Note on condition:  There is a 1/8" nick or tool mark just above the fancy cutting.  It is barely visible, but I mention this for completeness and provide a much magnified picture.  No other flaws found on inspection.

Robert Banford worked in Hammonton, NJ.  He started making paperweights in 1971 along with his father, Ray Banford.  Bob continued to make paperweights until 2006.  Bob and Ray did not date their paperweights, but it is sometimes possible to get an idea of when a paperweight was made by the progression of styles and the type of glass used.  Bob Banford used a signature cane with a red "B" and a blue surround.  Ray Banford used a different signature cane with a black B.  Ray passed away in 2003.

Size:  2 15/16" diameter by just over 2 1/8" high.  The bottom is ground slightly concave.  It is faceted with a large top facet and six side facets.  In addition there is a fancy cutting on the lower portion below the facets.  
Signature:  Signed with Robert Banford's signature "B" cane at the tip of the stem.  I believe this is part of Bob Banford's 1987 Collection and the cutting is by Ed Poore.
Condition:  Very good condition.  There is a 1/8" nick or tool mark just above the fancy cutting.  It is barely visible, but I mention this for completeness and provide a much magnified picture.  No other flaws found on inspection.

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

Large picture
Closeup
Profile
Signature cane
View from the base showing fancy cutting
Tool mark or nick (1/8")
Side view
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.

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.   The studio was founded by James Lundberg in the early 1970s.  Steven Lundberg joined shortly later.  The first paperweights were made in 1972.  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 were not dated and some did not have the artists signature. 

Large size:   3 1/8" diameter by 2 5/16" high.  The base is ground flat. 
Signature:  Signed and dated on the base "Lundberg Studios 1975 DS".
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
Closeup
Profile
Side view
Signature on base
Another closeup
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.

Very large size:  4 1/4" diameter by 2 15/16".  It weighs just over 41 ounces.  The base is ground flat.  This paperweight is faceted with a top facet  and 32 side facets in four rows.
Condition:  Good condition for its age.  There is considerable wear on the base and some of the facets are damaged.  The worst damage is one larger chip 3/8" across.
Signature:  This paperweight and maker is unknown.  Most likely it was made in Northern Europe or possibly Alsace Lorraine or Bohemia.  I guarantee that this is an antique paperweight (over 100 years old). 

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

Large picture
Monogram on top
Top view
Profile
Closeup of ripple pattern
Damage - larges chip (3/8" across)
Base with wear

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

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This design is listed and designated CT-1426 on page 205 of the Charlton Standard Catalog of Caithness Paperweights.  It is part of the Traditional Collection Series.  Heron was designed in 1997 by William Manson, Snr. and issued in a limited edition of 150 paperweights.  Of these, only 112 were made.  This example is marked 8-150.  The original issue price in the US was $265.

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.

William Manson, Snr. 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.  During this period he also had a small studio at home.  In 1997 he left for good to form his own studio William Manson Paperweights.  After Perthshire closed in January 2002, William Manson Sr. started Phoenix Paperweights to engage three workers from Perthshire.  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.  For a brief period (2004-2006), William Manson, Sr. made collaborative paperweights with John Deacons.

Size:  2 1/2" diameter by 2 3/8" high.  This upright paperweight has a large front facet and a star cut back facet.  The base / bottom is ground flat. 
Condition:  Excellent condition.  No cracks, chips, or scratches found on inspection.  
Signature:  It is signed with an engraved script signature on the base / bottom "Heron Caithness Scotland 8-150".

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

Large picture
Closeup
Signature on base
Side view
Star cut on back facet
Signature cane
View from the back

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

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•     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 over 3 1/16" diameter by just over 2 1/8" high.    The base is ground flat.
Signature:  The paperweight is signed with Baccarat's complex signature cane "B 1974" in the design.  It also has two acid etched Baccarat marks on the base along with the year (1974) and edition number (286). 
Condition:   Excellent condition.  No chips, cracks, or scratches found on inspection. 

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

Large picture
Closeup
Profile
Baccarat logos, date, and edition number on base
Signature cane "B 1974"
Side view
Base

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Selkirk Glass founded in 1977 by Peter Holmes and Ron Hutchinson.  Peter apprenticed under Paul Ysart at Caithness from 1963 and continued at Caithness until 1977.  Ron Hutchinson was also at Caithness.  Selkirk produced a wide range of paperweight styles including abstract, lampwork and millefiori paperweights.  The company was located in Selkirk, Scotland in the Borders Region.  At some point they were purchased by Edinburgh Crystal and remained in operation until 2006. .

Peter Holmes started his glass working career at Caithness Glass (Scotland) in 1963 as an apprentice to Paul Ysart.  He continued at Caithness until 1977, when he and Ron Hutchinson left Caithness to start Selkirk Glass.  Peter left Selkirk in 2002 to start Scottish Borders Art Glass with his son, Andrew, at Galalaw, Hawick. 

Very large size:  3 1/4" diameter by 2" high. The bottom is ground concave.  It is faceted with one large top facet and seven side facets. 
Signature:  It is signed in script next to the base "SELKIRK GLASS SCOTLAND DOUBLE CLEMATIS 24 1997" and there is also a Peter Holmes "PH" signature cane and a Selkirk foil 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
Side view
Profile
Closeup
PH Signature cane
Signature on side
Label on base
View from the back

For more information about paperweights made by Scottish makers, see my Scottish 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. 

Very large size:  Three sided shape.  3 1/2" at the widest by 2 13/16" tall.  The base is ground flat. 
Condition:  Excellent condition with no scratches, chips or cracks found on inspection.
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
Top view
Profile
Signature
Base
Another view

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

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According to the two books on St. Louis paperweights, this is the first modern St. Louis paperweight to have gold inclusions.  It was created for the US Bicentennial in 1976 and considered a special accomplishment.  The inclusion / medal was created from a drawing by Remy Hetreau of Arthus Bertrand Co., Paris.  One of the paperweights was given to President and Mrs. Ford as a symbol of Franco-American friendship.  Two versions of this design were created, 250 regular and 400 with a double overlay, for a total of 650 copies.  All copies were limited to US distribution.  

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. 

Large Size :  Just under 3 1/8" diameter by 2 1/16" high.  The bottom is ground concave.  It is faceted with one large top facet and five side facets.
Signature : Signed in the design with a complex signature / date cane "SL 1976".  It also has has its original "CRISTAL SAINT LOUIS FRANCE" foil label and comes with its original certificate of authenticity. 
Condition :  Excellent condition with no cracks, chips, or scratches.  The original collector noted the price paid at Wheaton Village in December 1975 on the reverse side of the certificate ($310).

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

Large picture
Closeup
Profile
Signature / Date cane
Label
Closeup of 1776-1976 date
Certificate
Side view
Base

For more information about paperweights made by the St. Louis factory, see my St. Louis 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.  The new company was owned by Teachers Whiskey.

Size:   2 3/4” diameter by 1 3/16” high.  The base is fire polished. 
Condition:  Excellent condition.  No damage found on inspection.   
Signature:  Unsigned but I guarantee this is a Strathearn paperweight made in Scotland.

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

Large picture
Side view
Closeup
Profile
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.

Similar examples are shown American Glass Paperweights and Their Makers by Jean Melvin (1967 and 1970) and the St. Clair Collectors Guide by Bonnie Pruitt.  They were made by members of the St. Clair family and also by Joe Rice.

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 Jensen 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.

Joe Rice,a third generation glassblower in the St. Clair family, is the grandson of John "Pop" St. Clair, Sr.  and nephew of a nephew of Joe St. Clair and the other brothers mentioned above.  His mother Jane Rice was Joe St. Clair's sister.  Joe Rice began working at the family glass factory in 1962 at the age of twelve.  He worked with his uncles Joe, Ed, Bob, and Paul after school hours and during the summer months.  When the estate of Bob St. Clair was ready for public auction in October 1987, Joe Rice was able to purchase the property along with needed supplies and equipment.  He reopened the factory as the The House of Glass.  His uncles Ed and Paul were there to help guide him along his path to success.  The House of Glass continues to operate in Elwood, Indiana.

Very large size:  Just under 3 7/8" diameter by 2 3/8" high.  The bottom is fire finished and hot stamped with the signature.  The paperweight weighs 29 ounces. 
Condition:  Excellent condition.  No chips, cracks, or scratches found on inspection.  The design, however, is off center in the paperweight.
Signature:  Hot stamped "JOE RICE" on the base. 

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

Large picture
Closeup
Profile
Signature on base
Side View
Base
Another View

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

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Selkirk Glass founded in 1977 by Peter Holmes and Ron Hutchinson.  Peter apprenticed under Paul Ysart at Caithness from 1963 and continued at Caithness until 1977.  Ron Hutchinson was also at Caithness.  Selkirk produced a wide range of paperweight styles including abstract, lampwork and millefiori paperweights.  The company was located in Selkirk, Scotland in the Borders Region.  At some point they were purchased by Edinburgh Crystal and remained in operation until 2006. .

Size:  Just over 2 9/16" diameter by 2" high. The bottom is ground concave. 
Signature:  It is signed in script on the base "SELKIRK GLASS SCOTLAND SHAMROCK 2002".  It also has a gold foil label "SELKIRK GLASS HANDMADE IN SCOTLAND".
Condition:  Excellent condition with some wear on the base.  No other scratches, cracks or chips found on inspection. 

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

Large picture
Closeup
Side view
Profile
Base with Signature and Label

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 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.

Size:   Just under 3" long (beak to tail) by diameter by 1 3/4" wide.  The small base is polished flat. 
Condition:   Excellent condition with no cracks,  chips, or scratches.  There is some debris in the glass and there is some roughness at the end of the tail feathers - left by the tools used to snip the glass.
Signature:  This paperweight is 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
Other side
Closeup
Back
Top view
Base
Another closeup
Rough area on tail feathers left by tools

For more information about Murano paperweights, see my Murano Paperweights 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 an unusual flat depiction.   

Large size:   6 1/4" high by 4 1/16" wide by approximately 1 15/16" deep.  The back and base are polished flat.  This paperweight weighs two pounds eleven ounces (43 ounces). 
Signature:  Signed on the base "Satava 3748-96". 
Condition:  There is one 5/8" scratch on the left edge of the back and some scratches on the base / bottom as shown in the pictures.  No other cracks, chips, or scratches found on inspection. 

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

Large picture
Side view
Closeup
Signature on base
Back side
Front viewed at angle
Back viewed at angle
Scratch on back edge
Horizontal 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:  3 1/8" diameter by 2 1/16" high.  The bottom is ground flat. 
Condition:  This paperweight has many faint scratches and scuffs on the body and the base.  Most are minor and the paperweight displays well.  No chips or cracks.   
Signature:  It is signed with a Baccarat signature cane "B 1970" near the stem of the flower and also signed again on the base with two etched Baccarat logos, an edition number "245" and the year "1970". 

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
Closeup
Profile
Signature cane
Signature on base
Side view
Base

For more information about Baccarat paperweights, see my Baccarat 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
Profile
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.

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:  Just under 2 5/16" diameter by just over 1 9/16" high.  The base is ground concave and finished with a grid cut. 
Signature:  This paperweight has a Perthshire complex "P" signature cane in the center of the flower.  It does not have a paper label.
Condition:  Very good condition although it has a 1/4" scratch on the overlay between two side facets below the widest point.  No other cracks, chips, or scratches found on inspection.

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

Large picture
Closeup
Profile
Side view
Scratch on side
Base with grid cut finish

For more information about Perthshire Paperweights, see my Perthshire 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.

Very large size:  3 7/16" diameter by 2" 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.  Other than faint wear on the base, no cracks, chips, or scratches found on inspection.
Signature:  Signed with an oversized Whitefriars signature cane (white monk) in the crown. 

