millville makers, and French factories to a Chinese factory and requested copies be made.  The results are interesting and sometimes confused with the originals by inexperienced collectors.  The earliest pictures of these paperweights appeared in the book American Glass Paperweights by Francis Edgar Smith published in 1939.  Smith was aware that at least one of the paperweights shown in his book was Chinese.  Since Smith was not an expert collector, this indicates that there was some general knowledge that these were Chinese prior to 1939.

In the United States, the Tariff Act of 1930 required that every imported item must be conspicuously and indelibly marked in English with its country of origin.  As a result, many of these Chinese paperweights are scratch signed on the bottom "CHINA".  Many are also not signed, suggesting that either they were imported prior to 1930 or the importer ignored the requirement.  Most likely the earliest Chinese paperweights were made prior to 1930.

The Chinese makers often combined design features found in paperweights from different makers.  For example they copied the latticinio grounds used by New England Glass Company and used them with copies of Baccarat Pansy weights.  The original Baccarat pansy paperweights never had a latticinio ground.  They copied the pedestal rose from Millville and then used the pedestal bottom with other weights.  It is fun to collect all the variations. 

In general, Chinese paperweights from this period have a light weight glass mixture that is high in soda and has a greenish tinge. The glass also has a soft almost oily feel. Frequently they have bubbles or debris in the glass.  And because of their age, many of these have minor scratches or other surface defects.

Small Size:   Just over 2 5/16" diameter by just over 1 5/8" high. The bottom is ground concave with a remnant of the pontil mark remaining. 
Signature:   Unsigned but I guarantee that this is from China 1970 or earlier. 
Condition:  Very good condition with no chips or cracks.  Some minor surface scratches and pinpricks. 

For extra pictures, click on the picture at the right and the following links: 

Large picture of the paperweight
Close-up view
Profile view
Side view
Bottom view

For more information about paperweights from China, see my Chinese Paperweights Web Page.

Click on the picture to see a larger image.

The birth of Scottish paperweight making is credited to the glass making family of Salvador Ysart, who moved to Crieff, Scotland from Spain in 1922.  They worked first at John Moncrieff Ltd and made the earliest Scottish paperweights during that period.  Paul Ysart (1904-1991), originally Pablo Moreno Isart, was apprenticed to his father as a glass worker at Moncrieff in 1922.  He worked on the production of Monart Art Glass.  Paperweights were primarily an after hours activity.  Paul made his first paperweight in the early 1930s.  Production was interrupted by World War II and the Monart line was not restarted until 1946.  In 1946 Salvadore and his sons Augustine and Vincent left Moncrieff and founded Ysart Brothers Glass.  They produced glass wares under the Vasart label.  Salvador Ysart died in 1955.  Paul stayed at Moncrieff from until 1962, when he joined Caithness as a Training Officer.  While at Caithness, he trained Peter Holmes, Colin Terris, and William Manson, among others.  After he retired from Caithness in 1972, he continued to make paperweights initially under the Harland label and then the Highland Paperweights label until 1979.   You can read more about Paul Ysart in the book by Colin Mahoney Masterpieces:  The Paperweights of Paul Ysart.

Large Size:  Just under 3" diameter by 2 1/16" high.  The base is ground flat.  . 
Condition:  Very good condition.  I found no cracks or significant scratches, but did find two small circular impact marks on the side near the base, each approximately 1/8" across (see pictures). 
Signature:  Signed with a PY at the bottom of the stem. 
Execution:  Perfect execution.  The glass has a slight yellowish tinge which indicates (to me) that it was likely made earlier in Paul Ysart's career. 

For extra pictures, click on the picture at the right and the following links: 

Large picture of the paperweight
Close-up view
Profile view
Bottom view
Impact mark
Another impact mark

For more information about paperweights made by Scottish makers, see my Scottish Paperweights Web Page

Click on the picture to see a larger image.

Note:  The case is in very poor condition.  This set is priced only slightly above the price of the individual pieces. 

The maker of this item was Lassman & Co. located in the Kilburn area of North London.   Samuel Lassman purchased the paperweight handles from George Dunlop's Pirelli Glass in London.  Pirelli obtained them from Vasart.  Pirelli also took some assembled inventory back from Lassman and sold the barware items under the Pirelli label.  Pirelli also included the line in their 1959 catalog.  There are very few complete sets known to exist with the case.  A smaller set is shown on page 157 of the book on Ysart Glass published by Volo (the section on Vasart was written by Frank Andrews).  There is also a display of another smaller set in the museum in Perth which attributes this to Vasart Art Glass.  For more information, see the article by Angela Bowey and Allan Port “Pirelli, Vasart and the Ysart Family” in the Paperweight Collectors Association Inc. Annual Bulletin 2015.  I will include a copy of the article with the purchase of this bar set.  For more information, see my web page on Lassman & Co .

