Sulphide Paperweights for Sale
Sulphide Paperweights for Sale
Sometimes a sulphide will have a silvery appearance due to a thin layer of trapped bubbles between the glass and the sulphide itself. Sometimes the sulphide material is not compatible with the glass and a fracture may develop.
The technique of encasing sulphide figures in glass dates from around 1750. Initially, the sulphides were found in glass plaques, flasks, goblets, and other objects. Paperweights came later. Sulphides are found in antique and modern paperweights from many factories. Three French factories made sulphides in significant quantieies during the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s. Midwest American makers also made popular designs during the same period.
| 2268 | Antique Belgian Sulphide Paperweight of
the Crucifixion of Jesus. circa 1880-1920. Antique
sulphide paperweight featuring a silver colored sulphide of the
Crucifixion of Jesus. The sulphide appears to have been
painted a silver color or else is made from metal. The
sulphide is pressed into a multi-colored frit ground. The
maker of this paperweight is unknown but several experts have
attributed it to the Glassworks at Chênée in Belgium. Possibly
it was made at a different glassworks in Belgium or possibly even
Bohemia. The sulphide was pressed into the frit layer and this
created an impression of the cross when viewed from the
bottom. The pontil mark is unfinished. It has a few
condition issues, but displays beautifully. Please read the
detailed note on condition below. An interesting addition to
any collection of antique paperweights. Paul Hollister (Encyclopedia of Glass Paperweights) identified this paperweight as a product of the Chênée Glassworks in Belgium founded in 1874. See pages 187 and 264. At the time he wrote the Encyclopedia in 1957, no sulphide paperweights from Bohemian had been identified. Better quality paperweights with this theme were made at Val St. Lambert, also in Belgium, but those are identifiable by other elements such as millefiori canes or ribbons. A more recent book by von Brackel (Paperweights - Historicism - Art Nouveau - Art Deco 1842 to today) also focuses on Chênée or Val St. Lambert as the source of similar paperweights. Note on condition: The condition of this paperweight is good to very good. It has four small circular impact marks near the base, the worst of which is shown in one of the pictures. There is also a small 3/4" incompatibility fracture below the frit ground. It is shown in the same picture as the impact mark and does not affect the way the paperweight displays. There are some minor scratches and one 1/8" nick on the dome. There are several larger bubbles in the glass and a line of tiny bubbles above the sulphide. Sulphides are cast objects (animals, flowers, people) made of a ceramic material that has properties similar to the surrounding glass. They are normally white, but are also sometimes colored or even painted. The objects are cast in a mold that copied or made directly from a medallion, coin or sculpture. The finest French sulphides are cast in a mold made by a skilled artist. Often a sulphide will have a silvery appearance due to a thin layer of trapped bubbles between the glass and the sulphide itself. Large Size: 2 3/4" diameter by just over 2 1/4"
high. The bottom has an unfinished pontil. For extra pictures, click on the picture at the right and the following links: Large picture of the paperweight$165 postage paid in the US. Click on the picture to see a larger image. |
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| 4946 | Baccarat 1953 Queen Elizabeth and Prince
Philip Sulphide Coronation Sulphide Paperweight with Rose
Base. dated 1953. This modern sulphide
paperweight features a three dimensional figure of Queen Elizabeth
II and Prince Philip. The sulphide figure was modeled by
Gilbert Poillerat and is signed at the base of the sulphide with an
incised "G. POILLERAT". It was issued to commemorate the
coronation of the Queen on June 2, 1953. This paperweight was the
first 20th century production sulphide made by Baccarat and marked
the return of Baccarat to the production of
paperweights. As with most Baccarat sulphides of this period, the Coronation sulphide was issued with a number of overlays and different base treatments. There were 195 overlays (rose and white and blue and white) and 1,492 non-overlay weights, of which only 180 had a uncut rose colored base like this example. Sulphides are cast objects (animals, flowers, people) made of a ceramic material that has properties similar to the surrounding glass. They are normally white, but are also sometimes colored or even painted. The objects are cast in a mold that copied or made directly from a medallion, coin or sculpture. The finest French sulphides are cast in a mold made by a skilled artist. Sometimes a sulphide will have a silvery appearance due to a thin layer of trapped bubbles between the glass and the sulphide itself. Baccarat was founded in 1776 in Alsace-Lorraine with the name of Verrerie de Sainte Anne. The original location was near the town of Baccarat. Today the firm is known as Compagnie des Cristalleries de Baccarat. Most collectors refer to three periods of Baccarat paperweight production.