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

Large picture
Closeup
Profile
Side view
Signature cane
Base with edition number

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

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Orrefors Glassworks was founded in 1898 in Swedish village Orrefors in Småland on the same site where iron works operations had been run since 1726.  In the same year that the glassworks was founded, a hot shop was built for making technical, medical and household glass and stemware.  Glass now replaced the less profitable iron works operations.  In 1913, Consul Johan Ekman from Gothenburg became the new owner of Orrefors Glassworks.  He appointed Albert Ahlin as manager of the glassworks and this marked the start of a new era.  In 1914, Orrefors started manufacturing crystal products, and as well as cut crystal.  They also made art glass using the overlay technique with etched decoration. The new management quickly saw that artists were needed in the business, so Simon Gate was employed in 1916 and was joined by Edward Hald in 1917.  Gate and Hald experimented with with figure engraving and with the new innovative graal glass technique that was developed at Orrefors by the master glassblower Knut Bergqvist, resulting in major recognition at the Gothenburg Exhibition in 1923 and the Paris Exhibition in 1925.  In 1989, Orrefors and Kosta Boda merged to form Orrefors Kosta Boda AB.  Ownership changed again in 2005 with the purchase of the glassworks by the New Wave Group which decided to close the Orrefors glassworks in December 2012.  After that, all glass production was done under the KostaBoda brand label.

Jan Johansson came to Orrefors in 1969 after training as a silversmith in Stockholm at the College of Arts, Craft and Design. As an artist, he is interested in refining the optical effects of pure, sculptural crystal, as in his cut-glass Horizon Arizona and his barware series Street.  Cut crystal sculptures set on a solid marble stand are an important component of his art glass production.

Size:  2 3/16" diameter by 3 1/4"high.  The base is polished flat.   
Condition:  Excellent condition with no chips, cracks, or scratches found on inspection.
Signature:  Signed on the base "Orrefors 9000576 Jan Johansson 54/99" and also has an "Orrefors Sweden" foil label on the side.

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

Large picture
Profile
Label
Signature on base
Base
Another view

For more information about paperweights from other countries, see my Paperweights from Other Countries 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.  The new company was owned by Teachers Whiskey.  The company is no longer in existence.

Medium Size:   2 9/16” diameter by 1 15/16” high.  Bottom is fire polished. 
Condition:  Excellent condition.  No cracks, chips, or scratches found on inspection other than mild wear on the base.  There are some tiny bubbles in the glass. 
Signature:  Unsigned, but I guarantee this to be a Strathearn paperweight from Scotland.  There is the remnants of a Strathearn label on the base. 

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

Large picture
Closeup
Profile
Base with remnant of label
Side 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.

Large Size:  2 7/8" diameter by 2 13/16" high.  The base is fire finished with a pontil stamp.
Condition:  Excellent condition.  No chips, cracks, or scratches found on inspection.
Signature:  Signed and dated but I do not recognize the name.  There is also a pontil stamp with a long tailed lizard or gecko or something similar.

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

Large picture
Base with signature
Top view
Profile
Another view
Another view of signature and pontil stamp
And a third view of signature and pontil stamp

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

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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 sister and brother 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 this and other early paperweights and other art glass were signed "Roland R. Correia".  There are some sites on the internet that incorrectly give Roger Roland credit for the early paperweights.  There is a paperweight in the MMA collection incorrectly identified as being by Roger Roland Correia.  There was no such person.  It was a signature used by the partnership.  It is also possible to find paperweights signed "Roland" probably made later by Roger Roland.  These are distinctly different from the style of Correia Art Glass paperweights.

Large size:  3 1/16" diameter by 2 7/8" high.  The base is ground flat. 
Signature:    Signed on the base "Roland R. Correia 9716.12.75" and there is also a worn Correia paper label.
Condition:  Excellent condition.  No cracks or chips.  Other than some scratches on the base, no other scratches found on inspection.

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

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Side view
Top view
Signature on base
Base
Another side view
Another view
And another view

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

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Micheal Nourot's first glass studio Light Opera Glass was founded in 1972 in San Francisco's Ghirardelli Square.  Ann Corcoran Nourot, originally from New Jersey and a textile student at Rochester Institute of Technology's School for American Craftsman,  relocated to California and changed majors from textiles to glass.  They met at the California College of Arts and Crafts (CCAC) and were married in 1974.  The same year, they moved the glass studio to an abandoned warehouse on East "H" Street in Benicia, California.  The studio was renamed Nourot Art Glass.  During his time at CCAC, Micheal was part of a scholarship program in which he helped build the famed glass school at Pilchuk in Washington, working with Dale Chihuly and others.  After graduation Micheal traveled to Murano where he spent a year studying glassmaking from Italian masters at the Venini factory.  He also assisted in a glassblowing workshop taught by Marvin Lipofsky.  Micheal Nourot (born Riverside, CA 1949) passed away in 2015.  The glass studio remains in operation today under the leadership of their son Nicholas.

David L. Lindsay is a self-taught glass artist.  He became an apprentice at Nourot Glass Studio in 1976 and advanced from apprentice to assistant glass blower to gaffer.  David became proficient in all aspects of the glass production process and was made a partner in the studio in 1982, where he stayed until 1998.  In 1998, David and his wife, Ann, started Lindsay Art Glass nearby on East "F" in Benicia.  They retired in 2020. 

Large size:  2 15/16" diameter by 3 3/16" high.  The base is ground flat.   
Signature: Signed on the base "Nourot PB9-88-DLL".  
Condition:  Very good condition with no cracks or chips.  There is one tiny (1/16") scuff mark on the top of the beehive and minor wear on the base.  

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

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Closeup
Top View
Base with signature
View of back
Scuff (1/16") on top
Side View

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

Large Size:  Just under 2 3/4" diameter by just under 2 1/2" high.  The base is ground flat.   
Signature: Signed on the base "Lundberg Studios 1979 LS92120".  
Condition:  Very good condition with no cracks or chips.  There are scratches and wear on the base.  The surface is not completely smooth and shows traces of the surface work done to create the design.  

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

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Closeup view of the bat
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Base with signature
Another view
Side view

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

Steven Lundberg left Lundberg Studios in 1997 and set up his own studio in Santa Cruz, CA under the name of “Contemporary Art Glass”.  Legal entanglements caused the company name to be changed to “Steven Lundberg Glass Art”.  His son, Justin Scott Lundberg (born 1978), joined him in the business.  Justin Lundberg paperweights often have a unique look and incorporate a new experimental technique to incorporate pieces of fused glass cut with a water jet.  The studio was moved from California to Oregon in 2001.  Steven Lundberg died from ALS in 2008.  Justin Lundberg passed away in 2019.  

Very Large Size:  4 1/4" diameter by 2 7/8" high.  The base is ground concave.  Very heavy, it weighs 44 ounces (2 pounds 12 ounces).
Signature:   Signed on the side near the base "Jberg 9/02 1/1 "Sketch".  
Condition:  Excellent condition with no cracks, chips or scratches on the body.  A few scratches on the base.

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

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Signature on edge near base
Closeup
Profile
Side view
Fused glass ground
Another side view
A third side view
Base

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

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Perthshire made the limited edition PP136 only in 1991.  According to the Perthshire book, this design is supposed to be signed with a "P1991" signature cane, but this example does not have a signature cane.  The edition size is not known.

Note:  This example has a small 1/8" scratch on the side.  It displays beautifully.  There is also a tiny bubble near the surface visible in the side view, which is from the making (not damage). 

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).  This 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 to large size:  Just under 2 3/4" diameter by 2 1/16" high.  The bottom is ground concave.    
Signature:  Unsigned, but I guarantee that this is a genuine 1991 Perthshire PP136 paperweight.  This paperweight does not have its original paper label. 
Condition:  Very good condition with no cracks or chips.  It has a small 1/8" scratch on the side.  There is also a tiny bubble near the surface visible in the side view, which is from the making (not damage).

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

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Closeup
Profile
Side view (note tiny bubble near surface)
Scratch on side (1/8" long)
Base

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

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Size:  2 3/4" diameter by 1 15/16" high.  The base is covered with a silverplate covering and a felt cover in the center.  I did not remove the felt to see if the Guernsey mark is under the felt.
Condition:  Excellent condition with no chips or cracks or noticeable scratches.  The silver plate has been lost some of its silver layer and the underlying copper is visible.   
Signature:  Signed with Sileda Ltd.'s silver mark on the base.  The mark is on a raised area which is 3/16" across.  The mark consists of the Sileda "SL" registered mark as registered at the Sheffield Assay Office and below that the three tiny punches: Sheffield Tudor Rose (for the Assay office in Sheffield), Britannia quality mark (which is meaningless for silver plate), and a script M, establishes the date as 1986.  There is a felt cover in the center base.  I did not remove the felt to see if there was a Guernsey mark on the glass.

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

Large picture
Profile
Top view
Base
Closeup of base to show raised area with marks
Composite of three attempts to show the Sileda mark

For more information about paperweights by English makers, see my English Paperweights Web Page .

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Francis Dyer Whittemore, Jr. is considered one of the pioneers of the modern paperweight renaissance.  He started working in glass in 1938, originally as a scientific glass maker and instructor in South Jersey.  He did not start making paperweights until 1962 when he set up a studio in Lansdale, Pennsylvania.  For five years, he spent one month a year consulting at Baccarat to help them refine their lampwork paperweight art.  Some sources have this consulting work from 1971 to 1976.  Other sources have it starting later.  The signature cane used on this paperweight was one he developed prior to working at Baccarat.  Most of his paperweights are miniature to medium in size.  You can read about Francis Whittemore in the book American Glass Paperweights and Their Makers by Jean Melvin (1970).

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

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Top view
Signature cane viewed through base
Another view
Profile
Base

For more paperweights by contemporary American paperweight makers, see my Contemporary American Paperweights Web Page.     (dl-ca-va)

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Selkirk Glass founded in 1977 by Peter Holmes and Ron Hutchinson.  Peter apprenticed under Paul Ysart at Caithness from 1963 and continued at Caithness until 1977.  Ron Hutchinson was also at Caithness.  Selkirk produced a wide range of paperweight styles including abstract, lampwork and millefiori paperweights.  The company was located in Selkirk, Scotland in the Borders Region.  At some point they were purchased by Edinburgh Crystal and remained in operation until 2006.

Peter Holmes started his glass working career at Caithness Glass (Scotland) in 1963 as an apprentice to Paul Ysart.  He continued at Caithness until 1977, when he and Ron Hutchinson left Caithness to start Selkirk Glass.  Peter left Selkirk in 2002 to start Scottish Borders Art Glass with his son, Andrew, at Galalaw, Hawick. 

Large size:  3 1/8" diameter by 1 7/8" high. The base is ground concave. 
Signature:  Signed in script on the base "SELKIRK GLASS SCOTLAND 1993" to which a 1/1 has been added, but I can't guarantee this was added at the factory.  There is also a distorted Peter Holmes "PH" signature cane in the design.
Condition:  Excellent condition with no chips, cracks, or scratches found on inspection.

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

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Side view
Profile
Closeup
Signature on base - including 1/1
PH Signature cane (distorted)
Base

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

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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:  2 13/16" diameter by 2 1/8" high.  The base is ground concave.  This paperweight is faceted with one large top facet and twelve side facets (six large and six smaller).
Condition:  Outstanding original condition with no scratches, chips or cracks. 
Signature:  It is signed in the design with Peter's complex signature and date cane "PMcD 09" and 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: 

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Closeup
Profile
Signature / date cane
Base with label
Side view
Another view

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

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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.  Douglas Boyd passed away in 2018.  David Hopper and his wife Shari retired to nearby Paradise California.  They survived the wildfire that destroyed most of Paradise in 2018.  Orient & Flume continues in Chico with new owners Bruce Sillars and Ronda Davis.  Bruce was one of the original Orient and Flume artists and Ronda has spent the last 30 years at the studio handling sales and other responsibilities.  They are joined by another early O&F artist Scott Beyers.

