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.

Size:  Both knobs are between 1 13/16" and 1 14/16" diameter by just over 2 3/16" long including backing plate but not the screw.  The brass backing plate has a diameter of 1 3/8". 
Condition:  Excellent original condition with no chips, scratches, or cracks.   
Signature:  Unsigned, but I guarantee these were made by Peter McDougall in 2010. 

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

Large picture
Top view
Profile
Another view
Side view
Back view showing hardware
Large picture (second knob)
Top view (second knob)
Profile (second knob)
Another view (second knob)
Side view (second knob)

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

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

Large Size:  2 5/8” diameter by 1 3/4" high.  The bottom is ground concave.  There is the remnant of a pontil scar on the base.
Signature:  This paperweight is not signed, but I guarantee it to be an authentic antique New England Glass Company paperweight. 
Condition:  Very good condition.  There are a few faint scratches and pin pricks.  The base shows appropriate wear.

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

Large picture
Closeup
Profile
Back view
Side view
Base

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

Click on the picture to see a larger image.

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

Size:  2 3/8" diameter by 2 1/2" high.  The black pedestal base is 1 13/16" diameter and is ground concave. 
Signature:  Signed and dated "Mayauel Ward 98" on the side of the black pedestal base. 
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
Profile
Signature
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.

Small size:  2 1/4" diameter by 1 1/8" high.  Low profile.  The base is ground concave.
Condition:  Good to very good condition.  The paperweight has a very low profile and the millefiori canes are high in the design.  This paperweight was probably refinished by a previous owner to remove damage.  Wear on the base and near the base was left untouched.  There is also one faint remnant of a circular impact mark near the base.       
Signature:  Unsigned, but I guarantee that this is an antique New England Glass Company paperweight.

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

Large picture
Closeup
View from the back (base)
Profile
Side view
And another side view
Base

For more information about Antique Paperweights, see my Antique 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 very tiny bubble at the surface.  

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.

The maker of this item was Lassman & Co. located in the Kilburn area of North London.   Samuel Lassman purchased the paperweight handles from George Dunlop's Pirelli Glass in London.  Pirelli obtained them from Vasart.  Pirelli also took some assembled inventory back from Lassman and sold the barware items under the Pirelli label.  Pirelli also included the line in their 1959 catalog.  For more information, see my web page on Lassman & Co. or the article by Angela Bowey and Allan Port “Pirelli, Vasart and the Ysart Family” in the Paperweight Collectors Association Annual Bulletin 2015.  A complete set of similar objects can be found at this link.

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

Size:  Just over 1 1/2" diameter by just under 3 3/4" long.  The box is just under 3" long by 2 11/16" wide by 2 9/16" high.
Condition:  Excellent condition with no scratches or wear.  The box and lining have some wear and the celluloid cover is cracked in places (as shown in the pictures). 
Signature:  Unsigned, but I guarantee this is a genuine Lassman bottle opener with a Vasart paperweight handle.  The word "ENGLAND" appears on the metal part. 

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

Large picture of the bottle opener
Close-up view of just the handle
England stamped on hardware portion
Another view
Opener in open box
Another view with box pieces
Opener with closed box

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 Macédoine is a uniquely Baccarat style in which the short sections of latticinio (twists, filigree, lace) are arranged in a quilt-like pattern with many of the sections at right angles to each other.  Usually there are no millefiori present.   This pattern was originally made during the classic period of French paperweights (1845-1860).  A modern version was produced in the 1960s and is similar to but different from the antique version.

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

Very large size:  Just over 3 1/8" diameter by 2 5/16" high.   The bottom is ground concave.  It is finished with 20 finger facets extending up from the base. 
Condition:  Fair to good condition with many scratches on the dome, one small (3/16") chip at the top of a facet, and wear of some of the facets.  It displays well in spite of the damage.
Signature:  Unsigned but I guarantee that this is an antique Baccarat paperweight dating from the classic period (1845-1860).  

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

Large picture
Side view
Another side view
Profile
Closeup
Wear on finger facets
Scratches and chip
Base

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

Click on the picture to see a larger image.

Peter Raos works as a glass artist in Devonport, New Zealand since starting his studio in 1979.  He is a graduate of the University of Auckland Elam School of Fine Arts and Design.   

Very large size:  3 13/16” diameter by just over 1 5/16" tall (low profile).  The base is polished flat.
Condition:  Excellent condition.  No chips, cracks or scratches. 
Signature:  Signed near the base with a engraved signature "Peter Raos 2002 NZ".

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

Large picture
Signature
Closeup
Profile
Side view
Another side view
View of back
Base

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.  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.   

Large Size:  3 1/16" diameter by just over 2 5/8" high.  The base has been polished flat. 
Signature:    Signed on the base "Orient & Flume C36 CG 1979".   It also has a worn Orient & Flume paper label "ORIENT & FLUME CHICO, CALIF." on the base. 
Condition:  Very good to excellent condition.  I found two faint 1/8" long scratches on the side (see picture) and some other scratches on the base.  No chips or cracks.  The label is worn.

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

Large picture
Signature
Label
Closeup
Profile
Side view
Another side view
Faint scratches on side (1/8" each)
Another view
Base
Base with Signature and Label

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

Click on the picture to see a larger image.

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

Miniature size:  Just under 2" diameter by 1 9/16” high.  The base is polished concave. 
Signature:   Signed “Ayotte M-55  '95" on the side just below the middle of the paperweight.
Condition:  Excellent condition with no scratches, chips, or cracks found in inspection.

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

Large picture
Top view
Profile view
Signature
Another view of signature
Another view
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.

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:   4 1/8" wide by 3 15/16" high by 2 5/8" thick.  The base and back are polished slightly concave.  This paperweight weighs 2 pounds 7 ounces. 
Signature:  It is signed on the side near the base "Trabucco 1996".
Condition:  Outstanding condition with no scratches, chips or cracks.

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

Large picture
Signature
Closeup
Profile
Angle view
View from base
View of back
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.

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

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

Medium size:  Just under 2 1/2" diameter by 1 7/8" high. The base is hollow ground. 
Signature:  Signed with Perthshire's "P" signature cane in the center of the design.  It also has a stained and worn Perthshire paper label "PERTHSHIRE PAPERWEIGHTS CRIEFF SCOTLAND" on the base.
Condition:  Excellent condition.  No chips, 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 cane
Closeup
Side view
Profile
Label
Base

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

Click on the picture to see a larger image.

Stuart Abelman studied glass at Carnegie Mellon University and in the Master of Fine Arts program at UCLA (California).  He taught a developed a flat glass program for El Camino College and in 1976 opened his Abelman Glass Studio in Van Nuys, CA.  He worked with a number of other glass artists in developing his style.

Size:  2 3/8" diameter by 2 1/8" high.  The base is polished flat. 
Signature:    Signed "Abelman OF3 1996" on the base.  The "O" is hard to read and might be a different letter.
Condition:  Excellent condition with no cracks, chips, or scratches found on inspection.  There is a tool mark at the edge of the base.

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

Large picture
Side view
Signature
Another view
Profile
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.

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:  3" diameter by 2" high.  The base is polished flat.
Condition:   Very good to excellent condition.  There is a faint 5/16" scratch on the dome as shown in one of the pictures.  No other significant damage noted.  There are some small bubbles and some striations in the glass.   
Signature:  This paperweight is unsigned.  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
Closeup of daisy cane
Faint 5/16" scratch on dome
Profile
Side view
Base

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

Click on the picture to see a larger image.

Blake Street Glass in Denver, Colorado was started in 1979 by Kit Karbler and Michael David.  The two set out to make works that were different with a sophisticated process of cutting and faceting the pieces.  Their approach gained them numerous awards and recognition over the years. Their work is on display in many prestigious collections and museums.  Kit Karbler received his Bachelors degree in Fine Art from Ohio University and continued his graduate studies in Glass and Design at UCLA where he studied with the internationally renowned glass artist Richard Marquis.  Michael David studied Glass and Art at the University of Colorado, Goddard College and Cornell university.  The Blake Street Glass Studio closed in 2020.  

Very large size:  3 11/16" diameter by 3 3/8" high.  The base is polished flat.  The paperweight weighs 2 pounds 5 ounces and will weigh over 3 pounds when double boxed and packaged for mailing. 
Signature: Signed in script on the base "Kit Karbler 1981 Michael David" 
Condition:  Excellent condition. No chips, cracks, or scratches found on inspection.  There are some striations in the glass (not damage).

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

Large picture
Signature on base
Top view
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.

Perthshire made the limited edition PP31 only from 1976 to 1978.  In 1976, the edition size was 450 paperweights.

Note on Selman Auction:  The previous owner paid $350 plus a 15% bidders premium for this paperweight at the Selman Auction 37 (Lot 277).

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:  3 1/16" diameter by 2 1/8" high.  The base is ground concave.    
Signature:  Signed on the base with a complex "P 1976" Perthshire signature /date cane.  It also has a very worn Perthshire paper label "PERTHSHIRE PAPERWEIGHTS CRIEFF SCOTLAND" on the base.  It also has a label from a Selman auction.
Condition:  Excellent condition with no cracks, chips, or scratches.  The label is very worn.

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

Large picture
Signature cane
Side view
Closeup
Signature cane and labels on base
Profile
Another side view
Base

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

Click on the picture to see a larger image.

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, CA, staying there from 1982 to 1985.  When Zephyr went out of business, Salazar took over the building and started his own studio. 

Medium size:    Just over 2 1/2" diameter by just under 1 7/8" high.  The base is polished flat. 
Signature: Signed on the base "D. P. Salazar 12/85" 
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
Signature on base
Top view
Side view
Closeup
Another 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.

