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.
| 5148 | Rare Baccarat 1987 Faneuil Hall
Sulphide Paperweight - Shreve, Crump & Low Exclusive.
This modern Baccarat sulphide paperweight features a three
dimensional image of the Faneuil Hall in Boston,
Massachusetts. The sulphide is an accurate representation of
the building as it stood in the 1898 time frame. This sulphide
paperweight does not appear in any of the Baccarat catalog listings
and appears to be a special offering created exclusively for Shreve,
Crump & Low possibly as part of their "Museum Collection"
exhibition or even the "Remembering Boston" series in 1987.
The May 17, 1987 Boston Globe advertisement (see picture) offering
this paperweight states "Baccarat crystal … paperweight
commemorating historic Boston ... Exclusively at Shreve’s
$245". The paperweight has a translucent cobalt blue foot and
is signed with the etched Baccarat logo on the base. It is
also faceted with one large top facet and six side facets.
Faneuil Hall is one of the most popular locations in Boston to
visit, shop, or have a meal. This is an exceptional find for
any collector of Baccarat paperweights or Boston memorabilia.
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: 2 3/4" diameter by 1 7/16" high.
The paperweight has a translucent cobalt blue foot and is faceted
with one large top facet and six side facets. 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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on the picture to see a larger image  |
| 5200 | Rare Baccarat 1952-1953 Experimental or
Prototype Dwight Eisenhower Sulphide Paperweight.
This modern sulphide paperweight features a three dimensional figure
of President Dwight D. Eisenhower. The sulphide was made
directly from a campaign medal. The Eisenhower sulphide was
the first modern sulphide paperweight made by Baccarat and was
considered experimental. It preceded the larger editions
produced later. After much experimentation, Baccarat produced
an edition of 153 of these paperweights, of which 103 were on a blue
ground and 50 were on a clear ground. An unknown number of
those on a clear ground were finished with a diamond-cut base.
This example has a clear ground. The sulphide is a bit cruder
than others I have seen, indicating to me that this may be a
prototype made to demonstrate feasibility. The glass is heavy
crystal typical of Baccarat paperweights, but it is unsigned.
Note: Please ignore the white areas, they are glare from the light. 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.
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 under 2 7/8" diameter by 1 7/8"
high. The base is slightly convex.
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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on the picture to see a larger image |
| 5215 | Baccarat 1976 Mount Rushmore Sulphide with
Red and White Double Overlay and Blue Ground with Box and
Certificate. dated 1976. This modern sulphide
paperweight features a very large three dimensional figure of the
Mount Rushmore National Memorial in the Black Hills of South Dakota
depicting the four presidents heads George Washington, Thomas
Jefferson, Teddy Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln. It has a red
and white double overlay and a transparent blue ground. The
paperweight is faceted with a large oval top facet and eight oval
side facets. There is a footed base. The sulphide was
designed by Jean Goy, a noted French sculptor. It is signed on
the base with the Baccarat acid etch logo, the edition number number
"150/1000" (of which only 789 were made), and the date "1976".
This is the largest of the modern Baccarat sulphide
paperweights. It comes with its original tightly fitted box
and original unnumbered certificate. A magnificent
paperweight. Unlike most other Baccarat sulphide paperweights, this paperweight was made in only one format with a red and white overlay and blue ground. There were not supposed to be any variations, but some of the individual examples had additional facets at the bottom of the overlay. This low number example has a clear band at the bottom of the overlay. According to Dunlop, the edition was planned for 1,000 paperweights but only 789 were actually made. 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.
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 his book Baccarat Paperweights - two centuries of beauty by Paul Dunlop or one of the older books on paperweights in general, such as The Encyclopedia of Glass Paperweights by Paul Hollister or World Paperweights by Robert Hall. Very large size: It is oval shaped, 4 1/16" wide by
3 1/2" deep by 2 1/16" high. The blue transparent base is
ground flat. The paperweight is faceted with one large oval
top facet and eight oval side facets and is footed. For extra pictures, click on the picture at the right and the following links: Large picture$195 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. 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. A
wonderful example.