Scott Beyers is an early Orient & Flume artist who has worked at Orient & Flume almost since the beginning.  For a short while starting in 1980, Scott partnered with Lee Hudin in their own studio Ophir Studios in Oroville, CA.  The studio was short-lived and both Hudin and Beyers went back to O&F by the mid-1980s.  The exact history is elusive, but Scott is now at Orient & Flume under the new owners.

Very Large Size:  3 3/16" diameter by just under 2 13/16" high.  The bottom has been ground flat.
Signature:    Signed on the base "Orient & Flume O601V5SFN0121 5/250 S. Beyers".
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: 

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Closeup
Signature
Base
Profile
Side view
Another view

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

Large Size:   Just over 3" diameter by 2 3/4" high.  The base is ground flat. 
Condition:   Excellent condition with no cracks,  chips, or scratches.
Signature:  This paperweight is unsigned, but I believe the maker was the firm of Fratelli Toso.  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: 

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Side view
Closeup
Profile
Another side view
Base

For more information about Murano paperweights, see my Murano 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.  The new company was owned by Teachers Whiskey.  The company is no longer in existence.

Medium size:   Just over 2 3/8” diameter by 2 1/16” high.  The base is fire polished and ground concave in the center. 
Condition:  Excellent condition.  No cracks, chips, or scratches found on inspection.  There are some small bubbles in the glass.
Signature:  Unsigned, but I guarantee this to be a Strathearn paperweight from Scotland. 

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

Large picture
Closeup
Profile
Base
Side view

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

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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.   The studio was founded by James Lundberg in the early 1970s.  Steven Lundberg joined shortly later.  The first paperweights were made in 1972.  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 were not dated and some did not have the artists signature.

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

Large size:   2 13/16" diameter by just over 2" high.  The base is ground flat. 
Signature: Signed and dated on the base "LUNDBERG STUDIOS DS 310 1975".  The signature is hard to see on the white base so I colored it with a green washable marker to enhance the writing.  The green marker ink has since been removed. 
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
Closeup
Profile
Top view
Signature on base
Signature - enhanced (now removed)
Base

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

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David P. Salazar was born in Del Rio, Texas.  His fascination with glass started in college, when he began making scientific glassware.  In 1972, he started working as an apprentice at Lundberg Studios, and quickly moved into the more creative aspects of designing and torchwork.  After 10 years in the studio environment, he decided to strike out on his own in order to develop new designs and techniques.  Initially he rented space from Zephyr Studios in Santa Cruz, California, staying there from 1982 to 1985.  When Zephyr went out of business, Salazar took over the building and started his own studio.

Size:  Just under 2 5/8" high by just under 2 1/2" wide by 1 1/4" thick.  The base is fire finished.
Signature: Signed on the base "D P Salazar 1/04". 
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: 

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Profile
Closeup
Another picture
Signature on base
Leaning on its side

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

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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 Jensen on Fifth Avenue in New York. Joe retired (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.

Size:  The center paperweight portion is just under 3" diameter.  With the handle and the cup for the candle it is 4 1/16" wide by just under 3" deep by 3 1/16" high.  The base is finished flat and hot stamped in the center with the signature. 
Condition:  Excellent condition with no chips, cracks, or scratches found on inspection.
Signature:  Hot stamped on the base "MAUDE AND BOB ST. CLAIR 1976". 

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

Large picture
Other side
Signature on base
Closeup
Profile
Side away from handle
Base

For more information about paperweights made by the St. Clair factory, see my St. Clair 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.  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.  The St. Kilda line was produced from 1978 or 1979 through 1987.   He now works with his son Craig Deacons in their studio in Crieff.  You can read about John Deacons in the book by Hall - Scottish Paperweights. 

Size:  Just over 2 3/8" diameter by 1 11/16" high.  The bottom is ground concave. 
Condition:  Excellent condition with no scratches, chips or cracks.  There are some tiny pieces of white debris in the glass.  This sometimes happens when a new pot is used to melt the glass and it throws off small bits of ceramic as it is being broken in.  See pictures.  There are also some tiny bubbles in the glass.  I consider this paperweight a second and have reduced the price accordingly.
Signature:  Signed on the base with a John Deacons complex JD 2007 signature cane with the letters "JD", then a pansy cane between two cog canes, and the numbers "2007".

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

Large picture
Closeup
Signature cane
Side view
Label and signature cane
Profile
Base

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

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Chris Sherwin has worked in glass for 25 years, specializing in designs inspired by nature.  Almost all of his work involves some aspect of torchwork decoration applied to the surface or encased torchwork creations.  He makes his own glass and canes in his environmentally conscious hydro-powered studio.  Chris studied glassblowing at Southern Connecticut State University and apprenticed at Simon Pearce.  He also spent seven years at Orient & Flume Art Glass, an internationally renowned glass studio in Chico, CA known for their iridescent vases, intricate paperweights, and torchwork designs.  At O&F he was able to create designs of his own and collaborative pieces that earned him a separate section in the O&F retail showroom. He opened his own studio in Bellows Falls, VT in 2005 and makes a variety of paperweights, vessels, animal sculptures, seasonal themed and other objects. 

Size:  3 7/8" long by 1 7/8" wide by just under 3 1/16" high.  The base is ground flat.
Signature: Signed on the base "Sherwin Art Glass 2017". 
Condition:  Excellent condition.  No cracks, chips or scratches. 

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

Large picture
Other side
Base with signature
Another view
Front

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

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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 5/8" diameter by just under 1 3/4" high.  The base is ground concave.  It is faceted with one larger top facet and five side facets. 
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.  Two tiny pinpricks on the side (too small to measure).  No other cracks, chips or scratches found on inspection.

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

Large picture
Closeup
Profile
Signature cane
Side view
Base

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

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Items like this were made by the many of the Scottish paperweight companies (Ysart Brothers, Vasart Glass, Strathearn Glass, or even Perthshire Paperweights).  Some of the products made by Vasart were also sold with a Pirelli label.  It is important to note that most pin dishes started off as a paperweight.  The maker found a defect or problem and rather than stop, turned it into a pin dish.

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.

Large Size:  3 7/8” diameter by 1 5/8” high.  The center well is 2 13/16" diameter.  The base is fire polished and the pontil mark is ground down. 
Condition:  Very good condition.  I found two small scratches on the side, plus some scratches from wear on the base.  No chips or cracks.
Signature:  Unsigned, but I guarantee this is an early Scottish pin dish made by Vasart or possibly later by Strathearn. 

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

Large picture
Closeup
Top view
Base
Side view

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

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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 Jensen on Fifth Avenue in New York. Joe retired (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.

Very Large Size:  Just under 3 1/4" diameter by just under 3 1/2" high.  It weighs just under two pounds.  The base is finished flat and hot stamped in the center with the signature. 
Condition:  Excellent Condition with no chips, cracks, or scratches found on inspection.
Signature:  Hot stamped JOE ST. CLAIR on the base.  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
Joe St. Clair information insert
Signature on base
Closeup
Top view
Profile
Base

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

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The technique used to produce this surface is sometimes called a cane roll-up.  The Murano firms of Fratelli Toso and Barovier & Toso produced objects with this technique, but the paperweight is unsigned and can only be said to be in the style of Fratelli Toso. 

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. 

Size:  2" diameter by 2 15/16" high. The bottom is ground flat. 
Condition:   Excellent condition. No scratches, chips, or cracks. 
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
Closeup
Side view
Base
Another view
Still another view
Top view - canes pulled together

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

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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.  Both father and son started using signature canes in 1975.  According to Andrew Dohan's Dictionary of Paperweight Signature Canes, "In the early years, Ray Banford used many different color combinations of a “B” signature cane."  The signature cane used here, a blue  “B” in a white background is referenced as Ray Banford-3 and was used during the period 1975-1979.  Starting in 1980, Ray started a signature cane with a black B and continued to use that cane until he died in 2003. 

Small size:  2 1/4" diameter by 1 13/16" high.  The base is ground flat.  This paperweight has a fancy cut with a large top facet and seven deep long oval facets similar to that found on Gillinder antique paperweights.   
Signature:  Signed near the stem with an early Ray Banford signature cane having a blue "B" on a white background.
Condition:  Excellent condition.  No chips, cracks, or scratches found on inspection.  The glass contains many tiny bubbles, a characteristic of the Conlan crystal used by Ray and Bob Banford from 1973-1977.

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

Large picture
Signature cane and Rose
Side view
Closeup 
Profile
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.

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:  Just under 3 7/8" diameter by just over 1 3/4" high. The base is ground concave. 
Condition:  Excellent condition with no scratches, chips or cracks found on inspection. 
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
Closeup
Top view
Base with label
Side view

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

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. 

Size:  Just over 2 9/16" diameter by just under 1 3/4" high. The base is ground flat with a concave center.
Condition:  Excellent condition with no scratches, chips or cracks. 
Signature:  Signed and numbered "PHOENIX 2003 25/75" on the base.  It also has a Phoenix Paperweights "PP" signature cane set in the center of the base.  This paperweight comes with its original certificate. 

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

Large picture
Closeup
Profile
Signature on base
Signature cane on base
Side view
Certificate
Base

For more information about paperweights made by Scottish makers, see my Scottish 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
Closeup
Signature cane
Base
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.

Click on the picture to see a larger image.

James Landgraf is a contemporary American studio artist.  In 2004 he founded the Oregon Fusion Glass Studio in Terrebonne, OR with his wife Deborah.  Not much else is known about this artist other than that he also made pipes and accessories for recreational marijuana.  In 2016 he was successfully sued for copyright and trademark infringement after one of his designs borrowed elements from the Starbucks' classic plastic cup and signature bubble lid. 

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

Large picture
Base with signature
Side view
Front
Other side

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:  Just under 2 5/8” diameter by 2 1/4" high.  The base is ground flat with a matte finish.  As is typical of modern Chinese paperweights, the base is not a perfect circle.   
Signature: Unsigned but I guarantee this to be of Chinese origin from the 1960s or later.    
Condition:  Fair condition.  This paperweight has light scratches and abrasions on the surface, including an area "below the waist" with many tiny pinpricks.  No significant chips or cracks.  It displays well.  Please review the pictures.

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

Large picture
Closeup
1856 date cane
View of date cane from below
Base
Profile
Side view

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

Click on the picture to see a larger image.

This is a hard to find Baccarat paperweight.  This design was produced only in 1977 in a limited edition of 300 paperweights.  This is number 23 in that series.  There is a signature cane "B 1977" in the design.  The base has the acid etched Baccarat logo plus it is engraved with the year (1977), the number (23) and the size of the edition (300).

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 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 3" diameter by just under 2 1/4" high.  Bottom is ground slightly concave. 
Condition:  Outstanding condition with no cracks or chips or scratches.  It is in perfect original condition. 
Signature:  Made by Baccarat in France in 1977.  Signed in the design with a "B 1977" signature cane and on the base with the etched Baccarat mark, edition number, edition size, and year. 

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

Large picture
Closeup
Profile
Side view
Signature cane
Baccarat logo, numbered edition, and year on base
Base
Another view
Still another view

SOLD.                                                  Added 3/9/2021

For more information about Baccarat paperweights, see my Baccarat 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 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 company is no longer in existence.

Small to medium size:   2 5/16” diameter by just over 1 13/16” high.  The base is fire polished and ground concave in the center. 
Condition:  Very good condition.  One faint scratch low on the side (see side view).  No other cracks, chips, or scratches found on inspection other than mild wear on the base.  There is a tiny dimple on the top of the dome from the making, not damage (see side view).  
Signature:  Unsigned, but I guarantee this to be a Strathearn paperweight from Scotland. 

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

Large picture
Closeup
Profile
Base
Side 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.