The original glass worker in the Gentile family was Peter Gentile, born in Naples, Italy in 1884.  He worked in Naples(Italy), Rochester (Pennsylvania), and Morgantown (West Virginia) before building his own factory in Star City (West Virginia) in 1947.  Originally the factory was a short-lived partnership (G. and F. Glass Co.) with John Funfrock, a mold maker.  His sons, Frankie, John and Joe Gentile helped him make paperweights in the off hours at the Guild Factory in Morgantown.  However, most paperweight production since WWII has been associated with Peter, John, or John's wife Gertrude Gentile.  Few weights were signed prior to 1963.  John Gentile passed away in 2006 and it is believed that Gentile Glass closed down after his death.  Most, if not all, paperweights produced from 1975 on were signed.  For more information, you can read about the Gentile Family in the book American Glass Paperweights and Their Makers by Jean Melvin (1967 and 1970). 

Very large size:  3 5/16" diameter by 3 1/4" high.  The base is ground concave.
Signature:  Unsigned as was typical for Gentile paperweights made before 1975.  I guarantee this was made at Gentile Glass in Star City, West Virginia.
Condition:  Excellent condition with no chips, cracks or scratches.  There is a small rough area at the edge of the base from a bit of extra glass.  

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

Large picture
Closeup
Profile
Side view
Base

For more information about Gentile paperweights, see my Gentile 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, a graduate of Edinburgh University, 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.

Very large size:  3 3/8" diameter by 3" high.  The base is ground concave.
Signature:  It is signed on the base "SELKIRK GLASS SCOTLAND WINTER BREEZE 1990" and has its original Selkirk silver foil label.  It comes with its original certificate.
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
Top view
Signature and label on base
Certificate
Label
Closeup
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.

Very large size:  3 5/16" diameter by just under 2 1/16" high.  The base is polished flat.  The paperweight is faceted with a barrel faceting having a top facet and 75 side cuts in five rows.  The box is 5 3/16" by 5 3/16" by 4 1/16" high.
Signature:  It is signed in the design with a complex "B2000" signature / date cane and is also signed on the base with an acid etched Baccarat mark along with the year (2000) and edition number (54/75).  There is also a Baccarat etched signature on the side next to the base and a Baccarat red paper label on the base.   
Condition:   Excellent original condition.  No chips, cracks, or scratches found on inspection.  The box and red label have slight wear.  There are four protective felt pads on the base that can be removed.

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

Large picture
Side view
Closeup
Signature cane "B2000"
Signature on base
Engraved "Baccarat" on side near base
Label
Profile
Paperweight in box
Box
Base

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

Click on the picture to see a larger image.

Note:   Starting about 1976, Bertil Vallien created his "Ateljé" (or Studio) line and also his "Artist Collection" at Åfors glassworks.  The Ateljé series consisted of limited edition objects made under Vallien's direct supervision.  The Artist Collection works were made in larger editions where each glass blower was allowed considerable freedom in executing the design.  There was a definite basic form, but it was the craftsman's skill and feeling that completed the work.  Both of these series were enabled by the increased capacity at Kosta Boda after the merger of Kosta, Boda and Åfors in 1976.

Note on pictures:  This was a paperweight was challenging to photograph with its highly reflective edges.  The pictures show black edges on the glass.  This is a reflection of the inner "eye".  The surrounding glass is clear.

Kosta is one of the oldest glass companies in the world.  Kosta Glasbruk was founded in 1742 in Smaland, Sweden by Anders Koskull and Georg B. Stael von Holstein.  In 1976 the glassworks of Kosta, Boda and Åfors merged to form Kosta Boda AB.  In 1989, Kosta Boda and Orrefors merged to form Orrefors Kosta Boda AB.  Ownership changed 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.  

Erik Bertil Vallien (1938-) initially studied Ceramics, first at the art school Konstfack in Stockholm and then at the University of Southern California (Los Angeles, CA).  While in the US he also worked as a designer at a ceramics factory.  After returning to Sweden in 1963, he began to focus on glass while also continuing his work in ceramics, and developed an innovative sand-casting technique.  He was hired as a designer for the glassworks at Åfors and given the freedom to also work on his own designs part of the time.  The merger of Kosta, Boda and Åfors in 1976 made it possible to devote more capacity to Vallien's designs.  In 1963, he married Ulrica Margaret Hydman Vallien (1938-2018) a Swedish artist and fellow Konstfack student who started as a ceramist and then expanded her expertise to glass.

Oval Shape:  Just over 3 9/16" long by just over 2 7/8" high by 1 5/8" thick.  The base is polished flat.   
Condition: Excellent condition with no damage found on inspection.  The label is slightly worn.
Signature:  Signed on the base "KOSTA BODA B. Vallien 492 ATELJÉ", where 492 is the design number.  It also has a silver foil label "ATELJÉ DESIGN BERTIL VALLIEN". 

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

Large picture
Signature
Label
Closeup
Profile
Side view
Another view
Base

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.

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.

Size:  These are handmade and differ very slightly in size.  The blue seal is 4 1/4" tall, the red seal is slightly less.  The base of each is just over 1 1/2" diameter.  The base of each seal is polished flat. 
Signature:  Each letter seal is signed and dated with an etched signature "1974 S. LOUIS France".
Condition:  Excellent condition.  No flaws found on either seal.

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

Large picture
Etched signatures
Another view
Bases

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

Click on the picture to see a larger image.

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

Size:  Just under 2 5/8” diameter by 1 9/16 high.  The bottom is ground concave. 
Signature:  This paperweight is not signed, but I guarantee it to be an authentic antique New England Glass Company paperweight. 
Condition:  Very good to excellent condition with one small nick on the edge of a facet (see side picture), one pinprick on the side, and age appropriate wear wear on the base.  Some bubbles in the glass.

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

Large picture
Side view
Closeup
Profile
Base
Another side view
Another view of the base

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

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

Gordon Taylor joined Perthshire as an apprentice in 1979 straight out of school.  After a brief stint in the hot shop he moved to the cutting shop.  He stayed until Perthshire closed in 2002.  After briefly taking a break to satisfy his public service requirement, he joined John Deacons as a glass cutter.  He has also worked with William Manson and Allan Scott.  Today he continues as a creative cutter to finish work for John Deacons and also does restoration of glass paperweights for collectors around the world.

Very large size:  Just over 3 1/8" diameter by 2 1/8" high. The base is polished concave.  It is faceted with one large top facet and six side facets.
Condition:  Excellent condition with no scratches, chips or cracks.
Signature:  It is signed on the base with a "JD" signature cane and also has Gordon Taylor's engraved "GT" below the signature cane. 

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

Large picture
Signature cane and engraved "GT" on base
Closeup
Side view
Profile
Another side view
Base

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

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Perthshire made this paperweight as one of their Annual Collection for 1999.  This means the design was made only that one year and never again.  The edition size for this paperweight was 150 weights.  Each year's Annual Collection designs were lettered to indicated this special status.  In 1999, there were eight Annual Collection designs, designated 1999A through 1999G plus the 1999 Foxglove design.  This design, the Three Dimensional Bouquet Paperweight, was designated 1999F.

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

Large size:  2 7/8" diameter by just under 2 1/2" high.  It is faceted with one large top facet and 12 side facets (eight large and four small).  The base is concave and finished with a special star and feather cut. 
Signature:  The paperweight is signed with an engraved "P" on the edge of the base.  It also has its original paper label "PERTHSHIRE PAPERWEIGHTS CRIEFF SCOTLAND".  And it comes with its original certificate identifying this as #48 out of a limited edition of 150 paperweights and its original Perthshire box.
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 with box
Top view
Side view
Certificate
Engraved P signature on base
Label
Closeup
Profile
Box
Another side view
Another view with box and certificate
Base with label and engraved "P"

For more information about Perthshire Paperweights, see my Perthshire 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, a graduate of Edinburgh University, 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.

Large size:  Just over 3 1/8" diameter by just over 2 3/4" high.  The base is ground concave.
Signature:  It is signed on the base "SELKIRK GLASS SCOTLAND 125/250 1986" with its silver foil label and comes with its original certificate.
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
Side view
Signature and label on base
Certificate
Closeup
Profile
Another side view
View from the back
Base

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

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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.  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 American folk art and gives a history of paperweight making at Whitall Tatum and other South Jersey factories. 

Very large size:  Just over 3 1/4" diameter by 1 7/8" high.  The profile is relatively flat.  The base is ground flat.
Condition:  Excellent condition with no noticeable scratches.  No significant damage found.  There is appropriate wear on the base.  The glass has a slightly green tint that is exaggerated in the pictures. 
Signature:  Unsigned but I believe this paperweight was made at Whitall Tatum in the Millville area of Southern New Jersey. 

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

Large picture
White base
Closeup
Profile
Side view
Another side view
Another view of base

For more vintage American paperweights, see my Vintage American Paperweights Web Page.     (dl-va-ant)

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Hadeland Glasswerk was founded in 1762 in Jevnaker, Norway and began producing glass bottles, jars, and household glassware in 1765.  During the 1800's, production moved to wine glasses, bowls and vases, in styles popular in other European countries.  Hadeland began to create their own designs in the 1920's with a number of prominent artists and designers.  The company is still in production today and is one of the largest glassworks in Northern Europe.

Gro Bergslien Sommerfeldt  (1940 - 1991) was a designer and artist who worked in Norway's glass industry.  She studied textile design at the National College of Arts and Design in Oslo, Norway, graduating in 1960.  Gro continued her education at the Teachers State School of Drawing and Woodwork Education, graduating in 1964.  At the same time she worked in textile design and entered several competitions with her designs.  Gro Bergslien started as a designer for Christiania Glasmagasin and Hadeland Glassverk in 1964.  The creative environment allowed her to progress rapidly in glass and in design.  In addition to designing glass, she designed packaging for Christiania Glasmagasin, winning the Eurostar packaging award.  Her textile background shows in her work which was often characterized by soft shapes and use of contrasting colors.  By 1979 she was exhibiting her work in major exhibitions.  The Norwegian royal family gave six ashtrays designed by Gro Bergslien as a gift to Prince Charles and Princess Diana on the occasion of their wedding in 1981.  By 1986 she was no longer designing exclusively for Hadeland and had begun to design for other glass artists.  She also worked as an enameller for the goldsmith company David-Andersen.  Her work can be found in a number of museums including the Victoria and Albert in London.  She has an entry (including a color image) in Contemporary Art Glass by Ray & Lee Grover (1975).