New research of the Baccarat archives has identified the actual makers during the Dupont period as Joseph Boyé (1877-1948)and Louis Idoux (1882-1941). Boyé is recorded as the maker of millefiori canes and millefiori paperweights during this period (1920-1934). Very little is known about Mr. Boyé, but there is enough similarity in the millefiori canes to suggest that he had access to the original molds or some of the original millefiori canes from the classic period. He later trained another glassworker, Georges Brocard, to make open concentric paperweights in 1946. Armed with this knowledge, Brocard was influential in the revival of paperweight making at Baccarat in the 1950s. Louis Idoux is recorded as making the Baccarat pansy paperweights during the 1920-1934 period. In 1952, Paul Jokelson approached Baccarat with the idea of making sulphide paperweights again. In 1953 Baccarat resumed paperweight production with a series of sulphide paperweights the first of which were the unsuccessful Eisenhower sulphide followed by the Queen Elizabeth coronation sulphide. Millefiori paperweight production was resumed in 1957 and lampwork paperweights were re-introduced in the early 1970s. Baccarat stopped making this type of fine glass paperweights in 2002. You can read more about the Baccarat paperweights in the new book Baccarat Paperweights - two centuries of beauty by Paul Dunlop or one of the older books on paperweights in general, such as The Encyclopedia of Glass Paperweights by Paul Hollister or World Paperweights by Robert Hall. Large Size: Just over 2 11/16" diameter by just
over 1 5/8" high. The rose colored base
is ground flat. For extra pictures, click on the picture at the right and the following links: Large picture of the paperweight$95 postage paid in the US. Click on the picture to see a larger image. |
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Modern St. Louis Sulphide Amour Paperweight.
Circa 1979. This is a modern St. Louis sulphide paperweight
featuring a ceramic image of cupid set on a opaque pink ground and
surrounded by a garland of lampwork flowers with millefiori
centers. The paperweight was issued in a limited edition of
400 in 1979. It is faceted with a large top facet and six side
facets. It is signed on the bottom with a millefiori signature
"SL 1979".
The conceptual design for the paperweight was Linda Pope-Selman. Gilbert Poillerat sculpted the model for the image of cupid. The sulphide bears the title AMOUR and the initials of the sculptor (GP). 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. Sometimes the sulphide material is not compatible with the glass and a fracture may develop. Large Size: Just under 3 1/8" diameter by 1 5/8"
high. The bottom is ground concave. For extra pictures, click on the picture at the right and the following links: Large picture of the paperweightSOLD. Click on the picture to see a larger image. |
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| 3957 | Magnum Maude and Bob St. Clair 1975 Sulphide Owl Paperweight. Dated
1975.
A very large egg shaped paperweight with a sulphide of an owl
sitting on a branch in a snow covered woods. The owl sulphide
is painted. The ground is a pleated crimp ground of brown and
white glass. The signature "MAUDE AND BOB ST. CLAIR 1975" is
hot stamped on the base. This paperweight is huge. A
great example.
Sulphide Paperweights are those that contain cast objects (animals, flowers, people) made of a ceramic material that has properties similar to the surrounding glass. They are normally white, but are also sometimes colored or even painted. The objects are cast in a mold that copied or made directly from a medallion, coin or sculpture. Often the object is surrounded by a millefiori or lampwork garland, but it may also appear alone. The finest sulphides are cast in a mold made by a skilled artist. The St. Clair line (as far as paperweights are concerned) started with John "Pop" St. Clair, Sr. who worked at the George MacBeth Glass Works in Elwood from around 1903 to 1938. Local natural gas production faltered in 1938 and the St. Clairs began to develop their ideas for a new business of their own. Joe did the original experimentation and the business was formally started in 1941 in Elwood, Indiana. John, Sr. and the brothers John, Jr., Joe, Ed and Bob all participated, while another brother, Paul, did not at first. By 1944 St. Clair paperweights were being sold through Georg Jenson on Fifth Avenue in New York. Joe retired for the first time) in 1971 and sold the factory to new owners in Elkhart, Indiana. About the same time, Bob St. Clair and his wife Maude opened a new factory in Elwood. Paul St. Clair retired from General Motors and joined Bob, along with Ed St. Clair and a nephew, Joe Rice. Sometime later after Bob opened his factory, the new owners of the original factory sold the factory back to Joe. So, for a while, there were two St. Clair Glass factories. Joe St. Clair died in 1987. Very Large Size: 3 5/8" diameter by 4 1/2"
high. The base is ground flat with a matte finish. It
weighs just over three pounds. For extra pictures, click on the picture at the right and the following links: Large picture of the paperweight$125 postage paid in the US. Click on the picture to see a larger image. |
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Antique Clichy Sulphide Paperweight of Victoria and Albert.
circa 1851. Clichy Sulphide paperweight featuring Queen
Victoria (1819-1901) and Prince Albert (1819-1861). The
sulphide is fairly high in the dome of the paperweight and is over a
clear ground. A wonderful example.