Francis Dyer Whittemore, Jr. is considered one of the pioneers of the modern paperweight renaissance.  He started working in glass in 1938, but did not start making paperweights until 1962.   His studio was in Lansdale, Pennsylvania.  Like many other early glass artists, Francis started his career as a scientific glass blower and then later taught glass as an instructor.  For five years, he spent one month a year consulting at Baccarat to help them refine their lampwork paperweight art.  Some sources have this consulting work from 1971 to 1976.  Other sources have it starting later.  The signature cane used on this paperweight was one he developed prior to working at Baccarat.  Most of his paperweights are miniature to medium in size.  You can read about Francis Whittemore in the book 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
Closeup
Profile
Signature Cane
Base
Side view
View of edge showing frit splatter

For more paperweights by contemporary American paperweight makers, see my Contemporary American Paperweights Web Page.     (dl-ca-va)

Click on the picture to see a larger image.

This design is listed and designated CT-383 on page 63 of the Charlton Standard Catalog of Caithness Paperweights.  It was designed in 1984 by William Manson and issued in a limited edition of 250 paperweights.  Of these, all were made.  The original issue price in the US was $265.

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.

William Manson, Snr. 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.  During this period he also had a small studio at home.  In 1997 he left for good to form his own studio William Manson Paperweights.  After Perthshire closed in January 2002, William Manson Sr. started Phoenix Paperweights to engage three workers from Perthshire.  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.  For a brief period (2004-2006), William Manson, Sr. made collaborative paperweights with John Deacons.

Very Large Size:  3 1/8" diameter by 2 1/2" high.  The base is ground flat. 
Condition:  Excellent condition.  No cracks, chips, or scratches found on inspection.  There are some bubbles in the glass.  
Signature:  It is signed with an engraved script signature on the base "Kingfisher Caithness Scotland 192/250".

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

Large picture
Closeup
Signature on base
Side view
Base
Profile
Another closeup
Another side 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.

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 (or sometimes Jay 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.   

Large size:  Just under 2 7/8" diameter by 2 1/4" high.  The base is ground concave.
Condition:  Excellent condition with no scratches, chips or cracks.  The label is slightly worn.
Signature:  Signed with John Deacon's complex thistle cane in the center and it also has a slightly worn paper label "HANDMADE IN SCOTLAND by John Deacons" on the base.

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

Large picture
Closeup
Profile
Thistle cane
Label
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 paperweight was made in two formats for a total of 570 paperweights, including 170 blue and white overlays and 400 non-overlays.  All of the non-overlay paperweights had a cobalt blue ground.

Charles Augustus Lindbergh was an American aviator, military officer, author, inventor, and activist. At the age of 25 in 1927, he went from obscurity as a U.S. Air Mail pilot to instantaneous world fame by making a nonstop flight from New York City to Paris. (from Wikipedia)

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. 

Cristalleries et Verreries de Vianne was founded in 1918 with the reorganization and reestablishment of a glassworks in the town of Vianne, France following World War I.  The company specialized in making lighting fixtures when they were approached in 1967 by Paul Jokelson with a proposal to make sulphide paperweights.  They accepted Jokelson's proposal and successfully made a variety of sulphide paperweights under the label Cristal d'Albret.  Jokelson was the US distributor for most, if not all, of these products.

Large Size:  3 1/8" diameter by just under 1 15/16" high.  The clear base has a fancy cut with a concavity in the center.  The paperweight is faceted with one large top facet and six side facets and is footed. 
Signature:  The paperweight is signed with an acid etched "CR. D'ALBRET - FRANCE" in the center of the base.  The sulphide is marked "C A LINDBERGH GP 75".  The paperweight comes with its original Paul Jokelson blue box marked "CHARLES A. LINDBERGH by G. POILLERAT CRISTAL D'ALBRET FRANCE P.J."  
Condition:   Excellent condition.  No chips, cracks, scratches or other flaws found on inspection.

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

Large picture
Closeup
Profile
Base
D'Albret mark on base
"C A LINDBERGH GP 75" incised on sulphide
Box with paperweight
Box
Side view
Another side view

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

Click on the picture to see a larger image.

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.

Miniature Size:  1 7/8" diameter glass sphere.
Signature:   This example is unsigned, but I guarantee that it is a genuine Josh Simpson marble.
Condition:  Good condition with flaws.  This marble has a large bubble that is in the middle of the trail of bubbles behind the spaceship.  Also there are some tiny scratches on the surface as shown in the pictures.

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

Large picture
Spaceship and trail of bubbles
Closeup
Bottom / Pontil area - with no signature
Area with scratches
Another view
And 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.

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.

Large Size:  2 15/16" diameter by 2 7/16" high.  The base is ground flat.
Condition:   Very good condition - although there are a few short faint scratches on the widest part of the paperweight.  The longest of the scratches is 1/2".  See the pictures for an example.  No chips or cracks.    
Signature:  This paperweight is unsigned but I believe it was made by the firm of Fratelli Toso.  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
Closeup
Profile
Base
Side view
Scratches on side
Another view

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

Click on the picture to see a larger image.

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.

Peter Holmes started his glass working career at Caithness Glass (Scotland) in 1963 as an apprentice to Paul Ysart.  He continued at Caithness until 1977, when he and Ron Hutchinson left Caithness to start Selkirk Glass.  Peter left Selkirk in 2002 to start Scottish Borders Art Glass with his son, Andrew, at Galalaw, Hawick. 

Very large size:  2 13/16" diameter by 4" high.  The base is ground flat. 
Condition:  Good condition.  There is extensive scratching on the base including some rough areas on the edge of the base.  I have rated the condition Good rather than Very Good because this is an abnormal amount of wear for a contemporary paperweight.  The body of the paperweight is great and I found no chips, cracks or scratches on the body. 
Signature:  It is signed with an acid etch on the base "Caithness CASCADE Scotland".  There is also a two color  "CG" signature cane on the base, indicating it was made in 1975 or later.

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

Large picture
Closeup
Signature on base (shows extensive scratching on base)
Signature cane
Profile
Another 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.

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).  This 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:  2 3/8" diameter by 1 9/16" high.  The base is ground concave.  It is faceted with a large top facet and six side facets.       
Signature:  It is signed with Perthshire's complex "P1998" signature cane on the base and also has a very worn Perthshire paper label.  The edition number "162" is engraved on the base next to the signature cane.   
Condition:  Excellent condition with no cracks, chips, or scratches.  The Perthshire paper label is very worn. 

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

Large picture
Signature cane, label, and edition number on base
Closeup
Profile
Side view
Base

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

Click on the picture to see a larger image.

Very small size: Just under 1 13/16" diameter by just under 1 3/8" high.  The base is ground flat. 
Signature:  Signed in the center with Ebelhare's complex "E" signature cane.  In addition, it is signed on the base "Ebelhare 3-96".  
Condition:  Excellent condition with no scratches, cracks, or chips.  There are tiny bubbles in the glass.  

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

Large picture
Closeup
Top view
Signature cane
Signature on base
Side view
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.

Tom Hesse is a contemporary American studio artist who has worked in Kansas (and may still do so).  Special thanks to Rick Pfliger who was able to decipher the signature.  At one time Tom Hesse's work was sold by the Courtyard Gallery (now closed) in Lindsborg, KS.  I have not been able to find out anything more about this artist.

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

Large picture
Signature on side near base
Profile
Base
Top view

Click on the picture to see a larger image.

Large Joe St. Clair Icepick Flower Teapot Ring Holder Paperweight.  circa 1960 - 1980.  This teapot shaped figural paperweight is intended for use as a ring holder and is a very popular design.  It has five light blue icepick flowers  over a white chipped glass ground.  As is typical of this style, there is a carefully placed bubble in the center of each flower and also a carefully placed bubble in the ground in between each pair of flowers.  It is hot stamped "JOE ST CLAIR" on the bottom.  A very flashy figural paperweight.

This style of flower is called an icepick 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 the Georg Jensen Shop 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.

Size:  4 7/8" wide by 4" high.  The center paperweight portion is 2 1/2" in diameter. 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
Closeup of icepick flowers
Signature on base
Another view
End view
Base

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

Click on the picture to see a larger image.

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 sister and brother 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.

Medium size:  Just under 2 7/16" diameter by just over 2 1/8" high.  The bottom is ground flat. 
Signature:    Signed on the base "Correia HCLM.62.82.1". 
Condition:  Excellent condition with no cracks, chips, or scratches found on inspection. 

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

Large picture
Closeup
Side view
Top view
Signature on base
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.

Selkirk Glass founded in 1977 by Peter Holmes and Ron Hutchinson.  Peter apprenticed under Paul Ysart at Caithness from 1963 and continued at Caithness until 1977.  Ron Hutchinson was also at Caithness.  Selkirk produced a wide range of paperweight styles including abstract, lampwork and millefiori paperweights.  The company was located in Selkirk, Scotland in the Borders Region.  At some point they were purchased by Edinburgh Crystal and remained in operation until 2006. .

Peter Holmes started his glass working career at Caithness Glass (Scotland) in 1963 as an apprentice to Paul Ysart.  He continued at Caithness until 1977, when he and Ron Hutchinson left Caithness to start Selkirk Glass.  Peter left Selkirk in 2002 to start Scottish Borders Art Glass with his son, Andrew, at Galalaw, Hawick. 

Large size:  3" diameter by 2" high. The bottom is ground concave. 
Signature:  It is signed in script on the base "SELKIRK GLASS SCOTLAND 147/250 1985" and there is also a Peter Holmes "PH" signature cane..
Condition:  Very good condition with some wear on the base.  Two tiny pinpricks and one faint scratch on the side found on inspection.  The paperweight displays beautifully.

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

Large picture
Side view
Profile
Signature and signature cane on base
Base
Closeup

For more information about paperweights made by Scottish makers, see my Scottish 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 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. 

Very large size:   Just under 3 7/16” diameter by 2 7/16"  high.  The base is rough, fire finished, and ground concave in the center.  A remnant of the pontil scar remains in the center.
Signature:  Scratch signed "CHINA" on the base.  
Condition:  Good condition.  It has many surface scratches and scuffs.  No cracks or chips.  Striations in the glass.  The quality of the glass is poor with some debris - as is typical of early Chinese paperweights. The glass has a greenish tinge and it has a soft oily feel.  

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

Large picture
Signature
Closeup
Profile
Base
Side 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.

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.

Miniature size:   2 1/16” diameter by 1 1/8” high.  The base is fire polished. 
Condition:  Excellent condition.  No damage found on inspection.   
Signature:  This paperweight has a worn Strathearn paper label with a leaping salmon and "STRATHEARN HAND MADE IN SCOTLAND" on the base. 

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

Large picture
Side view
Closeup
Profile
Base with label
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.

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 1/8" diameter by just under 2 1/8" high.  The base is ground concave in the center. 
Signature: Signed on the base with a Perthshire "P1985" cane.  The signature cane is slightly distorted.  It also has a worn paper label "PERTHSHIRE PAPERWEIGHTS CRIEFF SCOTLAND".  
Condition:  Excellent 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
Closeup
Signature cane
Side
Label (worn)
Profile
Base

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

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Von Brackel discusses similar paperweights in his book Paperweights - Historicism - Art Nouveau - Art Deco.  He shows one example with a round picture on top on page 105, but his example is constructed differently.  Still I believe this paperweight originated in either Bavaria or Bohemia.  Bohemian Glass generally refers to the glass made in the regions that form the border area between the Czech Republic, Poland, and Germany.  Most of these areas are now parts of the western Czech Republic or Germany.  Another possibility is that the paperweight was made in the midwest US by glass workers who emigrated from the areas described above.  It remains the only example I have seen with a round picture at the top of the paperweight.  Most American photo paperweights have the picture on a flat enamel plaque with substantial clear glass above the picture.   

Very Large Size:  4" diameter by 3 13/16" high.  The bottom is ground flat with a matte finish.  The paperweight weighs 53 ounces (three pounds five ounces).  When boxed, it will weigh over four pounds. 
Condition:  Very good condition.  There are some minor scratches and scuffs, but no cracks or chips. 
Signature :  Unsigned, but I guarantee that this is a vintage paperweight, most likely from the Bohemia / Czech region.  It dates from approximately 1890-1930. 

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

Large picture
Closeup
Side view
Base
Top view

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

Click on the picture to see a larger image.