Very large size:  3 11/16" diameter by 2 3/16" high.  The base is polished flat.   
Condition:  Excellent condition.  No chips, cracks, or scratches found on inspection.
Signature:  Signed Hadeland S.B." (for Sommerfeldt Bergslien) on the base.  It also has a paper label "HADELAND H NORWAY" and a second smaller label on the base.  It comes with its original small brochure.

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

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Label
Signature
View with brochure
Closeup
Brochure (small)
Profile
Side
Another view showing small label near base
Base

For more information about paperweights from other countries, see my Paperweights from Other Countries 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 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 15/16" diameter by just over 2 1/4" high.  The base is polished flat.
Condition:  Excellent condition with no cracks, ships, or scratches found on inspection.  Very slight wear on the base.      
Signature:  Signed with a "PY" signature cane in the design and also with a Paul Ysart "PY Made in Scotland" paper label on the base.

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

Large picture (note the two level ground with realistic water layer)
Top view
Signature cane
Label on base
Closeup
Profile
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.

Large size:  Just under 3 1/4" diameter by just under 2 7/16" high.    The base is polished flat.
Signature:  The paperweight is signed with Baccarat's complex signature / date cane "B 1988" in the next to the last outer ring.  In addition it is signed with the acid etched Baccarat mark on the base along with the the year (1988) and edition number (60). 
Condition:   Excellent condition.  One tiny pinprick on the side.  Some scratches 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
Signature cane
Signature on base
Closeup
Side view
Another view
Top view
Base

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

Click on the picture to see a larger image.

Large Size:  2 7/8" diameter by 2 1/2" high.  The base has been ground flat. 
Signature: Signed on the base "Terry Crider 1979 P.I.C.C. 120 / 250". 
Condition:  There are two tiny breaks or interruptions in the threading on the side.  I don't know if these are flaws in the making or damage.  Some wear on the base.  Otherwise in excellent condition,

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

Large picture
Signature
Top view
Closeup
Profile
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.

Note on Selman Auction:  The previous owner paid $225 plus a 15% bidders premium for this paperweight at the Selman Auction 44 (Lot 282).

Note on condition:  The paperweight is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, or scratches.  There is a small dimple (manufacturing flaw) on one of the stringers (shown in the pictures).  The base has two small pieces of debris near the signature cane. 

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

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

Large size:  2 13/16" diameter by 1 7/8" high.  The base is ground concave.
Signature:  This paperweight is signed with a complex "P" signature cane on the base.  It also has a label from a Selman auction. 
Condition:  Excellent condition with no cracks, chips, or scratches.  There is a small dimple (manufacturing flaw) on one of the stringers (shown in the pictures).  The base has two small pieces of debris near the signature cane.

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

Large picture
Closeup
Top view
Side view
Signature cane on base
Signature cane and Selman label on base
Another side view
Base
Another view of base

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

Click on the picture to see a larger image.

This paperweight was 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.

Koscherak Brothers (KB) were importers of Murano glass and Italian pottery from the 1950s until the late 1970s .  At the time, they had a showroom at 225 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY.  Some writers have observed that most of the Italian Glass imported under the KB Label was made by Fratelli Toso, but others have noted that KB labels appear on other good Italian glass including Barovier & Toso, Seguso, and others.  KB is believed to have stopped importing Italian glass about 1977, but continued to exist in New York City until at least 1993.

Ercole Moretti was established in 1911 on the initiative of three brothers, with the intention of producing two classic types of Venetian glass beads: the “Rosetta” and the mosaic ‘Millefiori”.  The company, now managed by the founders’ grandchildren, has embraced various kinds of processes over the years to expand its product range. However, murrina glass has always been its core business.  In their first years in operation, the Morettis focused on production of millefiori beads.  In the 1970s they adapted to produce pendants and then launched a variety of products including dishes and ornaments in murrina.  The company continues to operate today although there are two separate companies, Ercole Moretti and Effetre (previously called Effetre Moretti). 

Large size:  3" diameter by 2 1/4" high.  The base is fire finished with a depression in the center.
Condition:   Excellent condition.  No chips, cracks, or scratches found on inspection.   
Signature:  This paperweight has two labels, a generic red and gold foil "MADE IN Murano ITALY" label with scalloped edges and Koscherak Brothers silver foil label "AN ORIGINAL CREATION BY KB MADE IN ITALY".  I guarantee that this paperweight was made on the island of Murano in Venice, Italy.  The millefiori canes were probably by Ercole Moretti or Effetre.  The maker of the paperweight itself is unknown. 

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

Large picture
Labels
Top view
Closeup
Profile
Side view
Another side view
Base
Another base view

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

Click on the picture to see a larger image.

Pairpoint Glass has a long history extending back to its earliest origins with Mount Washington Glass in 1837.  Owners and locations changed a number of times and the name Pairpoint was first used in the 1890s.  The original Pairpoint companies were located in New Bedford, Massachusetts.  In 1938, it was reorganized as Gunderson Glass Works by owner Robert Gunderson and later renamed the Gunderson - Pairpoint Glass Works in 1952.  The name was acquired by Robert Bryden and the company moved briefly to East Wareham, MA in 1957 where it operated as the Pairpoint Glass Company.  They leased production facilities in Spain.  The last New Bedford factory burned down in 1965.  In its latest iteration, Robert Bryden moved Pairpoint to Sagamore, Massachusetts in 1970.  It continues to operate at that location today (2024) although under new owners.

Size:  3" diameter by just under 2" high.  The base is polished flat.  It has one top facet. 
Condition:  Very good to excellent condition.  On close examination two very tiny pinpricks can be found on the edge of the top facet.  These may have been caused by cutting the facet.  No other damage found.  As was typical in Pairpoints early glass, there are some bubbles and tiny bits of white pot debris in the glass. 
Signature:  Unsigned but I guarantee this paperweight to be by Pairpoint Glass. 

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

Large picture
Closeup
Profile
Side view
Another side view
Base

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

Click on the picture to see a larger image.

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

Large size: Just over 2 3/4" diameter by 1 7/8" high. The base is ground concave.
Condition:  Excellent condition with no scratches, chips or cracks.  There are a few tiny bubbles in the glass.
Signature:  Signed and numbered "PHOENIX 2003 30/50" on the base and also has a Phoenix "PP" signature cane near the stem.  This paperweight comes with its original slightly damaged box and its original certificate. 

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

Large picture
Side view
Closeup
Profile
Signature on base
Signature cane
Base with signature
Certificate
Another side view
Box
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.

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

Gordon Taylor joined Perthshire as an apprentice in 1979 straight out of school.  After a brief stint in the hot shop he moved to the cutting shop.  He stayed until Perthshire closed in 2002.  After briefly taking a break to satisfy his public service requirement, he joined John Deacons as a glass cutter.  He has also worked with William Manson and Allan Scott.  Today he continues as a creative cutter to finish work for John Deacons and also does restoration of glass paperweights for collectors around the world.

Very large size:  Just under 3 3/16" diameter by just over 2 1/2" high. The base is polished concave.  It is faceted with one large top facet and 72 side facets in six rows.
Condition:  Excellent condition with no scratches, chips or cracks.
Signature:  Signed on the base with a "JHD 2018" signature / date cane and also has Gordon Taylor's engraved "GT" above the signature cane. 

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

Large picture
Signature cane and engraved "GT" on base
Closeup
Side view
Profile
Another 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.

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

Large Size :  Just over 3" diameter by just under 2 3/4" high.  The base is ground flat.
Signature :  No signature, but I guarantee that this is an authentic Millville umbrella paperweight from the period 1860-1912. 
Condition :  Very good condition.  It has several scratches on the side, the longest of which is 1" long (see picture).  There is also one area that is abraded - maybe it was placed on its side when still hot.  Some wear on the base.  No chips or cracks.  It displays beautifully.

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

Large picture
Top view
Side view
Profile
Closeup
Scratch (1") on side
Base

For more vintage American paperweights, see my Vintage American Paperweights Web Page.     (dl-va-ant)

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, a graduate of Edinburgh University, 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.

Very large size:  Just over 3 3/8" diameter by just over 3 1/8" high. The base is ground concave.  Magnum sized, it weighs 29 ounces.
Signature:  It is signed in script on the base "SELKIRK GLASS SCOTLAND SPIRAL STAR 102/500 1988" and comes with its original certificate.
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
Top view
Signature on base
Certificate
Closeup
Profile
Side view
Another view
Still another view
Base (ignore reflections)

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.

The Ferro Eugenio & Co. glass factory was founded in 1929 on the island of Murano, Venice, Italy by Eugenio Ferro in partnership with Giovanni Lazzarini.  After Eugenio died in 1947, the factory was managed by his young heirs.  During this time, Giovanni Lazzarini became more involved and the company name was changed to Ferro & Lazzarini SRL.  Starting in 2001, the factory has been managed by Dario Ferro, a direct descendant of Eugenio Ferro. 

Very large Size:  Just under 3 7/16" diameter by 2 3/8" high.  The base is polished flat.
Condition:   Excellent condition.  Some rough areas at the edge of the base.  No other chips, cracks, or scratches found on inspection.  There are some small bubbles in the glass.   
Signature:  This paperweight is unsigned.  I guarantee that this paperweight was made on the island of Murano in Venice, Italy, probably by the Ferro & Lazzarini studio. 

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

Large picture
Closeup
Profile
Side view
Base
Another side view

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

Click on the picture to see a larger image.

Note:  There is some confusion in the literature about the PP21.  The PP20 consists of mostly single threads in a swirl, but this PP21 is a larger paperweight and has twist canes rather than single threads.  The Complete Guide to Perthshire Paperweights: The Final Years shows a picture of a 1971 Seaweed Paperweight, but that may have been a prototype that was produced only in pre-production samples.