Note: This was a difficult paperweight to photograph due to the clear glass and white sulphide. Some of the pictures look darker but you can rest assured that the glass is clear crystal, although some striations (sugaring) are visible. 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. The Clichy
factory was founded at Billancourt near Paris in 1837.
Shortly after that it moved to Clichy-la-Garenne, which gave
the factory its best known name. They stayed in
operation until about the 1870s. Size: Just over 2 1/2" diameter by 1 13/16"
high. The base is ground concave. For extra pictures, click on the picture at the right and the following links: Large picture$845 postage paid in the US. Click on the picture to see a larger image. |
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| 1539 | Vintage American George Washington
Sulphide Paperweight - Made by Eustachius and Ursula
Koering. dated 1949. This vintage sulphide
paperweight features a sulphide bust of George Washington.
Although it is encased in poor quality glass partially obscuring
sulphide, it is significant in that it is one of the earliest
confirmed examples of an American made sulphide paperweight.
The sulphide was sculpted by the well known illustrator Ursula
Koering and encased by her glassworker father Eustachius W. Koering,
possibly at the Koering Glass Company in Vineland, NJ. The
sulphide rests on a ground of clear glass with a concentric bubble
pattern on the base. It is signed on the back of the sulphide
"U.K. 3-18-49 EWK". The Koerings also made sulphide
paperweights of Abraham Lincoln, Pius XII, and a few others.
The plaster mold for the George Washington and other sulphides is in
the collection of the Museum of American Glass (Millville,
NJ). These paperweights sold in 1949 for $4.95 to $8.75
each. An important historical item worthy of a place in any
sulphide paperweight collection. Special thanks to Dr. James Barton for identifying the maker of this paperweight and for providing other background information about this maker. 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. Eustachius Wolfgang Koering (1886-1970)
was a principal in the Durand-Koering
Glass Company founded in Vineland
NJ in 1915 by Louis. J. Koering, George Deleruyelle, and Charles
Durand. Eustachius (sometimes spelled Eustacius) graduated from the Rensselaer Institute of
Technology with a degree in Chemical Engineering in 1917.
His thesis topic was “Design for a Glass Factory with a 14 Pot
Furnace.” By the 1920s, Eustachius was the head of the
Koering Glass Company (also of Vineland) in the 1920s and
applied for a trademark in 1928. He also applied for
several patents for glass towel bars in 1924 and 1926. I
was unable to determine whether this was the same firm as
Durand-Koering with a new name or a completely new firm. Ursula Koering (1921-1976), daughter of Eustachius, came from an artistic family. Her father, Eustachius W. Koering, and her maternal grandfather, Amour LeFevre, were glassblowers. Her paternal grandfather, Louis Koering, was a wagon maker and wood carver. Ursula's mother, Mariette LeFevre Koering, was a painter. When Ursula was a child, Mariette took her to the Philadelphia Museum of Art for Saturday art classes. Ursula loved working in clay and took classes in clay modeling and ceramics, eventually graduating from the Philadelphia College of Art which was then part of the Philadelphia Museum of Art and was later renamed the Philadelphia Museum School of Art. She was not able to develop a career as a sculptor and instead became an illustrator with children's magazine Jack and Jill and later for the publishers of children's books, illustrating more than two hundred books. Her original love for sculpting and ceramics no doubt led to the collaboration with her father in producing the Koering sulphides in the late 1940s. Large Size: 2 15/16" diameter by 2 3/8" high.