The six piece set is complete with the original "leatherette" carrying case.  It includes the following pieces: 

• Paperweight Handled Claret Spoon (or Martini Stirrer)
• Paperweight Handled Double Jigger Measure (marked 1 ounce and 1 1/2 ounce)
• Paperweight Handled Corkscrew
• Paperweight Handled Two Piece pourer
• Paperweight Handled Bottle Opener
• Paperweight Handled Can Opener

$995 postage paid in the US.                          Added 4/2/2016. 

Click on the picture or this link to see more details on this set.

The maker of this item was Lassman & Co. located in the Kilburn area of North London.   Samuel Lassman purchased the paperweight handles from George Dunlop's Pirelli Glass in London.  Pirelli obtained them from Vasart.  Pirelli also took some assembled inventory back from Lassman and sold the barware items under the Pirelli label.  Pirelli also included the line in their 1959 catalog.  For more information, see my web page on Lassman & Co. or the article by Angela Bowey and Allan Port “Pirelli, Vasart and the Ysart Family” in the Paperweight Collectors Association Inc. Annual Bulletin 2015.  A complete set of similar objects can be found at this link.

The birth of Scottish paperweight making is credited to the glass making family of Salvador Ysart, who moved to Crieff, Scotland in 1922. They worked first at John Moncrieff Ltd and made the earliest Scottish paperweights during that period. In 1946 Salvadore and his sons Augustine and Vincent founded Ysart Brothers Glass and produced glass wares under the Vasart label. Salvador Ysart died in 1955 The company name was later changed to Vasart Glass. Stuart Drysdale was hired manage the business side of the enterprise in 1960. The company evolved into a new company Strathearn owned by Teachers Whiskey. In 1967 Drysdale was sent a magazine article on antique paperweights (Woman's Day, July 1965). The inspired him to try to produce weights comparable to the French antiques. With this goal in mind, he and several of the glass workers left Strathearn to found Perthshire in 1968.

Size:  1 9/16" diameter by just over 3 3/4" long. 
Condition:  Excellent condition although showing a tiny bit of wear.  The paperweight handle has no chips, cracks or noticeable scratches. 
Signature:  Unsigned, but I guarantee this is a genuine Lassman bottle opener with a Vasart paperweight handle. The word "ENGLAND" appears on the metal part. 

For extra pictures, click on the picture at the right and the following links: 

Large picture of the bottle opener
Close-up view of just the handle
England stamped on hardware portion
Another view
Still another view

For more information about paperweights made by Scottish makers, see my Scottish Paperweights Web Page

Click on the picture to see a larger image.

You can read more about the Baccarat paperweightsin the new book Baccarat Paperweights - two centuries of beauty by Paul Dunlop or one of the older books on paperweights in general, such as The Encyclopedia of Glass Paperweights by Paul Hollister or World Paperweights by Robert Hall.

Large Size:  Just over 2 5/8" diameter by just over 1 3/4" high.  Bottom is ground concave. There are six side facets and one top facet.  There is good height to this paperweight 
Condition: Very good to excellent condition.  I found some minor faint scratches on the top facet, but no other significant scratching. No chips or cracks. 
Signature:   Made by Baccarat in France.  Unsigned, but I guarantee that this is an authentic Baccarat paperweight, probably from the classic period 1845-1860. 
Execution:  Excellent execution.  The design is well centered with no tipped canes.  There are a few tiny bubbles in the glass. 

For extra pictures, click on the picture at the right and the following links: 

Large picture of the paperweight
Close-up view
Profile View
Worst of the scratches

For more information about Baccarat paperweights, see my Baccarat Paperweights Web Page.

Click on the picture to see a larger image.

Baccarat continued to make paperweights after the classic period (1845-1860), but little is known about the extent of the product line or who made the paperweights.  It is known that by 1910, the offering in the catalog had dwindled to pansy paperweights, simple open concentric paperweights, and rock paperweights.  This open concentric paperweight may date from that earlier pre-1920 period or it may be from the Dupont period.  Popular lore attributes 1920-1934 Baccarat paperweights to a Mr. Dupont, who supposedly was the last worker at Baccarat to know the secrets of paperweight making.  These paperweights were sold at a Baccarat retail shop in Paris.  No collector or scholar ever met Mr. Dupont although at least one visited the Baccarat factory and asked to meet with him.  The weights stopped appearing in the shop in 1934. 