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

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

Large size:  2 11/16" diameter by just under 2" high.  The base is polished slightly concave.
Signature:  The paperweight has its original Perthshire paper label "PERTHSHIRE PAPERWEIGHTS CRIEFF SCOTLAND" on the base.
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
Label
Closeup
Profile
Side view
View showing twists wrapping around to base
Another view of base

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

Click on the picture to see a larger image.

This style is also called an icepick flower because of the sharp tool used to push each flower down to the base.  Von Brackel discusses this style in his book   He lists many variations on pages 106 to 149 with a wide range of values up to $300 and more.  On pages 278 & 279 he describes the process used to make a trumpet flower paperweight.  

Very large size:  3 3/8" diameter by 2 5/16" high.  The base is polished flat with a remnant of the pontil mark.  This paperweight is faceted with a large top facet and eight side facets. 
Condition:  Very good to excellent condition.  There are some minor scratches.  And one small internal impact mark near the base at the bottom of one facet.  Appropriate wear on the base.  No other damage found on inspection.
Signature:  Unsigned, by I guarantee that this is a vintage paperweight from the Bohemia / Czech region and it originates from approximately 1880-1925. 

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

Large picture
Top view
Closeup
Side view
Another side view
Base

For more information about Bohemian paperweights, see my Bohemian 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.  The St. Kilda line was produced from 1978 or 1979 through 1987.  You can read about John Deacons in the book by Hall - Scottish Paperweights.  Today John works at his own studio with his son Craig.

Large size:  Just over 2 7/8" diameter by 2 1/8" high. The base is ground concave.
Condition:  Excellent condition with no scratches, chips or cracks.
Signature:  Signed with John Deacon's "JD" signature cane on the base.  It also has a "HANDMADE IN SCOTLAND by John Deacons" paper label on the base. 

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

Large picture
Signature cane and label on base
Closeup
Side view
Top view
Another side view
Base
Another view of base with signatures

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

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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.

Very large size:  4" diameter by 4 1/8" high.  The base of the piedouche is ground concave.  The box measures 5 3/16" by 5 3/16" by 5 1/8" high.  The paperweight weighs 3 pounds 6 ounces.  With the box it weighs 4 pounds. 
Signature:  Made by St. Louis in France.  It is signed with a complex signature / date cane “SL 1994” in the design and etched with the edition number “65/150” on the base.
Condition:  Excellent original condition with no chips, cracks, or scratches found on inspection.  The box has a damaged front edge - a previous owner must have taped it shut.

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

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Paperweight in box
Top view
St. Louis name on top of box
Signature / date cane
Edition number on base
Profile
Side view
Upside down view
Box with damage
Base
Another view of base

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

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

Large size:  Just over 2 3/4" diameter by 1 7/8" high.   The bottom is polished concave.  Unusually high dome with the original Baccarat profile. 
Condition: Excellent condition.  This paperweight was professionally restored and has no chips, cracks, or scratches.  There is a bit of stray glass below the orange center cane.  Some bubbles in the glass.
Signature:  Unsigned but I guarantee that this was made by Baccarat in France.

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

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Profile
Another side view
Base

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Large Size:  2 3/4" diameter by just under 2 1/2" high.  The base is polished flat.
Condition:  Very good condition with no scratches, chips or cracks found on the body.  There are wear and scratches on the base.  There is also some roughness on the edge of the base, probably from when the base was ground flat.  The glass has some striations.
Signature:  Signed on the base "Lundberg Studios 1980 Buzzini 42115".

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

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Profile
Signature
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Side view
Base 

For more paperweights by contemporary American paperweight makers, see my Contemporary American 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.  Caithness is still operating in Crieff and making paperweights today (in 2022).

Very large size:  Just under 3 1/4" diameter by 2 15/16" high.  The base is polished flat.
Condition:  Excellent condition.  Minor wear on the base but no cracks, chips, or other scratches found on inspection.
Signature:  This paperweight is etched on the base "Caithness POLKA Scotland".

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

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Signature on base
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Base

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

Very large size:  Just over 3 3/8" diameter by just under 2 3/16" high.  The base is polished flat.
Condition:  Excellent condition.  No chips, cracks, or scratches found on the body.  Some faint wear on the base.
Signature:  Signed with a generic Murano red and silver circular foil label "MADE IN Murano ITALY".  The exact factory is unknown to me, but I guarantee this is an authentic Murano product. 

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

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Label
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Base

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

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

Size:  2 11/16" diameter by 2 7/16" high.  The base is fire finished with the pontil stamp signature in the center. 
Condition:  Excellent condition with no chips, cracks, or scratches found on inspection.  I found one tiny rough area next to the base which seems to be a spot of extra glass.
Signature:  The paperweight is signed on the base with the hot pontil stamp used in 1979 which says "GENTILE GLASS W. VA." and has a star with a "C" in the center for Star City (West Virginia).  

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

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Hot stamp signature on base
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Profile
Closeup
Another side view
Base

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

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

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

Large size:  3" in diameter by 1 7/8" high.  The base is ground concave.  It is faceted with a top facet and five side facets. 
Signature:  It is signed in the center of the design with Perthshire's "P' signature cane and also has a paper label "PERTHSHIRE PAPERWEIGHTS CRIEFF SCOTLAND". 
Condition:  Excellent condition with no cracks, chips, or scratches.   

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

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Signature cane
Label on base
Side view
Closeup
Profile
Another side view
Base

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

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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.  This 1987 vegetable bouquet is an early paperweight made by Ken.

Large size:   Just under 3" diameter by just over 1 1/2" high.  It has a low, relatively flat profile which allowed Ken to fill the paperweight with vegetables and avoid optical distortion.  The base is polished concave. 
Signature:  It is signed on the side with Ken Rosenfeld's "R" signature cane and engraved signature "KEN ROSENFELD '87".
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: 

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Signature
Side view
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Another side view
Base

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

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

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

Size:  2 9/16" diameter by 1 11/16" high.  The base is polished flat with remnants of the pontil scar.  Some rough areas on the base.  It is faceted with a top facet and five side facets.  The facets are concave. 
Condition:   Very good condition.  Considerable wear / scratching and two rough areas on the base.  No other damage found on inspection.  There are tiny bubbles in the glass typical of this studio.
Signature:  This paperweight is signed on the base with an engraved "P" inside a diamond.  

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

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Signature on base
Closeup
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Side view
Base
Another view of the base showing the signature and rough areas

For more vintage American paperweights, see my Vintage 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.

Fratelli Toso was started in 1854 by six brothers - Angelo Toso, Giovanni Toso, Ferdinando Toso, Carlo Toso, Gregorio Toso and Liberato Toso.  They were joined by Ermanno Toso in 1924 who became artistic director.  The Fratelli Toso company is well known for its use of colorful murrines and millefiori, particularly during the 1950's and earlier.  In 1979, the company suffered a harsh economic crisis, forcing the owners to divide it into Antica Vetreria Fratelli Toso and Fratelli Toso International.  In 1981, Fratelli Toso International filed for bankruptcy and closed its doors for good.  Antica Vetreria Fratelli Toso, led by Arnoldo Toso, continued to operate.

Large size:  3 1/8" diameter by just under  2 11/16" high.  The base is polished flat.
Condition:  Good condition.  This paperweight has a slight dimple on top along with a faint 1" scratch on top (see picture).  And a rough area next to the base (see another picture).  I also found a tiny nick on the side which I couldn't capture in a picture.
Signature:  Signed with a worn Fratelli Toso silver foil label with a conjoined "ft" and "MADE IN ITALY MURANO GLASS". 

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

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Label
Closeup
Top view
Rough area near base
Scratch (1") on top of dome
Profile
Base

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

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This paperweight was made on the island of Murano in Venice, Italy.  Venetian glass making dates back centuries and the Venetians are given credit for the earliest millefiori canes and paperweights in 1840s.  More recently, paperweight making was revived in the 1930s and again in the 1960s.

Archimede Seguso (1909-1999) was an Italian glass artist known for his intricate glass vases, necklaces, and sculptures.  Spanning a wide range of forms and colors, his subject matter included animals and abstract shapes.  He was part of an illustrious legacy of Italian glassmakers, their ancestry spanning over six centuries to the 14th century.  Seguso notably led a revival of ancient Venetian glass-making techniques, specifically filigrana, which produced lattice-like patterns. Seguso ran the family business Seguso Vetri d'Arte, from 1937 to 1942.  After 1942 he devoted his time to research and innovation and continued to produce many artistic breakthroughs.  The Seguso company continues to produce glass today.  Seguso works are included in many private and museum collections.  

Large size:  2 15/16" diameter by 1 7/8" high. The base is polished flat. 
Condition:   Very good to excellent condition. I found a couple of tiny scratches, but no significant damage. 
Signature:  Unsigned but I guarantee that this was made on the island of Murano.  Given the existence of labeled Seguso examples, I believe it is from the Seguso factory.

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

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Side view
Closeup
Profile
Base

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

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The Macédoine is a uniquely Baccarat style in which the short sections of latticinio (twists, filigree, lace) are arranged in a quilt-like pattern with many of the sections at right angles to each other.  This pattern was originally made during the classic period of French paperweights (1845-1860).  The modern version was produced in the 1950s - 1970s and is similar to yet different from the antique version.

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.  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:  2 7/8" diameter by just over 2 1/8" high.  The base is polished flat.
Condition:  Excellent condition with no scratches, chips or cracks. 
Signature:  Signed with the Baccarat acid etched signature on the base. 

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

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Closeup
Signature
Profile
Side view
Base

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

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

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

Very large size:  Just over 3 3/16" diameter by 2 7/16" high. The base is ground concave.
Condition:  Excellent condition with no scratches, chips or cracks.
Signature:  Signed with John Deacon's "JD" signature cane on the base.  It also has a "HANDMADE IN SCOTLAND by John Deacons" paper label on the base. 

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

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Signature cane and label on base
Closeup
Side view
Profile
Base

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

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Note on Selman Auction:  The previous owner paid $450 for this paperweight at the Selman Auction 44 (Lot 277).