The base is concave with a snapped pontil mark (rough pontil) in
the center. For extra pictures, click on the picture at the right and the following links: Large pictureSOLD. Click on the picture to see a larger image. |
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on the picture to see a larger image |
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Rare 1925 Edison Pioneers Sulphide
Paperweight - Unknown Maker. dated 1925. This is
a rare sulphide paperweight of Thomas Edison made to celebrate a
meeting of The Edison Pioneers on or around February 11, 1925, which
was Edison's 78th birthday. The sulphide shows the name of the
organization (The Edison Pioneers), Edison's bust, denotes that this
was his 78th birthday, and even has a faint Edison signature below
the profile. The maker of this paperweight is unknown,
although I assume it is an American glassworker. The sulphide
is also unusual in that the image of Edison appears to have a foil
or thin metal backing. I speculate that the maker was having
trouble with cracks in the sulphide and added the backing to prevent
further cracking. The sulphide is entirely encased in glass so
this is not a later addition. The glass has a greenish grey
tinge. A great addition to any collection of sulphide
paperweights or Thomas Edison memorabilia. I could not find another example of this paperweight. It was probably made from a medallion or coin. The New York Historical Society Luce Center has a square green glass paperweight in their collection with a such a medallion in the center (and an identical image) (Luce Center, INV.3505). According to Wikipedia, "The Edison Pioneers was an organization composed of former employees of Thomas Edison who had worked with the inventor in his early years. Membership was limited to people who had worked closely with Edison before 1885. On February 11, 1918, the Edison Pioneers met for the first time, on the 71st birthday of Edison. There were 37 people at the first meeting." Medium Large Size: Just over 2 1/2" diameter by 1
7/8" high. The base 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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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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| 5202 | Baccarat 1955 Sulphide Double Overlay
Paperweight of Marquis de Lafayette with a Diamond Cut Base.
dated 1955. This modern sulphide paperweight
features a large three dimensional figure of the Marquis de
Lafayette. The sulphide figure was designed by Gilbert
Poillerat. It has a light blue and white overlay with a clear
glass ground and a diamond cut base. Only 159 copies were made
in this color combination. It is signed on the edge of the
sulphide "B. G.P. 1955" for Baccarat, Gilbert Poillerat,
1955. The paperweight is faceted with one large top facet and
five side facets. An extra large example. This paperweight was made in several formats, including 227 overlays and 744 non-overlays. Of the overlays, 159 were in light blue and white. The remainder of 68 was in a blue overlay with a blue jasper ground. Note on condition: The condition of this paperweight is excellent with no chips, cracks, or noticeable scratches. However the light blue overlay has several flaws from the manufacturing process. There are at least two small popped bubbles and lines where the color varied. From Wikipedia: Marie-Joseph
Paul Yves Roch Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de La Fayette
(6 September 1757 – 20 May 1834) (known in the United States
simply as Lafayette) was a French aristocrat and military
officer who fought in the American Revolutionary War, commanding
American troops in several battles, including the Siege of
Yorktown. After returning to France, he was a key figure
in the French Revolution of 1789 and the July Revolution of
1830. 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.
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 his 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: 3 1/8" diameter by just over 2"
high. The paperweight has a diamond cut base and is faceted
with one large top facet and five side facets. For extra pictures, click on the picture at the right and the following links: Large pictureSOLD. Click on the picture to see a larger image. |
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on the picture to see a larger image |
| 5223 | D'Albret 1975 Double Overlay
Sulphide Paperweight of Charles Lindbergh. dated
1975. This modern sulphide paperweight features a large three
dimensional figure of the Charles Augustus Lindbergh. The
sulphide figure was designed by Gilbert Poillerat. It has a
light blue and white overlay with a clear glass ground and a fancy
cut cog edged footed base. This paperweight is faceted with
one large top facet and six side facets. Only 170 copies were
made with an overlay. It is signed on the front edge of the
sulphide "C A LINDBERGH GP 75". It is also etch signed in the
center of the base "CR. D'ALBRET - FRANCE". The paperweight
comes with its original Paul Jokelson blue box marked "CHARLES A.
LINDBERGH by G. POILLERAT CRISTAL D'ALBRET FRANCE P.J." A
great addition to any collection of historical sulphides. 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. For extra pictures, click on the picture at the right and the following links: Large picture$145 postage paid in the US. Click on the picture to see a larger image. |
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Revised 6/17/2021