A variation of this paperweight on a red colored ground and attributed to Clichy recently sold at a well known paperweight auction for $1,100 plus a 20% bidders premium. At my asking price, this is a bargain for a paperweight in perfect condition. The Clichy factory was founded at Billancourt near Paris in 1837. Shortly after that it moved to Clichy-la-Garenne, which gave the factory its best known name. They stayed in operation until about the 1870s. It is believed that this paperweight may have been made for the 1851 Great Exhibition at the Crystal Palace in London. Prince Albert conceived of the exhibition which was considered the first world's fair. The exhibition was intended to advance the arts and sciences. The precise origin of this sulphide paperweight remains elusive. The Bergstrom Mahler Museum has an identical paperweight which they attribute to Clichy. The Art Institute of Chicago has a version in which the sulphide was colored before being encased. This paperweight, attributed to Clichy, was included in the 1978 Corning Museum of Glass "Paperweights - Flowers which clothe the meadows" exhibition. The Jokelson Collection had a variation with an uncolored (white) sulphide over a green ground. The Jokelson paperweight is also attributed to Clichy. Most authors agree with the Clichy attribution, but there are some authors who attribute the paperweight to Baccarat in France and even to the New England Glass Company in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Ignore the glare from the lights. It was difficult to photograph this paperweight due to the brilliance of the glass. The sulphide is white but I have included some low light pictures to show the detail. Size: Just over 2 3/4" diameter by just over 1 3/4"
high. The base is ground flat. For extra pictures, click on the picture at the right and the following links: Large picture of the paperweight$945 postage paid in the US. Click on the picture to see a larger image. |
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Antique New England Glass Company Sulphide Paperweight of Lajos
Kossuth. circa 1851. Antique Sulphide paperweight
featuring Lajos Kossuth, former Governor-President of Hungary.
It is inscribed on the back "EX-GOVERNOR OF HUNGARY SET AT LIBERTY
BY THE PEOPLE OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA 1851".
Kossuth was a political reformer who fought for liberty for Hungary and held the office of Governor-President from April 14 to August 11, 1849. He was appointed to this position after the declaration of Hungarian independence from the Hapsburg Monarchy. He was widely honored during his lifetime as a freedom fighter and advocate of democracy in Europe. He demanded parliamentary government for Hungary and constitutional government for the rest of Austria. After abdicating the post of Governor-President he was effectively under house arrest until he was allowed to leave the Ottoman Empire in September 1851 on the American frigate Mississippi. He then toured Britain and the United States in a futile effort to get support for his cause. He won favor in New England and souvenirs and other commemorative items were created to celebrate his visit. This paperweight was probably one of the commemorative objects created around the time of his visit. Some authors suggest the inscription refers to US support of his cause. Instead, I think it may refer to his rescue from house arrest by the US. New England Glass Company (NEGC) operated in Cambridge, Massachusetts from 1818 to 1888. You can read about paperweights from the New England Glass Company in the book by Hawley, The Art of the Paperweight - The Boston & Sandwich and New England Glass Companies. Most texts attribute this paperweight to the New England Glass Factory. It is believed that this paperweight may have been made for the 1851 Great Exhibition at the Crystal Palace in London. However, the attribution is subject to challenge and the precise origin of this sulphide paperweight remains elusive. The Bergstrom Mahler Museum has an identical paperweight which they attribute to Clichy. Hawley attributes this to NEGC in his 1997 book The Art of the Paperweight - The Boston & Sandwich and New England Glass Companies. However, in his latest 2011 book on NEGC, he states that no firm evidence exists for this attribution, except that the specific gravity and fluorescence match that of NEGC. Hollister discusses this paperweight in his Encyclopedia of Glass Paperweights and also states that their is no firm evidence tying the paperweight to NEGC or any other factory. My own opinion is that the glass quality is more typical of NEGC than the French factories. It may have originated in Europe or at another American factory. Ignore the glare from the lights. It was difficult to photograph this paperweight. The sulphide is white. Size: 2 9/16" diameter by 1 11/16" high. The
base is ground concave. For extra pictures, click on the picture at the right and the following links: Large picture of the paperweight$295 postage paid in the US. Click on the picture to see a larger image. |
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Antique Bohemian or Belgian Colored Sulphide Paperweight of a
Lady. circa 1850-1900. Antique Sulphide paperweight
featuring a colored sulphide of an unknown lady. The sulphide
has been painted or colored to highlight the lady's hair, hair
ribbons, and clothes. The sulphide is placed on a pink and
green frit ground. The maker of this paperweight is
unknown. Possibly it was made in Bohemia or in Belgium.
The paperweight has five rows of complex faceting with eight facets
in each row, plus the top facet. An interesting addition to any
collection of antique paperweights.
Sulphides are cast objects (animals, flowers, people) made of a ceramic material that has properties similar to the surrounding glass. They are normally white, but are also sometimes colored or even painted. The objects are cast in a mold that copied or made directly from a medallion, coin or sculpture. The finest French sulphides are cast in a mold made by a skilled artist. Often a sulphide will have a silvery appearance due to a thin layer of trapped bubbles between the glass and the sulphide itself. Large Size: 2 7/8" diameter by just over 1 3/4"
high. The paperweight has five rows of complex faceting with eight
facets in each row, plus the top facet. The bottom is ground
flat. For extra pictures, click on the picture at the right and the following links: Large picture of the paperweightSOLD. Click on the picture to see a larger image. |
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Revised 7/5/2016