Perthshire made this paperweight as one of their Annual Collection designs for 2000.  This means the design was made only that one year and never again.  There were eight Annual Collection designs in 2000, designated A through G plus a Special Limited Edition which had no letter designation.  This design is designated 2000A.  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). 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 1/2" diameter by just over 1 1/2" high.  The base is fire finished and engraved with the letter "P" and the edition number "144".  The paperweight is faceted with one large top facet and five side facets.
Signature:  This paperweight is signed with an engraved "P" and the edition number "144"in the center of the base.  It also has its original Perthshire paper label "PERTHSHIRE PAPERWEIGHTS CRIEFF SCOTLAND" on the base and a second label from a Selman auction.
Condition:  Excellent condition with no cracks, chips, or scratches.  Some wear on the base and some wear on the Perthshire label.

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

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Closeup
Profile
Side view
Signature ("P 144") and labels on base
Another side view
Base

For more information about Perthshire Paperweights, see my Perthshire 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 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 for the first time) in 1971 and sold the factory to new owners in Elwood, Indiana.  About the same time, Robert St. Clair (1919 - 1986) 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 and Joe Rice bought his estate including Bob's factory.  Joe St. Clair died in 1987. 

Very large size:  3 3/8" diameter by 3 1/4" high.  The base is ground flat.  It weighs just over 29 ounces.
Condition:  Excellent condition with no chips or cracks.  No scratches found on inspection.  Some bubbles in the glass.
Signature:  Hot stamped signature on the base "BOB ST. CLAIR". 

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

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Hot stamped signature on base
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Side view
Another side view
Base

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

Size:  1 3/4" diameter by 2 3/16" long including backing plate but not the screw.  The brass backing plate has a diameter of 1 3/8". 
Condition:  Excellent condition with no chips, scratches, or cracks.  The brass hardware shows some wear.   
Signature:  Signed with a "PMcD" complex signature cane in the design. 

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

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Top view
Signature cane
Closeup
Another view
Side view
Back view showing hardware

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

The PP46 was made with a heart design from 1981 to 1999.  It was also made as a Spade (1981-1985), Diamond (1981-86), and Club (1981-85).  Although the heart was made until 1999, this version was produced until 1995 and then the design was changed for 1996 and again for 1997-1999.

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 1 11/16" high. The base is ground concave.  There is one large top facet. 
Condition:  Some wear on the base and the label is very worn.  Otherwise in excellent condition with no cracks, chips, or scratches found on inspection. 
Signature:  It is signed on the base with Perthshire's "P" signature cane.   It also has its original very 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: 

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Closeup
Signature cane and worn label on base
Side view
Profile
Base

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

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Note on condition:  This paperweight has a 3/8" shallow chip on a corner of the back side as shown in the pictures.  It displays well in spite of the damage and could be restored if desired.

Note on maker:  The maker of this paperweight has not been firmly established.  Some sources says it was made by Libbey for the 1893 Columbian Exposition in Chicago.  Others say it was made by Gillinder in 1913.  There may be two different versions as some copies of the Gillinder version has embossed text.  This copy has no writing.  

Size:  Just under 4 1/2" tall by just under 3" wide by 7/8" thick.   
Condition:  Good condition with a 3/8" shallow chip in a corner of the base (see pictures).  Otherwise wear on the base and some minor scratches.  Bubbles in the glass. 
Signature:  Unsigned, but I guarantee this is an antique American pressed glass paperweight.

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

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Side view
Another view
Back side (base)
Shallow chip (3/8") in corner of base

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

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

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

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

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Side view
Base

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

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

Large Size:  2 5/8" diameter by just under 1 3/4" high.  The base is ground concave.  There are six side facets and a large top facet. 
Condition:  Very good condition for its age.  There are scratches and tiny chips on the body and on some of the facets.  The largest bruise is a 1/8" bruise on one facet.  There is wear on the base.  There is plenty of glass and the paperweight could be restored, but I chose not to do so. 
Signature:   Unsigned but I guarantee this to be an authentic antique Clichy paperweight. 

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

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Closeup
Profile
Side view
Base
Another view of base
Bruise on facet

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

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Reijmyre was founded in Sweden in 1810 by Johan Jacob Graver.  During the early 20th century, Reijmyre produced high quality cameo glass.  The company changed hands many times over the years.  Lennart Rosen took over in 1950, and hired designers including Johnny Mattsson, Paul Kedelv and Bert Kindaker.  The Italian brothers Josef and Benito Marcolin worked at Reijmyre just before starting their own company in 1961.  The Reijmyre glassworks is still in production today.  

Large size:  6 1/4" wide by 4 9/16" high by 1 9/16" thick.  The base is polished flat.     
Condition:  Excellent condition.  No chips, cracks, or scratches found on inspection.  There is a small (9/16") unpolished area next to the base on the backside. 
Signature:  Signed with a gold foil label "REIJMYRE 1810 SWEDEN".  Possibly made by one of the Marcolin brothers during their time at Reijmyre.

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

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Label
Back view
Side view
Closeup of inner texture
Base

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Albert Graeser was a well known producer of photographic paperweights working in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in the 1890-1900 period.  He used a process patented by William H. Maxwell in 1882.  For more information on this style of paperweight see the article "Fraternally Yours" by William Price, Jr. in the 2001 Annual Bulletin of the Paperweight Collectors Association.  This style of paperweight is also described on page 413 of American Glass by George and Helen McKearin.

Very large size:  3 3/8" diameter by just over 2 3/8" high.  The base is ground flat and finished with a matte finish although there is a remnant of the pontil mark. 
Signature:  No signature, but I guarantee that this an antique paperweight using the patented Maxwell process and is most likely a product of Albert Graeser. 
Condition:  Very good condition.  The paperweight has tiny scratches and flea bites, but no cracks.

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

Large picture
Closeup
Profile
Side view
Base

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This design was Charles Kaziun's signature design and one of the most popular with collectors. This size and style was often referred to as a #1. 

Charles Kaziun Jr. was one of the most famous of the American paperweight artists.  He is often credited with contributing to the rebirth of interest in paperweight making.  He made paperweights from the 1940s until his death in 1992.  His weights are usually signed with a gold K or a special millefiori cane containing a K.  You can read about him in many books, including:

• Magic in the Glass - The Paperweight Artistry of Charles Kaziun, Jr. by Bernard A. Drabeck 
• American Glass Paperweights and Their Makers by Jean Melvin (1970) 

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

Large picture
Closeup
Side View
Another side view
Gold foil K signature on underside of ground
Base

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

Click on the picture to see a larger image.

Very large size:  3 3/4” diameter by 3 3/16” high.  The base is fire finished with a pronounced pontil scar.  It weighs just under 2 pounds 15 ounces and will be four pounds when packaged for shipping.
Signature:  Unsigned.  I believe this was made in the midwest US in the first half of the 20th century.
Condition: Very good condition for its age.  There are some tool marks and small scratches, but no chips or cracks.

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

Large picture
Closeup
Side view
Top view
Base

$95 postage paid in the US.                                         Added 9/24/2023

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

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Large Size:   2 7/8" diameter by 1 15/16" high. The bottom is ground concave. 
Signature:   Unsigned but I guarantee that this is from China and dates from about 1930. 
Condition:  Excellent condition.  There is considerable wear on the base but no damage on the body of the paperweight.  There is some debris or dirt in the glass.  As with all Chinese paperweights from this period, this paperweight has a light weight glass mixture that is high in soda and has a greenish tinge. The glass has a soft feel. 

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

Large picture
Closeup
Profile
Side view
Base

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

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Very large size:  Just over 3 1/2" diameter by just over 2 3/4" high.  The base is polished flat.  It weighs just under 30 ounces and will be three pounds when packaged for mailing.
Condition:  Excellent condition.  The edge of the base has an imperfection - it is not perfectly round.  Perhaps a flaw was polished out.  Minor wear on the base.
Signature: Signed "M" for Mosser in the design.

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

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"M" Signature
Closeup
Profile
Side view
Flat area on edge of base
Base

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

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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.

Very large size:  3 1/4" diameter by 2 1/4" high.  The base is ground concave.
Signature:  It is signed and dated with a "SL 1973" complex millefiori cane between two of the loops.  It also has its original "CRISTAL SAINT LOUIS FRANCE" foil label.
Condition:  This paperweight has a small scuff mark (about 3/16" long) on the side near the base.  Otherwise, it is in excellent condition with no other damage found.  The foil label is slightly worn.

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

Large picture
Signature cane
Label
Closeup
Profile
Side view
Scuff mark (3/16" long) on side near base
Base

For more information about paperweights made by the St. Louis glass factory in France, 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.  The company is no longer in existence.

Large size:   Just over 3” diameter by 2 1/8” high.  The base is fire polished with a remnant of the pontil mark. 
Condition:  Excellent condition.  No cracks, chips, or scratches found on inspection other than minor wear on the base.  There are some small bubbles in the glass.
Signature:  Unsigned, but I guarantee this paperweight was made by Strathearn Glass in Scotland.

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

Large picture
Closeup
Profile
Side view
Base

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

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

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

Very large size:  3 3/8" diameter by 2 7/8" tall.  The bottom is polished concave.  This paperweight is heavy and weighs almost 34 ounces.
Condition:  Excellent condition.  There is a 1/4" scratch near the base, but no other chips, cracks or scratches were found on inspection.
Signature:  It is signed with its original Whitefriars paper label on the side near the base with a Whitefriars monk symbol and the text "WHITEFRIARS FULL LEAD CRYSTAL MADE IN ENGLAND".  There is also a second label identifying the pattern as 9850.

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

Large picture
Label
Top view
Another view
Side view
Base

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.

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:   Just under 2 1/8” 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
Label
Side view
Closeup
Profile
Base with 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.

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.  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.  This design, the Damson Plum Weight, was designated 1977B.