New research of the Baccarat archives has identified the actual maker as Joseph Boyé (1877-1948).  He is recorded as the maker of millefiori canes and millefiori paperweights during this period (1920-1934).  Very little is known about Mr. Boyé, but there is enough similarity in the millefiori canes to suggest that he had access to the original molds or some of the original millefiori canes from the classic period.  He later trained another glassworker, Georges Brocard, to make open concentric paperweights in 1946.  Armed with this knowledge, Brocard was influential in the revival of paperweight making at Baccarat in the 1950s.  Another glassworker, Louis Idoux (1882-1941), is recorded as making the Baccarat pansy paperweights during the 1920-1934 period. 

You can read more about the Baccarat paperweights and the Dupont connection in the new book Baccarat Paperweights - two centuries of beauty by Paul Dunlop or one of the older books on paperweights in general, such as The Encyclopedia of Glass Paperweights by Paul Hollister or World Paperweights by Robert Hall.

Size:  Just under 2 1/2" diameter by 1 11/16" high.   The bottom is ground concave. 
Condition: Excellent condition with no cracks, chips or scratches.  This weight has been professionally restored. 
Signature:  Unsigned but I guarantee that this was made by Baccarat during the post classic period (after 1860). 
Execution:  Very good.  The design is placed slightly off center. 

For extra pictures, click on the picture at the right and the following links: 

Large picture of the paperweight
Close-up picture
Profile view

For more information about Baccarat paperweights, see my Baccarat Paperweights Web Page.

Click on the picture to see a larger image.

This paperweight was made on the island of Murano in Venice, Italy.  Venetian glass making dates back centuries and the Venetians are given credit for the earliest millefiori canes and paperweights in 1840s.  More recently, paperweight making was revived in the 1930s and again in the 1960s. 

Huge Size:    4 5/8" diameter by 3 5/8" high.  The base is polished flat.  It weighs 4 pounds 4 oz. 
Signature:  Unsigned but I guarantee it was made on the island of Murano in Venice, Italy. 
Condition:  Very good condition with some scratches on the surface but no chips or cracks. 
Execution:   The glass is slightly yellow and the canes are smudged on one side. 

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Note:  There is a fracture surrounding the image that is caused by incompatibilities between the plaque and the surrounding glass.  This type of fracture is, unfortunately, fairly common in plaque weights of that period. 

After considerable research, I have concluded that the uniform is probably one used by a German or Austrian university student fraternity or student association.  Members of these student associations surrounded themselves with the symbols of their fraternities.  The uniforms are quite commonly depicted on German steins and other "studentica" of the period.   For more information, see http://stein-collectors.org/library/articles/Student/studentica.html

Size:  2 1/2” diameter by 1 3/4” high.  The bottom is fire finished with remnants of the pontil mark. 
Signature:  This paperweight is not signed, but I guarantee it to be an antique paperweight originating in Germany or one of the nearby countries. 
Condition:  Excellent condition.  I could not find any significant damage on this paperweight.  However, as noted above, there is a incompatibility fracture surrounding the center plaque. 

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Special thanks to the Glass Message Board for providing a possible identification of this paperweight as originating in Meisenthal.  This attribution is based on the white branches below the flower, as similar elements are found in other Meisenthal paperweights.  You can read more about paperweights from Meisenthal in the book Paperweights - Historicism - Art Nouveau - Art Deco by Peter von Brackel.

Large Size: Just under 3 1/8" diameter by 2 1/8" high.  The bottom is ground concave with a broad base ring. 
Signature:  Unsigned.  I believe the paperweight originated in Meisenthal Alsace Lorraine.  In any event, I will however guarantee that this is an antique paperweight originating in Europe. 
Condition:  Excellent condition with no chips or cracks.  I found only a few faint scratches on inspection. 

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Although many people collect scramble paperweights for their own merit, scrambles are also valuable tools for learning to identify the different colors and canes used by each factory. 

New England Glass Company (NEGC) operated in Cambridge, Massachusetts from 1818 to 1888.  You can read about paperweights from the New England Glass Company in the book by Hawley, The Art of the Paperweight  - The Boston & Sandwich and New England Glass Companies . 

Size:   2 9/16” diameter by just over 1 3/4” high.  The bottom is ground concave. 
Signature:  This paperweight is not signed, but I guarantee it to be an authentic antique New England Glass Company paperweight. 
Condition:  Fair condition with no cracks.  Although the surface is in poor condition with many scratches and nicks, it is a good candidate for restoration.  It can also be enjoyed the way it is. 