Selkirk Glass founded in 1977 by Peter Holmes and Ron Hutchinson.  Peter apprenticed under Paul Ysart at Caithness from 1963 and continued at Caithness until 1977.  Ron Hutchinson was also at Caithness.  Selkirk produced a wide range of paperweight styles including abstract, lampwork and millefiori paperweights.  The company was located in Selkirk, Scotland in the Borders Region.  At some point they were purchased by Edinburgh Crystal and remained in operation until 2006. .

Peter Holmes started his glass working career at Caithness Glass (Scotland) in 1963 as an apprentice to Paul Ysart.  He continued at Caithness until 1977, when he and Ron Hutchinson left Caithness to start Selkirk Glass.  Peter left Selkirk in 2002 to start Scottish Borders Art Glass with his son, Andrew, at Galalaw, Hawick. 

Large size:  2 13/16" diameter by 2 5/8" high. The bottom is ground concave. 
Signature:  It is signed in script on the base "SELKIRK GLASS SCOTLAND 1996".  It also has a worn paper label "SELKIRK GLASS HANDMADE IN SCOTLAND".
Condition:  Excellent condition with some wear on the base and one faint scuff or scratch (less than 1/8" long) on the side.  No other scratches, cracks or chips found on inspection. 

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

Large picture
Side view
Top view
Label
Profile
Base with Signature and Label
Base
Scuff (less than 1/8") on side

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

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Oscar “Skip” Woods was a well known paperweight maker in the South New Jersey near Millville, New Jersey.  He is known for making a variety of paperweight styles including a Bicentennial Series, Crimp Roses, and other types.  He sometimes demonstrated at Wheaton Village in Millville.  He worked there throughout the 1960s and 1970s.   

Large size:  2 3/4" diameter by 2 3/4" high.  The base is fire finished with a pontil signature stamp.
Condition:  Excellent condition with no scratches, chips, or cracks found on inspection.  There are a few tool marks near the base.  
Signature:  Signed on the base with a pontil stamp "OSJAG 1978".  

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

Large picture
Base with signature
Top view (the marks on the base show through)
Side view

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

Click on the picture to see a larger image.

Note on condition:  This paperweight has a few scratches and flaws which I will list here and also display in the pictures.  There are two tiny (less than 1/16") scratches on the face of the paperweight and a scuff on the side near the back.  On the back, there is a small area where a piece of tape or label has discolored the red stain used for the ground.  And, not shown are some minor scratches on the back.  As stated above, the paperweight displays beautifully.  

William Manson, Snr. 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.  During this period he also had a small studio at home.  In 1997 he left for good to form his own studio William Manson Paperweights.  After Perthshire closed in January 2002, William Manson Sr. started Phoenix Paperweights to engage three workers from Perthshire.  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.  For a brief period (2004-2006), William Manson, Sr. made collaborative paperweights with John Deacons.

William Manson, Jr. started making paperweights alongside his father starting in 1992, but did not take that up as a career until 1996 (age 18) and continued until the market cooled in 2003-2004. He is now in the process of setting up his own studio.  

Large Size:  Just under 2 5/8" wide (diameter) by 2 7/16" high by 1 1/2" thick.  There is a small facet for the base and a larger facet for the face. 
Signature:  Signed on the small facet / base "William Manson 1992". 
Condition:  Very good condition.  There are two tiny (less than 1/16") scratches on the face of the paperweight and a scuff on the side near the back.  On the back, there is a small area where a piece of tape or label has discolored the red stain used for the ground.  And, not shown are some minor scratches on the back.  All of  these flaws require careful examination to see.   

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

Large picture
Closeup
Back
Signature on base (small facet)
Side view
Base (small facet)
Two tiny scratches on face
Scuff on side and tape mark on back

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 paperweight has a translucent design was difficult to photograph.  It has "veil" effect created by using a metallic powder in the glass.  The veiling technique was first developed by Dominic Labino in the early 1970s.  Later it was used by Harvey Littleton (1980), Ed Nesteruk (1982), Michael O'Keefe (1984), Robert Eickholt, Gilbert C. Johnson, and others. 

The paperweight is signed Robert Townsend, but I have been unable to learn anything about the artist.  It is professionally executed and finished.  I purchased the paperweight as part of a Massachusetts collection of quality paperweights.

Size:  Just over 2 7/8" diameter by just over 2 5/8" high.  The base is polished flat. 
Signature: Signed "Robert Townsend" on the base.  The signature was difficult to photograph, so I show the signature as it appears and then darkened to make it easier to read.   
Condition:  Excellent condition with no cracks or chips.  Some wear on the base.

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

Large picture
Profile
Top view
Signature and a darkened version
Base

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

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Francis Dyer Whittemore, Jr. is considered one of the pioneers of the modern paperweight renaissance.  He started working in glass in 1938, but did not start making paperweights until 1962.   His studio was in Lansdale, Pennsylvania.  Like many other early glass artists, Francis started his career as a scientific glass blower and then later taught glass as an instructor.  For five years, he spent one month a year consulting at Baccarat to help them refine their lampwork paperweight art.  Some sources have this consulting work from 1971 to 1976.  Other sources have it starting later.  The signature cane used on this paperweight was one he developed during the period that he was consulting at Baccarat.  Most of his paperweights are miniature to medium in size.  You can read about Francis Whittemore in the book American Glass Paperweights and Their Makers by Jean Melvin (1970).

Miniature size:  Just under 2 1/16" diameter by 1 11/16" high. The bottom is ground concave.
Signature:  Signed in the design with a Whittemore "W" complex signature cane.  The one used in this paperweight has a white W on a blue background surrounded by a ring of white stars.  It helps to date the paperweight to after 1971 when he started working with Baccarat. 
Condition:  Excellent condition.  No chips, cracks, or scratches.

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

Large picture
Closeup
Profile
Signature Cane
Base
Side view
Another view

For more paperweights by contemporary American paperweight makers, see my Contemporary American Paperweights Web Page.     (dl-ca-va)

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. 

The 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 John Hawley.  The Art of the Paperweight  - The Boston & Sandwich and New England Glass Companies covers both B&S and NEGC. 

Size:  2 5/16” diameter by 1 15/16” high.  The base 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.  This paperweight has a fold or dimple at the top which causes considerable distortion.  In addition there are a few scratches on the dome and striations in the glass.

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

Large picture
Base view pointing out rabbits and eagles
Closeup of rabbits cane (viewed from base)
Closeup of eagles cane (viewed from base)
Profile
Base
Side view
Another view

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

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Zephyr Studios was a small group studio that existed for only a few years in the late 1970s and early 1980s.  It was located in Santa Cruz, California.

David P. Salazar was born in Del Rio, Texas.  His fascination with glass started in college, when he began making scientific glassware.  In 1972, he started working as an apprentice at Lundberg Studios, and quickly moved into the more creative aspects of designing and torchwork.  After 10 years in the studio environment, he decided to strike out on his own in order to develop new designs and techniques.  Initially he rented space from Zephyr Studios, staying there from 1982 to 1985.  When Zephyr went out of business, Salazar took over the building and started his own studio.

Size:  2 5/8" diameter by 2 3/16" high.  The base is ground mostly flat with a small depression where the signature is.
Signature: Signed on the base "D P Salazar 91-4". 
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
Profile
Top view
Signature on base
Base

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

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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
Closeup
Profile
Gold foil "K" signature on base
Base
Side view

For more paperweights by Charles Kaziun, see my Kaziun Paperweights Web Page.

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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.

Large Size:  2 7/8" diameter by just under 2 3/16" high.  The base is ground flat.
Condition:  Good to Very Good condition.  There is considerable wear and scratches on the base.  There is also one 3/4" long scratch on the side next to the base - shown in the picture of the base.  No other damage or scratches were found on the dome. 
Signature:  It is signed with an Edinburgh "E" signature cane in the center of the design.  The signature cane has a flaw on one side - bubbles in the glass.

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

Large picture
Scratch (3/4") on side next to base
Signature cane
Profile
Closeup
Side view

For more information about paperweights made by Scottish makers, see my Scottish 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 in 2013. 

Very large size:  3 7/16" diameter by 3 13/16"" high.  The base is ground flat.
Signature: Signed "Eickholt 1991" on the base. 
Condition:  Excellent condition.  No damage found on inspection.  Some wear on the base.

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

Large picture
Closeup
Profile
Signature on base
Top view
Another 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.

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:  2 7/8" diameter by 2 1/4" high.  The base is ground flat. 
Condition:  Excellent condition with no damage.  Slight wear on the base.  However, as stated above, the butterfly body has a tiny incompatibility or annealing fracture from when it was made.  The fracture also extends slightly above and below the body as shown in the side views.  The original box is distressed.      
Signature:  Signed with a "PY" complex signature cane in the design and also with a Paul Ysart "PY Made in Scotland" paper label on the base.   The box is imprinted "PAUL YSART LIMITED P.J." reflecting the Harland period when Paul Jokelson was the exclusive US distributor of Paul Ysart paperweights.   

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

Large picture
Signature cane
Label on base
Closeup
Closeup of butterfly (shows annealing fracture)
Side view pointing out annealing fracture
Paperweight in box
Profile
Base
Side view
Paul Jokelson Box

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

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Paul Joseph Stankard is considered to be the father of modern glass paperweights.  He has a degree in Scientific Glassblowing from the Salem Vocational Technical Institute (now Salem Community College) in Salem, New Jersey and worked for ten years as a glassblower making scientific instruments for various chemical laboratories before turning his attention to creating glass art.  He made his first paperweights in 1968 focusing on a realistic replication of nature.  Today he is one of the premier lampwork artists and has shared his knowledge with many other fine glass artists.  Paul's studio is in Mantua, NJ.  His work is on display at over 60 museums worldwide and there are several excellent books on this artist. 

Medium size:  2 3/8" diameter by just under 2" high.  The base is ground concave.    
Signature:  Signed signed with a black "PS" signature cane on the base.  It is also dated 1973 and numbered 7/75 on the base. 
Condition:  Excellent condition with no chips, cracks, or scratches found on inspection.

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

Large picture
Signature cane, date, and edition number on base
Closeup
Profile
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.

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:  Just under 3 1/16” 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:  Unsigned, but I guarantee that this paperweight is from China and was made around 1930. 
Condition:  Very good condition, perhaps better than the typical Chinese paperweight from this period.  Some small surface blemishes.  No chips and no cracks.  The glass has a soft oily feel.   There are bubbles in the glass.

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

Large picture
Closeup
Profile
Base
Side view

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

Click on the picture to see a larger image.

Very small size:  Just over 1 5/8" diameter by 1 1/8" high.  The base is ground flat. 
Signature:  Signed with a Drew Ebelhare complex "E" signature cane in the center of the design and also signed "Ebelhare 2-02" on the base. 
Condition:  Excellent condition with no scratches, cracks, or chips.

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

Large picture
Signature cane
Signature on base
Closeup
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.

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.

Large size:  3 1/16" diameter by 2 3/8" high. 
Signature: Signed "Orient & Flume 192 S 1979" on the base.  There is no paper label on this paperweight. 
Condition:  Excellent condition with no cracks or chips. 

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

Large picture
Side view
Closeup
Top view
Signature on base
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:  11 1/4" high.  The cone has a diameter of 2 1/2".  The base has a diameter of 2 15/16".
Signature: Unsigned, but I guarantee this is an antique paperweight from an unidentified factory.  This devil's fire paperweight was probably made in Belgium or Northern Europe, although an exact attribution is probably not possible.
Condition:  Very good condition for its age.  There are some minor scratches on the surface but is free of cracks and chips.  There are some noticeable scratches or tool marks on the base (up to 1 1/2").

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

Large picture
Side view
Another side view
Closeup
Base
Top portion

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

Click on the picture to see a larger image.