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 1/16" diameter by 1 1/2" 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 comes with its original box and original certificate identifying this as #97 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
Top view
Certificate
Engraved P signature (reversed) on tiny facet near base
Close-up showing engraved P signature viewed from the top
Closeup - note P visible on lower edge
Box
Box with paperweight
Another view
Side view
Base

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

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

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

Large picture
Closeup
Base
Profile
Another view showing damage on side

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

Click on the picture to see a larger image.

Von Brackel discusses this style of paperweight in his book Paperweights - Historicism - Art Nouveau - Art Deco .  He discusses several similar examples on pages 102 to 105 with a range of values of $250 and up.  The picture format, he says is a specialty of Northern Bohemia.  

Large size: Just under 3" at the widest by just over 3 1/2" high.  The base is ground flat.  Faceted with a total of 33 facets.  It weighs just under 23 ounces.
Condition:  Very good to excellent condition for its age.  There is age appropriate wear on the base, wear on some of the facet edges, and some nicks on facet edges.  One noticeable scratch the large front window facet. 
Signature :  Unsigned, but I guarantee that this is a vintage paperweight from the Bohemia / Czech region and it originates from approximately 1900-1939. 

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

Large picture
Closeup
Closeup of flowers on back
Worst of the nicks
Back view
Left side view
Right side view
Base

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

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Perthshire made this paperweight as one of their annual collection items for 1973.  This means the design was made only that one year and never again.  There were five annual collection designs in 1973, designated A through E, of which this is 1973E.  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.

Small Size:  2 1/8" diameter by 1 3/8" high.  The bottom is ground concave and finished with a grid-cut.  This paperweight is faceted with a larger top facet and eight small side facets.    
Signature:  This paperweight is signed with a "P" signature cane in the center of the flower.  It also comes with its 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 of the paperweight
Closeup
Profile
Side view
Certificate
Base

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

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

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

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

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

Size:  Just under 2 3/4" diameter by 1/4" high.  The base is ground concave in the center. 
Signature:      Unsigned but I guarantee that this is from China and dates from about 1930. 
Condition:  Very good condition.  There are some minor scratches on the body.  There is a 1/8" chip and a similar sized tool mark on the base.  As is typical of paperweights of this type, the glass has some debris and tiny bubbles.  As with Chinese paperweights from this period, this paperweight has a slight greenish tinge. 

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

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This design was Charles Kaziun's signature design and one of the most popular with collectors. This size and style was often referred to as a #1. 

Charles Kaziun Jr. was one of the most famous of the American paperweight artists.  He is often credited with contributing to the rebirth of interest in paperweight making.  He made paperweights from the 1940s until his death in 1992.  His weights are usually signed with a gold K or a special millefiori cane containing a K.  You can read about him in many books, including:

• Magic in the Glass - The Paperweight Artistry of Charles Kaziun, Jr. by Bernard A. Drabeck 
• American Glass Paperweights and Their Makers by Jean Melvin (1970) 

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

Large picture
Closeup
Side View
Another side view
Gold foil K signature on underside of ground
Another view of gold K through the base
Base
Another view

For more paperweights by Charles Kaziun, see my Kaziun 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. 

Very large size:  Just under 3 3/16" diameter by 2 5/16" high.  The base is ground concave.
Signature: Signed with a Perthshire "P 1987" signature / date cane on the base.  This paperweight comes with the original its original box.  There is no paper label on this paperweight. 
Condition:  Excellent condition with no chips, cracks, or scratches.

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

Large picture
Closeup
Profile
"P 1987" signature / date cane on base
Paperweight in box
Side view
Base
Another view of the box

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

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Large size:  2 15/16" diameter by just under 2" high.  The base is cut with a complex star pattern that is flat in the center.  The paperweight is faceted with one large top facet and a six side facets.
Signature:  Signed with a complex "B 1971" signature / date cane in the outer ring.  This paperweight is also signed twice on the base with an acid etched Baccarat mark along with the engraved year (1971) and edition number (103).
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
Top view
Signature cane
Signature on base
Profile
Alternating pattern when viewed from base
Closeup
Base

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Paul Dunlop provides a detailed study of the variations on this paperweight.  This paperweight was made in several formats, including 308 overlays and 3,572 non-overlays.  Of the overlays, 201 were like the example shown here with a red uncut base and a blue and white overlay.  However not all of the 201 will have the same cutting on the double overlay as the glass workers at Baccarat were given some artistic freedom to vary the cutting.  35 more were finished with a star cut on the base.  And 72 were made with a blue base and a red and white overlay.  There were nine different formats for the 3,572 non-overlay versions.  An additional 314 non-overlay weights with an amethyst base were issued in a memorial edition.

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.  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.

Albert David (1896 - 1970) was a French sculptor and ceramist who studied under Jean Boucher at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris.  David exhibited in Paris at the Salon of the Société des Artistes Français, Salon d'Automne and the Salon des Artistes Décorateurs.  He received an honorable mention in 1921, a gold medal at the 1937 Exposition Universelle and a third-class medal in 1938.  His work was entered in the Art competitions at the 1924 Summer Olympics, but he did not win a medal.  In 1938, he was was made a Chevalier of the Legion of Honor.  He was particularly known for his flat reliefs and war memorials and also his pottery.  In addition, he also designed plaques and medals.  David served as an official sculptor for the Monnaie de Paris (Paris Mint), a government-owned institution responsible for producing France's coins.  During the 1960s he designed sulphides for Baccarat, some of which were produced after his death in 1970.

Large Size:  3 1/8" diameter by just over 2 1/8" high.  The base is polished flat is faceted with one large top facet and five side facets.   
Signature:  The paperweight is signed on the edge of the sulphide "A. DAVID 63" and has an acid etched Baccarat mark / logo on the base  
Condition:   There is a 1/2" scratch on the base next to the Baccarat mark / logo.  There is also other wear and faint scratches on the base.  Otherwise it is in 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
Side view
Profile
Closeup
A. DAVID 63 signature on sulphide
Baccarat logo / mark on base & scratch
Base

For more information about sulphide paperweights, see my Sulphide Paperweights Web Page    (dl-sul-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.

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 4 3/4" high by 2 5/8" diameter including the stopper.  The base is shaped concave. 
Signature:  Unsigned, but I guarantee that this is a Perthshire PP52 bottle made in Scotland.
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
Side view
View showing stopper
Another view showing stopper
Another side of bottle
Still another view of bottle
Base

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

Click on the picture to see a larger image.

The conceptual design for the paperweight was by 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.  Often a sulphide will have a silvery appearance due to a thin layer of trapped bubbles between the glass and the sulphide itself.

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.

Gilbert Poillerat (1902 - 1988) was a French designer, jeweler, and sculptor.  He studied at the École Boulle, graduating in 1921.  Initially he worked in wrought iron for Edgar Brandt doing design and production work.  Later Poillerat branched out to design furniture and other decorative arts.  In 1946 he became a professor at the École Nationale des Arts Decoratifs.  He taught there for 26 years, all the while continuing his own design output, collaborating with the likes of André Arbus, Jean Pascaud, and Vadim Androusov.  During the 1950s, Poillerat became involved in the rediscovery of the art of sulphide paperweights at Baccarat and St. Louis, contributing to many of the early modern sulphide paperweights.

Large size:  Just under 3 1/8" diameter by just under 1 5/8" high.  The bottom is ground concave. 
Signature: Signed with a complex millefiori cane "SL 1979" on the base.
Condition:  Excellent condition with no scratches, cracks, or chips 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 information about paperweights made by the St. Louis factory, see my St. Louis Web Page .  (dl-sl-sul)

Click on the picture to see a larger image.

Large size:   Just under 2 3/4” diameter by 3 1/4"  high.  The base is ground concave. 
Signature:  Unsigned, but I guarantee that this was made in the 1930s in China.  
Condition:  This paperweight is in very good condition for its age.  It has an internal fracture on the base (see pictures) that is solid and is not spreading.  It also has minor scratches but other cracks and no chips.  

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

Large picture
Side view
Closeup
Profile
Base with internal fracture
Another view

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

Medium size:  2 3/8" diameter by 2 7/16" high.  The base is polished flat.
Condition:  Very good condition.  There are some scratches on the base and a few tiny pinpricks or scratches on the dome.  The top is slightly uneven from when it was made.
Signature:  Unsigned, but I guarantee that this was made in Portugal.

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

Large picture
Side view
Profile
Another side view
Base

For more paperweights from Portugal and other countries, see my  Other Countries Web Page

Click on the picture to see a larger image.

This paperweight was sold under the collectibles brand River Shore, which was one of several companies that offered pieces by Roger J. Brown.  I was unable to learn much about River Shore.  And I was also unable to uncover which glass company made made it, but it was likely either Baccarat or D'Albret.  Both of these companies also produced paperweights for the Franklin Mint during this period.  Is it possible that this was a Paul Jokelson project?

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.

Roger J. Brown (1933-2006) was born in Jersey City, NJ and originally was in Data Processing with an MBA from Fairleigh Dickinson University.  He started sculpting in 1963 and created an impressive variety of figurines, medallions, and busts on many topics.  He had commissions from the Rockwell Society, Westminster Kennel Club, and others.  His work is represented in a number of museums including the Aviation Hall of Fame, Whitney Museum of American Art in New York City and the Remington Museum in Ogdensburg, NY.

Large size:  Just over 2 13/16" diameter by just under 1 7/8" high.  The paperweight is faceted with one large top facet and five side facets and the footed base is star cut. 
Signature:  The paperweight engraved on the base "Rockwell's TRIPLE SELF-PORTRAIT by Roger J. Brown © 1979 River Shore Ltd. ® 1602 / 2500".   The sulphide is also signed "RJ Brown" in two places..   
Condition:   Excellent condition.  I found minor wear on the base.

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

Large picture
Closeup
Signature on base
Side view
Star cut base
Profile (sorry it is so dark)

For more information about sulphide paperweights, see my Sulphide 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.