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Large Size:   3 1/8" diameter by 2 1/2" high.  The base is ground flat. 
Condition:    Fair Condition.  There are many tiny abrasions or bruises surface of the paperweight as shown in the picture, but the paperweight displays beautifully.  Priced accordingly. 
Signature:  Unsigned, but I guarantee that this paperweight was made on the island of Murano in Venice, Italy, probably by Fratelli Toso. 
Execution:  The design is tilted within the paperweight. 

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This was a difficult paperweight to photograph, but I did the best that I could.  The pink canes don't show a lot of detail  and there is some distortion in the glass. 

Baccarat continued to make paperweights after the classic period (1845-1860), but little is known about the extent of the product line or who made the paperweights.  It is known that by 1910, the offering in the catalog had dwindled to pansy paperweights, simple open concentric paperweights, and rock paperweights.  This double trefoil paperweight dates from the Dupont period of Baccarat production. Popular lore attributes this paperweight and others like it to a Mr. Dupont, who supposedly was the last worker at Baccarat to know the secrets of paperweight making.  These paperweights were sold at a Baccarat retail shop in Paris.  No collector or scholar ever met Mr. Dupont although at least one visited the Baccarat factory and asked to meet with him.  The weights stopped appearing in the shop in 1934. 

New research of the Baccarat archives has identified the actual maker as Joseph Boyé (1877-1948).  He is recorded as the maker of millefiori canes and millefiori paperweights during this period (1920-1934).  Very little is known about Mr. Boyé, but there is enough similarity in the millefiori canes to suggest that he had access to the original molds or some of the original millefiori canes from the classic period.  He later trained another glassworker, Georges Brocard, to make open concentric paperweights in 1946.  Armed with this knowledge, Brocard was influential in the revival of paperweight making at Baccarat in the 1950s.  Another glassworker, Louis Idoux (1882-1941), is recorded as making the Baccarat pansy paperweights during the 1920-1934 period. 

You can read more about the Baccarat paperweights and the Dupont connection in the new book Baccarat Paperweights - two centuries of beauty by Paul Dunlop or one of the older books on paperweights in general, such as The Encyclopedia of Glass Paperweights by Paul Hollister or World Paperweightsby Robert Hall.

Large Size:  Just over 2 7/8" diameter by 2 1/8" high.   The bottom is ground concave.  Unusually high dome with the original Baccarat profile. 
Condition: Very good condition, although it does have one tiny circular impact mark (about 1/16" across).  Other than that, I found no cracks, chips or significant scratches. 
Signature:  Unsigned but I guarantee that this was made by Baccarat during the 1920-1934 period. 
Execution:  The glass in this paperweight has some dirt or debris as shown in the pictures.  There is a bit of distortion in the due to a dimple at the top of the dome.  The high dome has a lot of extra glass and this paperweight would probably benefit from a professional polishing.  Finally, the center cane is distorted and the pink canes lack definition.  Priced accordingly. 

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This style is also called an icepick flower because of the sharp tool used to push each flower down to the base.  In this case the tool is pushed through a millefiori glass slice.  Some authors call these morning glory flowers. 

E&R is the importer of this paperweight.  They were a major importer of ceramics, porcelain, and glassware from Europe from 1886 until 2002.  At one time they were the exclusive distributor for the Crystal Signature line of Swarovski figures.  The firm was originally founded as  Zeh, Ebeling & Reuss Co. by German emigrants Theodore Ebeling and Frederick Reuss who joined up with the owner of a glassware and china business, John E. F. Zeh.  The firm was renamed to Ebeling & Reuss Co. in 1900 and remained in business until at least 2002.  They were located in the Philadelphia area.  The trademark depicted in the label was registered with the US Patent Office in 1956. 

Large Size: 3 1/16" diameter by 2 1/2" high.  The bottom is ground flat. 
Condition:  Very good condition.  There are minor scratches or abrasions on the dome and a few tiny chips at the edge of the base, but no significant chips or cracks or impact marks.  There is also appropriate wear on the base. 
Signature :  Unsigned, by I guarantee that this is a vintage paperweight from the Island of Murano in Venice, Italy.  It has the importer's label "GOLDEN CROWN E&R ITALY" with a picture of a crown. 
Execution:  Execution is very good.  The design is well executed and balanced. 