Large Size:  2 15/16" diameter by 2 11/16" high.  The base is ground flat.
Condition:  Excellent condition with no scratches, chips or cracks found on inspection.
Signature:  Signed "Bridgeton Studio '78 B-388 Ziegler" on the side near the base.  It was difficult to photograph, so I used a black marker to darken the signature.  This was removed after taking the pictures.

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

Large picture
Profile with flowers
Signature
Darkened signature
Closeup of butterfly
Closeup of flowers
Back view
Another view
Still another view
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.

Very Large Size:  Just under 3 7/16" diameter by just under 2 5/16" high.  The base is ground flat.
Signature:  The paperweight is signed with Baccarat's complex signature cane "B 1976" in the design.  It also has one acid etched Baccarat mark on the base along with the year (1976) and edition number (186). 
Condition:   Excellent condition.  There is some minor wear on the base, but no other cracks, chips, or scratches found on inspection.   

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

Large picture
Closeup
Profile
Baccarat logo, date, and edition number on base
Signature cane "B 1976"
Side view
Base

For more information about Baccarat paperweights, see my Baccarat 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 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 (or sometimes Jay 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.

Size:  2 5/16" diameter by 1 13/16" high. The base is ground concave in the center.  The base has a wide shoulder.
Condition:  Excellent condition.  There is some wear on the shoulder of the base, but no other scratches, chips or cracks found on inspection.
Signature:  Signed with the J Glass "J1980" signature cane and Allan Scott's "A" signature cane on the back of two petals.  This paperweight comes with its original certificate.

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

Large picture
Closeup
Profile
Signature canes
Certificate
Base
Side view
View from the 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.

Large Size:  2 3/4" diameter by 2 1/16" high. The bottom is ground concave with a pontil scar remaining.
Signature: Unsigned, but I guarantee this is an antique paperweight from an unidentified factory.  Most likely it is antique French or American.
Condition:  Good condition.  There are some minor scratches on the surface and tiny nicks on the edge of the base.  The base is not perfectly round as there is a spot where a chip or flaw was removed from edge of the base.  The jasper is not perfect and has some black specks and bubbles in it.

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

Large picture
Side view
Closeup
Profile
Base
Another view

For more information about antique paperweights see my Antique 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
•     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.

Medium Size:  Just over 2 1/2” diameter by 2” high.  Bottom is ground flat.
Signature:  Made by Baccarat in France.  Signed on the base with an etched Baccarat logo.  The logo is hard to see and harder to photograph.
Condition: Excellent condition.  Other than some wear on the base, no other chips, cracks, or scratches found on inspection.

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

Large picture
Closeup
Top view
Baccarat logo on the base (hard to see)
Base
Side view

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

Click on the picture to see a larger image.

Francis Dyer Whittemore, Jr. is considered one of the pioneers of the modern paperweight renaissance.  He started working in glass in 1938, but did not start making paperweights until 1962.   His studio was in Lansdale, Pennsylvania.  Like many other early glass artists, Francis started his career as a scientific glass blower and then later taught glass as an instructor.  For five years, he spent one month a year consulting at Baccarat to help them refine their lampwork paperweight art.  Some sources have this consulting work from 1971 to 1976.  Other sources have it starting later.  The signature cane used on this paperweight was one he developed prior to working at Baccarat.  Most of his paperweights are miniature to medium in size.  You can read about Francis Whittemore in the book American Glass Paperweights and Their Makers by Jean Melvin (1970).

Size:  2 3/8" diameter by 1 15/16" high. The bottom is ground concave but a small area was left unpolished (see picture)
Signature:  Signed in the design with two Whittemore signature canes used as clappers for the bells.  Each signature cane is a black "W" on a yellow background. 
Condition:  Excellent condition.  No chips, cracks, or scratches.  There is, however, a small rough area on the edge of the base.

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

Large picture
Closeup
Profile
Signature Canes used as clappers
Base
Side view
Rough area on edge of base and engraved edition number

For more paperweights by contemporary American paperweight makers, see my Contemporary American Paperweights Web Page.     (dl-ca-va)

Click on the picture to see a larger image.

Size:  2 5/8" diameter by just under 1 7/8" high.  The base is ground flat. 
Signature:  Signed "Fox / Ebelhare 5-12" on the base. 
Condition:  Excellent condition with no scratches, cracks, or chips.

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

Large picture
Closeup
Profile
Signature on base
Side view
Another closeup

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

Click on the picture to see a larger image.

Selkirk Glass founded in 1977 by Peter Holmes and Ron Hutchinson.  Peter apprenticed under Paul Ysart at Caithness from 1963 and continued at Caithness until 1977.  Ron Hutchinson was also at Caithness.  Selkirk produced a wide range of paperweight styles including abstract, lampwork and millefiori paperweights.  The company was located in Selkirk, Scotland in the Borders Region.  At some point they were purchased by Edinburgh Crystal and remained in operation until 2006. .

Peter Holmes started his glass working career at Caithness Glass (Scotland) in 1963 as an apprentice to Paul Ysart.  He continued at Caithness until 1977, when he and Ron Hutchinson left Caithness to start Selkirk Glass.  Peter left Selkirk in 2002 to start Scottish Borders Art Glass with his son, Andrew, at Galalaw, Hawick. 

Small size:  2 5/16" diameter by 1 5/8" high. The bottom is ground flat. 
Signature:  It is signed in script on the base "SELKIRK GLASS SCOTLAND 1980".  It also has a worn paper label "SELKIRK GLASS HANDMADE IN SCOTLAND".
Condition:  Excellent condition with some wear on the base, but no other scratches, cracks or chips found on inspection. 

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

Large picture
Side view
Closeup
Profile
Base with Signature and Label
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.

Note:  I had difficulty getting good pictures of this paperweight.  Please ignore the glare from the lights.  The paperweight looks a lot better than the pictures show. 

Green glass paperweights, mantle ornaments and doorstops originated as early as 1820 and continued to be made as late as 1914.  Often referred to as dumps, they are made from green and blue bottle glass in factories founded by John Kilner of Wakefield and other bottle makers in the Midlands and Northern regions of England.  There are articles on this topic in 2002, 2003 and 2005 annual bulletins of the Paperweight Collectors Association.  You can also read about them in Old English Paperweights by Robert Hall.  These dumps can be found with internal bubble designs, well executed floral designs, sulphide inclusions, or colored flowers.  Signed examples exist and command a premium price.  Since they are made from bottle glass, these paperweights often show signs of rough handling with chips or internal fractures.

Very large size:   3 3/8" diameter by 3 5/8" tall.  The base is shaped concave with a remnant of the pontil scar.   
Condition:  Very good condition for its age.  As is typical for this type of paperweight, there are some scratches and abrasions on the surface, but this paperweight has no chips, cracks or impact marks.  The bottom has a rough pontil scar.
Signature:  Unsigned, but I guarantee this is an antique English green glass paperweight. 

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

Large picture
Another view
Closeup
Side view
Top view
Base

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.

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.   The studio was founded by James Lundberg in the early 1970s.  Steven Lundberg joined shortly later.  The first paperweights were made in 1972.  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 like this one were not dated and some did not have the artists signature.

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

Very large size:   Just under 3 3/8" diameter by 2 9/16" high.  The base is ground flat. 
Signature: Signed on the base "Daniel Salazar Lundberg Studios".  The signature is hard to see on the white base. 
Condition:  Excellent condition.  Some light scratches on the base, but no other cracks, chips or scratches found on inspection.

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

Large picture
Profile
Side view
Signature on base
Another view
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.

Harold James Hacker (1906 - 1989) was born in Weston, West Virginia and, at the age of thirteen, took a job at the Weston Glass Plant.  Later he worked at the West Virginia Specialty Glass Company and learned some of the rudiments of blowing glass.  In 1936 he moved to California and worked at the Technical Glass Company in Los Angeles.  After service in the armed services during world war II, he obtained a concession at the Knott's Berry Farm making miniature glass objects, built on a hobby of lampworking that started back in West Virginia.  In 1966 Hacker and a friend from West Virginia, A. F. Carpenter, started experimenting with glass paperweights at a small studio near Hacker's home in Buena Park, CA.  In the beginning they made more traditional lampwork floral arrangements and millefiori paperweights, but then focused on lampwork snakes, reptiles, turtles, and other animals.  Their output was low and, even with two helpers, never exceeded 200 paperweights a year.  All were signed with variations of Hacker's signature, "Hacker", "Harold Hacker", "Harold J Hacker", or just the initials "HJH".  It is not possible to specifically identify which lampwork animals were made by A. F. Carpenter, but it is believed that Carpenter was the better lampwork artist and Hacker did some of the simpler designs.  Hacker also did the encasement.  Their work was considered good enough to earn an entry in  Dunlop's Dictionary of Glass Paperweights.  Both men are included in Jean Melvin's book American Glass Paperweights and their Makers (revised edition 1970) and Hacker has a page in Larry Selman's All About Paperweights.  Harold Hacker wrote an article "The Art of Paperweights" for the 1968 Annual Bulletin of the Paperweight Collectors' Association. 

Size:  2 3/4" diameter by 1 1/16" high.  The base is ground flat.  Note the low profile.
Condition:  Very good condition.  There are some scuff marks on the widest part of the paperweight.  No other chips, cracks, or scratches found on inspection.
Signature:  Engraved "HJH" on the base. 

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

Large picture
Closeup
Signature on base
View of back
Side view
Another view
Profile

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 1 15/16" long including the hardware.  No spindle.   
Condition: Very good condition for its age.  The paperweight knob has a fracture in the stem (and possibly a repair), but seems solid and unlikely to crack further.  There is light wear at the widest part of the handle visible in the pictures.     
Signature:  Unsigned, but I guarantee this is an antique paperweight doorknob from Bohemia or Belgium or Northern Europe.  

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

Large picture
End View
Side view
Fracture on stem (possible repair)
Hardware
Another view
Closeup

For more information about Bohemian paperweights, see my Bohemian Paperweights Web Page .                 (dl-boh-ant)

Click on the picture to see a larger image.

Perthshire made this paperweight as one of their annual collection items for 1994.  This means the design was made only that one year and never again.  There were eight annual collection designs in 1994, designated A through G plus one that is not given a letter.  The annual collection paperweights are the most desirable of the Perthshire line, with the exception of one of one items.

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).  This 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 3/4" diameter by 2 1/4" high.  The bottom is ground concave and finished with a feather cutting.    
Signature:  This paperweight is signed with an engraved "P" near the edge of the feather cutting.  There is no paper label on this paperweight and I do not have the original 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
Closeup
Profile
Side view
Engraved "P" on base
Base

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

Click on the picture to see a larger image.

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. 

Size:  Just under 2 13/16” diameter by 2 1/4” high.  The bottom is ground concave with a matte finish and polished in the center.   
Condition:  Excellent condition.  No cracks, chips, or cracks found on inspection.  There is one tiny surface bubble, but this is not damage (see picture). 
Signature:  This paperweight has Bill Burchfield's rose cane on the top and a tiny "CCGW 2000" signature cane on the side.  In addition, there is a paper label on the base "CAPE COD GLASS WORKS SAGAMORE, MA" with the phone number. 

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

Large picture
Rose cane
"CCGW 2000" signature cane
Top view
Closeup
Another view
Base with label
Side view
Surface bubble (not damage)

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

Click on the picture to see a larger image.

Mark Matthews started working in glass in 1974 while he was still an undergraduate at glorious Kent State University and continued his studies at Ohio University, receiving an MFA.  Since 1985 he as worked full time in glass as an independent glass artist with his studio located within the Sauder Village in Archbold, Ohio.  Matthews has become internationally recognized for his mastery of the glass sphere.  His stated goal is to explore the ways radically different designs and techniques can be used within a well-defined category such as spheres.  Mark Matthews work has been published in many books and is held in museums such as the Victoria & Albert Museum in London, England, the Corning Museum of Glass in New York, the Toledo Museum of Art in Ohio and the National Museum of American Art, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C.   