Paolo Venini (1895-1959) was born in Cusano, Italy.   As a young man he studied law in Milan.  During the first war he was stationed near Venice where he became fascinated with the glass mosaics and stained glass of St. Mark’s cathedral.  After the war he began a law practice but soon came under the influence of Venetian art and antiquities dealer Giacomo Cappellin who convinced the young Venini to join him as a business partner in a new Murano glass enterprise in 1921.  The firm was incorporated in 1924 as Vetri Soffiati Muranesi Venini Cappelin & Co.  The Venini company continued to operate after Paolo's death in 1959 and remains in operation today (2023).  

Very large size:  Just under 4" diameter by 2" high.  The base is polished flat.  There is the remnant of the pontil scar on the base.
Condition:   Very good condition.  There is the remnant of the pontil scar on the base (or it may be a chip) and considerable wear on the base.  One chip on the edge of the base has been polished out leaving a flat spot in an otherwise circular base.  There are other chips on the side including one that is 5/16" across.  The other chips on the side are tiny.  No chips or scratches found on the dome.  No cracks.  The paperweight displays beautifully.
Signature:  Unsigned, but I believe this paperweight was made by Paolo Venini at his firm in Murano, Venice, Italy.

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

Large picture
Side view
Closeup
Profile
Chip on side (5/16")
Base
Another view of base

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

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This design was produced only in 1976 in a limited edition of 300 paperweights.  This is number 57 in that series.  There is a signature cane "B 1976" shown in the pictures.  The base has the acid etched Baccarat logo plus it is engraved with the year (1976), the edition number (57) and the size of the series (300).  It is unusual to find a Baccarat paperweight with a white opaque ground as they produced very few designs with this choice of ground.  It works perfectly as a contrast to the delicate fruit basket.

Baccarat originally suggested a retail price of $3,542 for this paperweight, but my price is much lower. 

Large size: 3 1/16" diameter by 1 7/8" high.  The base is polished flat.  Faceted with a large top facet and six side facets.  All the facets are concave. 
Condition: Excellent condition.  There are some scratches on the base, but no other wear or damage was found on inspection.  No cracks, chips, or scratches on the body.
Signature:  Made by Baccarat in France in 1976.  Signed in cane and on the base. 

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

Large picture
Closeup
Profile
Side view
Signature cane
Baccarat logo, date (1976), edition number and size (57/300) on base
Base

$295 postage paid in the US.                                                 Added 6/24/2023

For more information about Baccarat paperweights, see my Baccarat 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

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.

The Perthshire Annual Collection Paperweights were special limited edition designs that offered one year only.  Each year's editions were lettered to indicate this special status.  In 1982 they made eight special designs designated A through H.  This design was designated 1982C.  These were 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.

Very large size:  Just over 3 1/8" diameter by 2 1/4" high. The base is hollow ground. 
Condition:  One tiny pinprick on the base.  Otherwise in excellent condition with no cracks, chips, or scratches found on inspection.
Signature:  Signed with a complex "P 1982" signature cane on the base under the flower.  There is also a paper label "PERTHSHIRE PAPERWEIGHTS CRIEFF SCOTLAND". 

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

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

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

Click on the picture to see a larger image.

Size:  Just under 2 1/2" diameter by 3 7/16" high.  The bottom is polished flat.. 
Condition:  Excellent condition.  There are two popped bubbles on the surface of the glass.  They are not damage, but I am mentioning them for completeness.  The larger of the bubbles is shown in one of the pictures.
Signature:  Signed with in script on the base "Mdina". 

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

Large picture
Closeup
Another view
Signature
Still another view
One of two popped bubbles on surface
Horizontal view
Base

$45 postage paid in the US.                                                 Added 3/19/2023 

For more information about paperweights from England, see my English 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, 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: 

Large picture
Top view
Signature cane viewed through base
Another view
Profile
Side view
Horizontal view
Base

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.

Note:  Please note that the base on this paperweight is slightly larger than the typical Kaziun #1.

Charles Kaziun Jr. was one of the most famous of the American paperweight artists.  He is often credited with contributing to the rebirth of interest in paperweight making.  He made paperweights from the 1940s until his death in 1992.  His weights are usually signed with a gold K or a special millefiori cane containing a K.  You can read about him in many books, including:

• Magic in the Glass - The Paperweight Artistry of Charles Kaziun, Jr. by Bernard A. Drabeck
• American Glass Paperweights and Their Makers by Jean Melvin (1970) :

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

Large picture
Closeup
Side View
Another side view
Gold foil K signature on underside of ground
Signature viewed through base
Horizontal view
Base

For more paperweights by Charles Kaziun, see my Kaziun Paperweights Web Page.           (dl-kaz-ca)

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.

Large Size:  Just over 2 15/16" diameter by 2 1/4" high.  The base is hollow ground. 
Condition:  Excellent condition with no chips, cracks or scratches found on inspection.  The certificate is worn. 
Signature:  Signed with a Perthshire "P1979" date-signature cane in center of the design.  This paperweight come with its original certificate.  It does not have a paper label.   

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

Large picture
Closeup
Signature / date cane
Certificate
Side view
Profile
Base

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

Click on the picture to see a larger image.

Miniature size:  Just over 2 3/8" tall by just under 15/16" wide by 11/16" thick..  It weighs two ounces.  The base is ground flat.
Condition:  The scent bottle has several flaws.  The cane of the Lion of St. Mark has a small fracture.  The scent bottle does not have its original stopper, hinged cap, or chain.  There are also small fractures on the neck.  It also has age appropriate wear.
Signature:  This scent bottle is unsigned.  Despite the similarity to known Franchini items, I am selling this as "Franchini Type" as other glass artisans of the period probably copied the work of the Franchini workshop.

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

Large picture
Closeup of gondola on front
View of back
Closeup of Lion of St. Mark on the back
Horizontal view showing mouth
Another view of mouth
Side view
Another side view
Horizontal view
Another horizontal view
Base

For more information about antique paperweights see my Antique Paperweights Web Page.               (dl-ant-mur) 

Click on the picture to see a larger image.

The maker of this item was Lassman & Co. located in the Kilburn area of North London.   Samuel Lassman purchased the paperweight handles from George Dunlop's Pirelli Glass in London.  Pirelli obtained them from Vasart.  Pirelli also took some assembled inventory back from Lassman and sold the barware items under the Pirelli label.  Pirelli also included the line in their 1959 catalog.  For more information, see my web page on Lassman & Co. or the article by Angela Bowey and Allan Port “Pirelli, Vasart and the Ysart Family” in the Paperweight Collectors Association Inc. Annual Bulletin 2015.  The barware line was sold individually and also in complete box sets.  Lassman also made a line of large industrial sized corkscrews - called packing gland extractors and used for servicing nautical applications that required a waterproof seal.

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

Size:  1 7/16" diameter.  With the metal hardware, it is 4 3/8" long. 
Condition:  Excellent condition.  The paperweight handle has no chips, cracks or scratches.  There is a tiny bit of white stray glass from the ground floating above the concentric design (not damage).  The chrome screw shows a tiny bit of roughness or possibly wear. 
Signature:  Unsigned, but I guarantee this is a genuine Lassman corkscrew with a Vasart paperweight handle.  The metal part is marked / stamped "ENGLAND". 

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

Large picture
Top view (just the paperweight)
Another view
Stamped mark "ENGLAND"
Stray bit of white glass above the design (not damage)

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 1 3/4" high. The base 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 originated at the New England Glass Company.
Condition:  Good to very good condition.  It has a 3/16" circular impact mark on the side (see picture).  There are also some minor scratches on the surface and wear on the edge of the base.

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

Large picture
Side view
Closeup
Profile
Circular impact mark (3/16")
Base
Another view of base - note pontil scar in center

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

Click on the picture to see a larger image.

Kaziun called this style of rose a Sandwich rose.  He was inspired by the tiny roses found in antique basket of roses paperweights made by the Boston & Sandwich Glass Company.  It is also called a rope rose.  The rose is made with a tiny molten glass rod.

Note:  Please note that this is slightly larger than the typical Kaziun #1.  I have been referring to this size as a #2.

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
Side View
Another side view
Gold foil K signature on underside of ground
Signature viewed through base
Horizontal view
Base

For more paperweights by Charles Kaziun, see my Kaziun Paperweights Web Page.           (dl-kaz-ca)

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:  3 1/8" diameter by 2 1/4" 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 cane "PMcD" and is also engraved on the base with the edition number 18/30.  There is no paper label on this paperweight.

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

Large picture
Closeup
Side view of butterfly
Signature cane
Edition number (18/30)
Profile
Base
Side 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.

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

Size:  1 3/8" by 1 3/8" by 1 1/2" high.  All of the edges are rounded.  The base is fire finished with the remnant of a pontil mark.
Signature: Unsigned, but I guarantee this is Chinese paperweights from approximately 1930.
Condition:  Very good condition with only a few minor scratches.  The glass has a soft oily feel.  There are bubbles and debris in the glass and it has a green tinge.

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

Large picture
Front side
Top view
Back view
Base

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

Click on the picture to see a larger image.

Miniature size:  Just over 1 3/4" diameter by 1 9/16" high.  The base is polished flat.    
Condition:  Good condition.  There are some scratches on the body and also some pinpricks near the base.  The edge of the polished base has tiny chips.  There are bubbles in the glass and the design is off center.  Three of the outer petals and two of the leaves are missing some of their color and show the underlying white instead. 
Signature:  Unsigned.  I guarantee this paperweight to be of American origin, but do not know the maker.    

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

Large picture
Side view
Another side view
Back 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.

This paperweight was made either ALT studio or Vetreria 3 Fiori studio on the island of Murano in Venice, Italy.  ALT was founded in the 1970s and specialized in making paperweights, although they also made other types of glass.  They continued in operation until around 2002.  In the late 1990s two glass workers at ALT left and founded Vetreria 3 Fiori, which came to be recognized as the best millefiori paperweight maker in Murano.  This studio was in operation for only five years from about 2000 to 2005.  Subsequently, two of the workers at 3 Fiori opened a new studio called The Millefiori Factory but it appears that that has also closed. 