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Shown in both the Melvin book listed above (with a sulphide) and in the Bonnie Pruitt St. Clair Collectors Guide (without a sulphide). 

Magnum Size:  Just under 4" diameter by 2 1/4" high.  The bottom is fire finished and hot stamped with the signature. 
Condition:  Very good condition.  There are some very minor scratches or abrasions on the top that appear to be from when the paperweight was made, but nothing significant. 
Signature:  Hot stamped "ST CLAIR" on the bottom. 

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The bottle stopper is unmarked.  Often you can find this item with ENGLAND stamped on the cork.  The finish on the metal is chrome.  This is one of the rarer pieces of barware by this maker.  I have never seen one boxed individually. 

New information has surfaced allowing us to identify the maker of this item as Lassman & Co. located in the Kilburn area of North London.   Lassman purchased the paperweights indirectly from Vasart.  For more information, see my web page on Lassman & Co .  A complete set of similar objects can be found at this link.

Size:  2 1/2" long.  The handle diameter is 1 1/2". 
Condition :  Excellent condition.  This item appears unused and shows no wear.  The paperweight handle is in excellent condition with no cracks or chips or noticeable scratches. 
Signature :  Unsigned, but I guarantee this is a genuine Lassman bottle stopper with a Vasart paperweight handle. 

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An example of this paperweight is shown in the book Degenhart Glass and Paperweights by Gene Florence.

The picture does not do justice to this paperweight.  Ignore the white areas, they are glare from the lights. 

Magnum Size:  3 1/3" diameter by 2 2/3" high.  The bottom is ground flat with a clear finish. 
Condition:  Very good condition with small (1/8") nick on the side near the base.  No significant scratches found on inspection. 
Signature: Signed on the plaque with a D inside a heart outline. 

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Large Size:  2 3/4" diameter by 1 3/4" high.  There are six concave side facets and a flat top facet.  The bottom is finished with a molded grid pattern. 
Condition:  Very good condition.  It does, however, tiny chip on the edge of the foot (as shown in the picture below). 
Signature:  Unsigned, but I guarantee that this is a paperweight from the island of Murano in Venice, Italy. 
Execution:  Excellent execution.  The design is balanced and well executed.  The design is well centered within the facets. 

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For more information about Murano paperweights, see my Murano Paperweights Web Page . 

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Although many people collect scramble paperweights for their own merit, scrambles are also valuable tools for learning to identify the different colors and canes used by each factory. 

Medium Size:  2 5/8" diameter by 1 3/4" high. The bottom is ground flat. 
Condition:  Excellent condition. 
Signature:  Signed on the base with a transparent label "VETRO ARTISTICO MURANO." 
Execution:  Excellent execution.  The design is balanced and well executed. 

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Large Size:  3" diameter by 2 3/8" high.  There are five side facets and a top facet.  The bottom is ground flat. 
Condition:  Very good condition.  It does, however, have a few scuffed areas between the facets at the widest point.
Signature:  Unsigned, but I guarantee that this is a paperweight from the island of Murano in Venice, Italy. This was probably made in the 1960s by Fratelli Toso. 
Execution:  Excellent execution.  The design is balanced and well executed.  The design is well centered within the facets. 

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Union Glass of Somerville, Massachusetts is the third of three related factories in the Boston area.  The first two were the Boston & Sandwich (B&S) Glass Company and the New England Glass Company (NEGC).  Both B&S and NEGC produced paperweights at the same time, both were founded by Deming Jarvis, and both declared bankruptcy in 1888.  Union Glass came a little later.  It operated from 1851 to 1929.  These name/date paperweights are made with lampwork flowers and letters and are not frit weights.  There are some nice articles in the literature including a lengthy article in the Paperweight Collectors Association 2004 Annual.  There is also a short chapter in George Kulles' third book - Identifying Antique Paperweights - The Less Familiar .  Nicholas Lutz worked at Union Glass from 1895 to 1904 and his influence can be seen on the Union Glass flowers although most of these weights were made after Lutz's death.  There is some current speculation that Lutz had an apprentice who continued to work at Union Glass and was responsible for not only some of the better Union Glass examples, but also some of the fine lampwork paperweights attributed to Mount Washington Glass. 

Very Large Size:  Just under 3 3/4" diameter by just over 2 3/4" high.   It weighs over 2 1/2 pounds.  The bottom is ground flat with a matte finish. 
Signature: Unsigned, but I guarantee this to be an authentic Union Glass paperweight. 
Condition:  Excellent good condition with no cracks or chips.  This paperweight has been professionally restored. 
Execution:  Excellent execution. 

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