Large Size:  Just under 3 1/16" diameter by 2 7/16" high.  The base is unfinished with a broken pontil scar. 
Signature: It is signed in script on the base "Mark Matthews 1981".
Condition:  Good condition.  There are many surface flaws and this appears to be an experimental piece or prototype.  No cracks or chips.  

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

Large picture
Signature on base
Closeup
Top view
Side 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.

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.  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.  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. 

Small size:  2 1/4" diameter by just under 1 11/16" high.  The bottom is ground concave. 
Condition:  Excellent condition with no scratches, chips or cracks on the dome.  A few light scratches on the base. 
Signature:  Signed with a complex J Glass "J" signature cane just below the butterfly.  

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

Large picture
Closeup
Profile view
Signature cane
Base
Side 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.

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

You can read more about the Baccarat paperweights in the 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:  2 11/16" diameter by 1 15/16" high.  The bottom is ground concave and finished with a Baccarat star cut base.
Condition: Poor condition.  This paperweight has an internal fracture separating the lower petals from the upper petals and another fracture through two of the lower petals.  In addition there is considerable wear and scratches on the dome. 
Signature:  Made by Baccarat in France.  Unsigned, but I guarantee that this is an antique Baccarat paperweight from the classic period 1845-1860. 

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

Large picture
Profile
Closeup
Star cut base
Side view
Fractures in pansy
Scratches on surface

SOLD.                                                                              Added 1/16/2021

For more information about Antique Paperweights, see my Antique Paperweights Web Page.       (dl-ant-bac)

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.  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:  Just over 2 5/8" diameter by 1 15/16" high.  The base is ground concave. 
Signature:  This paperweight has a Perthshire complex "P1978" signature cane on the base.  It comes with its original worn box and worn certificate stating that it is number 341 out of a limited edition of 500 paperweights (452 were made).  It  also has a worn Perthshire paper label "PERTHSHIRE PAPERWEIGHTS CRIEFF SCOTLAND" on the base.
Condition:  Excellent condition with no cracks, chips, or scratches.  The box, label, and certificate are worn.  A previous owner had added a sticker to the box and also wrote on the label as shown in the pictures.

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

Large picture
Closeup
Profile
Signature cane and label on base
Side view
Certificate
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.

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 like this one did not have the artists signature. 

Size:   Just over 2 5/8" diameter by just under 2 3/8" high.  The base is ground flat. 
Signature: Signed and dated on the base "Lundberg Studios 1981 LS020517".  It comes with its original embossed certificate identifying this as a "Paperweight . Iridescent Butterfly".
Condition:  Very good condition.  I found a couple of tool marks and stray bits of color from the making but no other cracks, chips or scratches were found on inspection.

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

Large picture
Top view
Side view
Closeup
Signature on base
Certificate
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.

Victor Trabucco's original career was as a steelworker.  He began working with glass in 1974 after seeing a flameworker make a sculpture. He knew this was what he wanted to do for his life's work. Trabucco says that “Glass is the ultimate challenge; it has properties of no other material and offers the artist possibilities that are inspiring for the creative process. His work is often inspired by nature, capturing the beauty and motion of the subject and freezing a moment in time. His work is in the collection of many major museums.  Victor set up his first studio in the basement of his house and learned by experimentation.  He now works with his sons Jon and David in a large studio in Clarence, NY. 

Very Large Size:   Just over 3 1/8" diameter by 2 1/2" high.  The base is ground concave. 
Signature:  Signed "Trabucco 1983" on the side near the base. There is also a "VT" signature cane on the underside of a leaf. 
Condition:  Excellent condition with no scratches, chips or cracks found on inspection.  One tiny imperfection found on the side that appears to be a speck of dirt in the glass. 

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

Large picture
Closeup
Side view
Profile
Signature on side near base
Signature cane on underside of leaf - signature is also visible
Another 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 3" diameter by 1 7/8" high.  The base is ground concave.  Faceted with a total of one large top facet and five large side facets.
Condition:  Excellent condition.  No chips, cracks or scratches found on inspection.  There are some small bubbles in the glass.
Signature:  It has a Whitefriars signature cane with a white monk and the date 1970 in the outermost white ring and also has an early paper label used from the mid 1950s into the early 1970s.

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

Large picture
Closeup
Profile
Signature cane
Label
Side view - shows small bubble
Base
Side with 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.

Perthshire calls this a miniature, but it is 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 1987. 

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: 2 3/16" diameter by just under 1 9/16" high.  The base is ground concave. 
Signature:  This paperweight has a Perthshire complex "P1987" signature cane in the center of the design.  It comes with its original worn box and worn certificate stating that it is number 188 out of a limited edition of 400 paperweights.  It  does not have a Perthshire paper label. 
Condition:  Excellent condition with no cracks, chips, or scratches.  The box and certificate are worn. 

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

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Closeup
Profile
Signature and picture canes
Side view
Certificate
Box
Box with paperweight
Base

For more information about Perthshire Paperweights, see my Perthshire 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.  

Miniature Size:  1 11/16" diameter by 1 1/4" high.  The base is ground slightly concave.  This paperweight is faceted with a top facet and  five side facets. 
Condition:  Poor condition with many small nicks and scratches, mostly on the sides.  There are also at least two faint circular impact marks.  Someone probably attempted an unprofessional restoration in the past, leaving facets that are more rectangular than round.  It displays well in spite of the damage.  Offered at a bargain price. 
Signature:  Unsigned but I guarantee this to be an authentic antique Clichy paperweight. 

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

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Base

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

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This paperweight is one of the transition period paperweights issued after Caithness purchased the Whitefriars name in 1980.  Based on the construction and millefiori canes which resemble other Caithness millefiori products, it was probably made at a Caithness factory in Scotland.  It does not appear in any of the Whitefriars catalogs nor in the Colin Terris publications on Caithness.

Note:  This paperweight has a tiny nick on the top facet.  That is the only damage I could find.

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.

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.

Medium size:  2 7/16"" diameter by just over 1 1/2" high.  The base is ground flat.  Faceted with one large top facet and six smaller side facets.
Condition:  Very good condition.  This paperweight has a tiny nick on the top facet.  There is also minor wear on the base.  No other damage found on inspection.
Signature:  Signed in cane with a Whitefriars 1982 cane in the center of the design.

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

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Closeup
Profile view
Signature cane in design
Side view
Base
Tiny nick on top facet
Number engraved on base

For more information about paperweights made by Scottish makers, see my Scottish Paperweights Web Page        (dl-sc-eng) 

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Paul Joseph Stankard is considered to be the father of modern glass paperweights.  He has a degree in Scientific Glassblowing from the Salem Vocational Technical Institute (now Salem Community College) in Salem, New Jersey and worked for ten years as a glassblower making scientific instruments for various chemical laboratories before turning his attention to creating glass art.  He made his first paperweights in 1968 focusing on a realistic replication of nature.  Today he is one of the premier lampwork artists and has shared his knowledge with many other fine glass artists.  Paul's studio is in Mantua, NJ.  His work is on display at over 60 museums worldwide and there are several excellent books on this artist. 

Miniature size:   Just over 1 15/16" diameter by 1 13/16" tall.  The base is just under 1 5/16" diameter.  The paperweight has a relatively flat profile and has a pedestal base (or footed base).  The base is ground flat.    
Signature:  Signed signed with a black "S" signature cane under the flower. 
Condition:  Excellent condition with no chips, cracks, or scratches found on inspection.

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

Large picture
Signature cane viewed through the foot / pedestal
Side view
Back view that shows the signature cane
Top view
Another view

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

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Clichy paperweights are highly sought after by collectors for their complex canes and brilliant colors.  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:  Just over 3 1/16" diameter by 2 1/8" high.  The base is ground concave. 
Condition:  Very good condition.  No cracks, chips or scratches found on inspection.  The profile is slightly flat and not completely smooth, resulting in a tiny bit of distortion.
Signature:  Unsigned but I guarantee this to be an authentic antique Clichy paperweight.   

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

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Closeup
Profile view
Another closeup
Side view
Base
Still another closeup
And another

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

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Very Large Size:  Just over 3 3/16" diameter by 2" high.    The base is ground flat.
Signature:  The paperweight is signed with Baccarat's complex signature cane "B 1971" in the design.  It also has two acid etched Baccarat marks on the base along with the year (1971) and edition number (504). 
Condition:   Excellent condition.  There is some minor wear on the base, but no other cracks, chips, or scratches found on inspection.   

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

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Closeup
Profile
Baccarat logo, date, and edition number on base
Signature cane "B 1971"
Side view
Base
Second Baccarat logo on the left side of base

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

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This style of paperweight was made by many glass companies throughout the glass producing areas of the midwestern US (Ohio, Indiana, West Virginia, or even New Jersey) in the first half of the 20th century.  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.  Sometimes the maker can be identified by researching the mold or die used to set up the design.  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. 

Large Size:  3 1/16" diameter by 2 7/16" high.  The base is ground flat and finished with a matte finish. 
Signature :  Unsigned.
Condition :  Excellent condition.  No damage found on inspection.

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

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Profile
Base
Side view
Closeup

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

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Note:  Crimp roses from Pairpoint are rare.  More typically, the rose is fashioned from a frit pickup or assembled.  The leaves are identical to the large leaves in other Pairpoint rose paperweights.  Several experts have reviewed this example and agree with the attribution. 

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 old New Bedford factory burned down in 1965.  In its latest iteration, Robert Bryden moved Pairpoint to Sagamore, Massachusetts in 1969.  Attempts were made to resume glassmaking in New Bedford for five years (1977-1982), but this was not successful.  Bryden retired in September 1988.  Since then, the Pairpoint Glass Company has changed owners several times. It continues to operate at that location today. 

Robert (Robbie) C. Mason (1935-2020) started his glass career in 1950 as an apprentice with Edinburgh Crystal, Scotland (part of the Thomas Webb and Sons).  With exception of three years in the Army (1960-1963), he continued to gain seniority and expertise as a glass maker.  In 1968, Thomas Bryden advertised in the Edinburgh Evening News for experienced glass workers emphasizing the need for hand made experience.  Robbie Mason decided to take a chance on a new employer and joined Pairpoint in 1969.  With his experience, he became a gaffer by 1971.  He stayed at Pairpoint as a master glassblower until he retired in 2005.  A number of well known glass artists apprenticed with him.  He retired in 2005 and passed away from complications of COVID-19 in April 2020.

Large Size:  Just under 2 7/8” diameter by just under 3” high.  The foot is 2 3/8" in diameter.  There is a remainder of a pontil mark in the center of the foot. 
Condition:  Excellent condition.  No damage found.
Signature:  Unsigned but I guarantee that this paperweight was made by Robbie Mason at Pairpoint Glass.

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

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Closeup
Profile
Top view
Base

For more paperweights by contemporary American paperweight makers, see my Contemporary American Paperweights Web Page.       (dl-ca-va)

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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: 2 7/8" diameter by just under 1 3/4" high. The base is ground concave.
Condition:  Excellent condition with no scratches, chips or cracks. 
Signature:  Signed and numbered "PHOENIX 2002 31/50" on the base and also has a Phoenix "PP" signature cane near the stems of the bouquet.  This paperweight comes with its original slightly worn box. 

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

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Closeup
Profile
Signature on base
Signature cane
Base
Side view

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

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Large Size:  2 7/8" diameter by 2 3/8" high.  The bottom is ground flat. 
Condition:  Very good condition.  One small (1/8") circular impact mark on the side.  Minor wear on the base.  No other damage found on inspection.
Signature: Unsigned except for the "D" plaque, but I believe this paperweight was made by John Degenhart.  

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

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Closeup
Profile View
Side view
Base

For more information about paperweights made by Degenhart Glass in Cambridge, Ohio, see my Degenhart Web Page

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Zellique Studio was founded in 1980 by Joseph Morel.  Morel began his career as a glass artist at California State University, Chico in 1971.  Graduating in 1973, he found employment at Orient and Flume Art Glass, another famed glass studio in Chico.  In 1980, Morel opened Zellique in Benicia, California near the glass studios of Nourot and Smyers.  In 2005 Morel closed his studio in Benicia so he could focus on teaching.  Since then he lives and teaches in Fresno, California, where he works as the glass instructor at California State University, Fresno. 

Large Size:  3" diameter by 2 15/16" high.  The bottom has been ground flat. 
Signature: It is signed in script on the bottom "Zellique Studio JM 1991 SSMA196".
Condition:  Very good condition.  Scratches on the base, but no other chips or cracks or scratches found on inspection. 

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

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Signature
Closeup
Profile
Top view
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.

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:  Approximately 4 1/4" high with a diameter of just over 2 13/16" (not counting the handle).  It is 4 1/8" wide at the widest point.  The base is hollow ground. 
Condition:  Excellent condition with no chips, cracks or scratches found on inspection.  The paper label is worn.
Signature:  Signed with a a worn 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
Closeup
Top view
Base
Front view
Another closeup
Upside down view

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

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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: 

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Closeup
Profile
Gold foil K signature on base
Gold bee on leaf
Base
Side view

For more paperweights by Charles Kaziun, see my Kaziun Paperweights Web Page.

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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

You can read more about the Baccarat paperweights in the 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:  2 3/8" diameter by 1 7/16" high.  The bottom is ground concave and finished with a Baccarat star cut base.  This paperweight is faceted with one large top facet and six side facets.
Condition: Excellent condition.  This paperweight has been professionally restored.  There are no chips, cracks, or scratches.  There are some small bubbles in the glass.
Signature:  Made by Baccarat in France.  Unsigned, but I guarantee that this is an antique Baccarat paperweight from the classic period 1845-1860. 

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

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Closeup
Base
Side view

$645 postage paid in the US.                                                                              Added 12/16/2020

For more information about Antique Paperweights, see my Antique Paperweights Web Page.       (dl-ant-bac)

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Note:  The maker of this perfume bottle is unknown, but I believe it is by a contemporary American studio artist (1970s or later) based on the way it is signed and the construction.

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

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Top of stopper
Signature on side near base
Bottle with stopper separate
Base
Bottle with stopper tip showing
Another view

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Note:  This paperweight from Julie uses canes from Parabelle Glass, which closed in 1998.  The canes are deceptively simple.  If you look at the closeup picture, you can see each cane in the two rings is a complex cane embedded in the center of a simple outer cane. 

Parabelle Glass was a small company created in 1981 by Gary and Doris Scrutton in Portland, Oregon.  High quality paperweights were made in small quantities from 1983 to 1998 when they retired.  Most designs were produced in limited editions of 10 to 25 paperweights, although some editions were larger.  They also made some one of a kind paperweights.  Doris passed away in 2013 and Gary followed in 2014. 

After the Scruttons retired in 1998, Gary gave his cane supply and glass color formulas to their daughter Julie Scrutton Lewis and he continued to mentor her as she made her own designs.  Julie Scrutton Lewis has continued the tradition of making a limited number of fine paperweights and also jewelry using Parabelle millefiori canes. 

Small Size :  2 5/16" diameter by 1 3/4" high.  The base is ground concave. 
Signature : Signed on the base "Julie Scrutton Lewis 1999 fourteen of fifteen". 
Condition :  Excellent condition with no cracks, chips, or scratches.  Minor wear on the base.

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

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Closeup
Profile
Signature on base
Side view
Base

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

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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. 

Large Size:  3" diameter by just over 2 3/4" high.  The bottom has been ground flat. 
Signature: It is signed in script on the bottom "Orient & Flume CZ7M1980".  There is also a slightly worn paper label "Orient & Flume - Chico, Calif."
Condition:  Excellent condition.  No chips or cracks or scratches found on inspection. Minor wear on the base.

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

Large picture
Signature
Closeup
Profile
Another view
Base
Back side
Another closeup
Different view

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

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Perthshire made the limited edition PP79 only in 1985.  The edition size is not known.    

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).  This 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 3" diameter by 2 1/8" high.  The bottom is ground concave.    
Signature:  Signed on the base with a complex "P 1985" Perthshire signature /date cane.  There is also a worn Perthshire paper label "PERTHSHIRE PAPERWEIGHTS CRIEFF SCOTLAND" on the base. 
Condition:  Excellent condition with no cracks, chips, or scratches found on inspection.  Minor wear on the base.  The paper label is worn.

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

Large picture
Closeup
Signature cane and label on base
Profile
Side view
Base

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

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Large Size:  Just under 2 13/16" diameter by just over 1 7/8" high. 
Signature:  It is signed on the base with an engraved signature "M Hunter Twists 18" followed by "1 of 1" and the Twists Glass clear plastic label.  Mike Hunter's "MH" signature cane appears near the edge of the design.  
Condition:  Excellent original condition with no cracks or chips or scratches. 

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

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Closeup
Signature cane
Closeup of signature and 1 of 1
Another view
Twists label
Side view
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Another closeup
Base

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.

Very Large Size:  4 3/16" diameter by 2 3/4" high.  The base is ground concave.  It weighs just over 41 ounces. 
Condition:  Outstanding original condition with no scratches, chips or cracks.  
Signature:  Signed on each side of the checkerboard with a complex "PMcD" signature cane and it also has a paper label on the base "PMcD Glass Studio LTD, Handmade in Crieff Scotland." 

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

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Closeup
Profile
Signature cane (one of four) at edge of checker board
Base with label
Side view

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

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Large Size:  2 5/16” diameter by 3 1/2” high.  It has a polished flat base.  The paperweight is faceted with a small top facet and eight side facets (four large and four smaller below).  The box is 6 1/2" long by 4" wide by 3" high.
Condition:  Excellent condition.  No chips, cracks, or scratches found on inspection.  The box is also in very good shape with only a bit of tarnish on the brass fittings.
Signature:  This paperweight has a paper label "STRATHEARN HAND MADE IN SCOTLAND" and Strathearn's "S 74" signature cane on the base. 

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

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Paperweight with box
Signature cane and label
Base
Profile
Box
Another view

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

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The Perthshire Christmas Paperweights were special limited editions that changed design each year starting in 1971.  There was no Christmas paperweight in 1974, so this is the fourth Christmas design.  The Christmas paperweights 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.

Size: 2 5/8" diameter by just over 1 9/16" high. The base is ground concave and is finished with an unusual star cut pattern. 
Condition:  Excellent condition with no scratches, chips or cracks. 
Signature:  It is signed in the center of the flower with a Perthshire "P" signature cane and comes with its original certificate. 

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

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Paperweight with box and certificate
Certificate
Side view
Base with star cut

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

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Bob Banford worked in Hammonton, NJ.  He started making paperweights in 1971 along with his father, Ray Banford.  Bob continued to make paperweights until 2006.  Bob and Ray did not date their paperweights, but it is sometimes possible to get an idea of when a paperweight was made by the progression of styles and the type of glass used.  Bob Banford used a signature cane with a red "B" and a blue surround.  Ray Banford used a different signature cane with a black B.  Ray passed away in 2003.

Large Size:  2 15/16" diameter by 2 1/4" high.  The bottom is ground concave.  
Signature:  Signed near the flower with Bob Banford's red "B" signature cane.  The B is on a white background with a blue surround.
Condition:  Excellent condition.  No chips, cracks, or scratches found on inspection. 

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

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Closeup
Profile
Side view
Base
Another closeup
Closeup of side view

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

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Medium Size:  2 1/2” diameter by 1 3/4” high.  The base is fire polished and the pontil mark is ground down. 
Condition:  Excellent condition.  No chips, cracks, or scratches found on inspection.  There are some striations and bubbles in the glass which show in the side view.
Signature:  This paperweight has a partial Pirelli label and I guarantee that it was made by Vasart.

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

Large picture
Closeup
Side View with partial label
Base
Profile

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

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This paperweight was one of the special annual editions made in only in 2009.  It was designated Collection 2009 Midyear #8. 

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:  2 7/8" diameter by 2 1/16" high.  The base is ground concave.   
Condition:  Outstanding original condition with no scratches, chips or cracks.  
Signature:  Signed on the base with a complex "PMcD 09" signature / date cane and 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
Closeup
Profile
Signature cane and label on bottom
Base
Side view
Another closeup

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 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.

Very Large Size:  3  5/16" diameter by just under 2 3/4" high.  The base is ground concave.  It weighs just over 26 ounces.
Condition:  Outstanding original condition with no scratches, chips or cracks. 
Signature:  The paperweight is signed with a Peter McDougall signature cane - in this case it is a complex cane spelling out PMcD inside a cog cane.  

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

Large picture
Signature cane
Closeup
Profile
Side view
Base
Top view
Another 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.

Note:  There are two areas on the dome with faint scratches or scuffs.  These are hard to see and can be removed by a paperweight restoration, but I don't feel that is necessary.  The paperweight displays beautifully.  Also, please ignore the white areas in the pictures; they are caused by the light.

Carolyn Marie Smith and Hugh Edmund Smith were paperweight collectors in Millville, New Jersey who also made paperweights from 1967 to about 1978.  Both husband and wife made small paper weights often featuring a single flower and usually set on a jasper ground.  Initially Carolyn Smith used a single "C" signature cane, but switched to a "CS" cane in 1968.  Hugh used an HS cane.   Both sometimes scratch signed a signature on the base.  Hugh Smith also made some crimp roses.  Their total output was very small.  Their work was considered good enough to earn an entry in  Dunlop's Dictionary of Glass Paperweights.

Size:  Just under 2 3/8" diameter by 1 15/16" high.  The base is ground flat.
Condition:  Very good condition.  There are two areas on the dome with faint scratches or scuffs. No cracks or chips. 
Signature:  Signed with an CS cane at the base of the stem. 

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

Large picture
Closeup
Signature Cane
View of back
Side view
Another closeup
Base

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.  The new company was owned by Teachers Whiskey.  The company is no longer in existence.

Medium Size:   2 9/16” diameter by 1 3/4” high.  Bottom is fire polished. 
Condition:  Excellent condition.  No cracks, chips, or scratches found on inspection other than mild wear on the base. 
Signature:  Unsigned, but I guarantee this to be a Strathearn paperweight from Scotland. 

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

Large picture
Closeup
Profile
Base
Side 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:  The picture does not do justice to this paperweight.  Ignore the white areas, they are reflections and glare from the lights.   

Ken Rosenfeld works at his own studio, Ken Rosenfeld Glass, in Milwaukie, Oregon.  Ken's paperweight expertise arose from a formal art education and a technical background.  He has a Bachelor's degree in art from the University of California and a Master's of Fine Arts degree from Southern Illinois University.  His technical experience in scientific glasswork and his studio glass experience contributed to his superb ability as a glass artist.  Ken has been a paperweight artist since the mid 1980s.  He started at Correia Glass, leaving after five years to set up his own studio in 1983.

Very Large Size:   3 7/16" diameter by 2 3/8" high.  It has a relatively flat top / profile.  The base is ground concave.  It weighs just over 23 ounces.
Signature:  Signed with Ken Rosenfeld's "R" cane and signature "Ken Rosenfeld '88". 
Condition:  Excellent condition with no scratches, chips or cracks found on inspection. 

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

Large picture
Closeup
Profile
Signature
Another view
View from bottom
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.

Frit refers to the powdered glass used to make the design.  The design is set up in frit in a metal die and then picked up with a gather of the ground color.  When encased, there is sometimes a ridge or crease line between the solid (in this case white) base area and the clear encasement.  Some collectors refer to this as two piece construction.  This type of construction has been associated with Whitall Tatum and other factories in the Millville area.  There is no crease on this paperweight, but the encasement stops where the white ground color starts. 

Whitall Tatum was one of the first glass factories in America.  Located in Millville, New Jersey, it was in operation from 1806 through 1938.  The factory in Millville was purchased by a series of companies and eventually shut down in 1999.  It is believed that Whitall Tatum workers were allowed to make paperweights from as early as 1860 until the practice was discouraged sometime after 1912.