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:   3 1/16" diameter by 1 15/16" high with a flat polished base. 
Condition:   Very good condition.  This paperweight has two small areas with damage on the side.  One is an abrasion or rough area approximately 1/4" across.  The other is an area about the same size low on the side with several pinpricks or tiny chips.  Both are hard to see without magnification.  They are shown in the pictures.  The paperweight displays beautifully.  No chips, cracks, or scratches on the dome.  
Signature:  This paperweight unsigned, but I guarantee it was made on the island of Murano in Venice, Italy.  The most likely maker is either ALT or Vetreria 3 Fiori.

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

Large picture
Side view
Closeup
Profile
Abrasion or rub mark on side (1/4")
Pinpricks on side (1/4")
Base

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

Click on the picture to see a larger image.

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

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

Size:  Just over 2 5/8" diameter by 1 9/16" high.  The base is polished flat.   
Condition:   Excellent condition.  No damage found on inspection.  There are tiny bubbles in the glass typical of this studio.
Signature:  This paperweight is unsigned but I guarantee that is was made at Pairpoint Glass in Sagamore, Massachusetts.  

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

Large picture
Closeup
Profile
Side view
Base

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

Click on the picture to see a larger image.

Very large size:  Just over 3 3/8" diameter by 2 1/16" high.    The base is polished flat.  The profile is slightly 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 (519).  The year is hard to read on the base as it was engraved on top of one of the Baccarat marks.  I show several pictures of this signature taken from different angles.
Condition:   Excellent condition.  There are some 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
Closeup
Profile
Signature cane "B 1971"
Baccarat logo, year, and edition number on base (year is hard to read)
Another view of the signature showing the year more clearly
Another view showing the year more clearly and the second Baccarat logo on the left side of base
Side view
Base

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

Click on the picture to see a larger image.

Large size:  Just over 3" diameter by just over 1 15/16" high.  The base is ground concave.  Faceted with a ten sided top facet and many diamond shaped side facets that are arranged in a spiral up to the top facet.
Condition:  Excellent condition.  No chips, cracks or scratches found on inspection.
Signature:  It has a Whitefriars signature cane with a white monk and the date 1975 in the fifth ring from the center.

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

Large picture
Signature cane
Side view
Closeup
Profile
Upside down
Base

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

Click on the picture to see a larger image.

This paperweight 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.

Fratelli Toso was started in 1854 by six brothers - Angelo Toso, Giovanni Toso, Ferdinando Toso, Carlo Toso, Gregorio Toso and Liberato Toso.  They were joined by Ermanno Toso in 1924 who became artistic director.  The Fratelli Toso company is well known for its use of colorful murrines and millefiori, particularly during the 1950's and earlier.  In 1979, the company suffered a harsh economic crisis, forcing the owners to divide it into Antica Vetreria Fratelli Toso and Fratelli Toso International.  In 1981, Fratelli Toso International filed for bankruptcy and closed its doors for good.  Antica Vetreria Fratelli Toso, led by Arnoldo Toso, continued to operate.

Very large size:   3 3/16" diameter by 2 1/8" high.  The base is polished flat and finished with a fancy star cut.  This paperweight is faceted with one large top facet and five smaller side facets.  The top facet has an unusual cutting. 
Signature:  Unsigned, but I guarantee that this paperweight is from the island of Murano in Venice, Italy.  It was probably made in the 1960s by Fratelli Toso.
Condition:  Excellent condition.  Some light wear on the base.  No other chips, cracks, of scratches found on inspection.

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

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Closeup
Profile
Star cut base
Side view
Upside down
Base

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

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The PP19 was made in a limited edition from 1969 to 1980 and from 1987 to 2002.  Each year was a little different with silhouettes added in later years.  The earliest versions were smaller  This version (with a clear ground) was made until 1991.

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

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

Large size:  2 13/16" diameter by just over 2 1/8" high.  The base is ground concave. 
Condition:  Excellent condition.  No chips, cracks or scratches found on inspection.  The paper label is very worn and the previous owner taped the label to the base.
Signature:  It is signed with Perthshire's "P 1970" signature cane in the design.  It also has a large but faint "P" signature cane near the center.  And there is a very worn paper label "PERTHSHIRE PAPERWEIGHTS CRIEFF SCOTLAND" taped to the base.   

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

Large picture
Closeup
Signature canes
Another view of signature Canes
Side view
Label (very worn) taped to base
Profile
Base

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

Click on the picture to see a larger image.

Size:   2 3/4" diameter by 3 15/16" long by 2 15/16" high.  The base 2 13/16" by 2 11/16" and is fire finished. 
Condition:   Excellent condition with no chips, cracks, or scratches found on inspection.
Signature:  This paperweight is unsigned.

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

Large picture
Side view
Top view
End view
Base
Another side 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.  Caithness is still operating in Crieff and making paperweights today (in 2022).

Large size:  2 3/4" diameter by 2 11/16" high.  The small base is polished flat.  It is faceted with a large angled facet.
Condition:  Good condition.  This paperweight has an area on the backside near the base with many small faint scratches or abrasions (see picture).  There are also a few faint scratches on the base. 
Signature:  This paperweight engraved on the edge of the base "Red Carnation Caithness Scotland" with a registration number "Y17099".

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

Large picture
Closeup
Side view
Another side view
Signature on base
Scratched area on backside
Base
Another view of 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.

Very large size:  3 5/8” diameter by 1 5/8” high.  The base is polished flat.
Condition:  Very good condition.  There are some scratches on the base.  No chips or cracks.  A few bubbles in the glass.  The label is worn.
Signature:  Signed with an acid etched "Goebel" logo on the base and a silver foil label "Goebel Charlottenhütte Western Germany".

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

Large picture
Label
Goebel etched mark on base
Profile
Side view
Another side view
View from base

For more paperweights from other countries, see my  Other Countries Web Page.

Click on the picture to see a larger image.

Size:  The six-sided handle is 1 5/16" wide at its widest.  2 5/8" long.  The base is 7/8" width at its widest.  Heavily faceted. 
Condition:  Fair to good condition, with many small chips on the edges and corners.      
Signature:  Unsigned, but I guarantee that this is an antique New England Glass Company seal.

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

Large picture
Another view
Top view
Worst of the chips
Base
Side view
And side another

For more information about Antique Paperweights, see my Antique 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 factory was taken over by Stuart Glass in 1980 and renamed Stuart Strathearn Ltd.  After 1980, this factory ceased production of paperweights and stopped all production in 1992.  Stuart Crystal ceased all operations in 2001. 

Size:   Just over 3” diameter by 2 1/8" high.  The base is polished flat.
Condition:  Excellent condition.  Minor wear on the base, but no other  scratches found on inspection.  No cracks or chips.
Signature:  Signed  with a 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
Label
Closeup
Side view
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.

Note:  There is a fracture surrounding the image that is caused by incompatibilities between the plaque and the surrounding glass.  This type of fracture is, unfortunately, fairly common in plaque weights of that period. 

After considerable research, I have concluded that the uniform is probably one used by a German or Austrian university student fraternity or student association.  Members of these student associations surrounded themselves with the symbols of their fraternities.  The uniforms are quite commonly depicted on German steins and other "studentica" of the period.   For more information, see http://stein-collectors.org/library/articles/Student/studentica.html

Size:  2 1/2” diameter by 1 3/4” high.  The bottom is fire finished with remnants of the pontil mark. 
Signature:  This paperweight is not signed, but I guarantee it to be an antique paperweight originating in Germany or one of the nearby countries. 
Condition:  Excellent condition.  I could not find any significant damage on this paperweight.  However, as noted above, there is a incompatibility fracture surrounding the center plaque. 

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

Large picture
Closeup
Profile
Base

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

Click on the picture to see a larger image.

Webb Corbett is one of the great names in English lead-crystal glass. It was set up in 1897 by two grandsons of Thomas Webb I, Herbert Webb and Thomas Webb III, together with George Harry Corbett.  The original company name was Thomas Webb and Corbett Limited.  It was a separate operation from Thomas Webb and Sons.  Thomas Webb and Corbett Ltd changed their name to Webb Corbett Ltd in the 1930's.  In 1969 the company was taken over by Royal Doulton and in 1986 they stopped using the Webb Corbett name.  Glass from the former Webb Corbett glassworks was then produced under the name Royal Doulton Crystal until this glassworks closed down.  After several mergers and reorganizations, Royal Doulton Crystal is now owned by the Finnish company Fiskars Corporation, along with Waterford Crystal, Wedgwood, and Iittala.  David Smith was the chief designer at Webb Corbett from 1965 until he left in 1982. He introduced a magnificent range of cameo glass designs using clear crystal with an overlay of colored glass.  The design was produced by sand blasting the glass to remove part of the colored layer.

Size:  2 15/16" diameter by just over 1 3/4" high.  The base is concave and finished with a star cut.  Faceted with one top facet and five side facets. 
Condition:  Very good condition.  There are some bubbles in the overlay and interior glass.  No chips, cracks or scratches found on inspection.  The certificate is slightly wrinkled and has some stains.
Signature:  It has its original foil label "FINEST ENGLISH FULL LEAD CRYSTAL ROYAL DOULTON MADE IN ENGLAND".  It also comes with its original Webb Corbett certificate declaring "Webb Corbett Fine English Hand Made Crystal PURPLE MULTI HOLLOW PAPERWEIGHT". 

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

Large picture
Certificate
Profile
Top view
Base

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 made this paperweight as one of their Annual Collection designs for 1984.  This means the design was made only that one year and never again.  There were seven Annual Collection designs in 1984, designated A through G.  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.  There are three books on Perthshire Paperweights.  If you collect Perthshire paperweights, you should have them in your library. 

Large size:  2 15/16" diameter by 2 3/16" high.  The base is ground concave.
Signature: Signed with a Perthshire "P" complex signature on the base.  This paperweight does not have a label.
Condition:  Excellent condition with no chips or cracks or scratches. 

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

Large picture
View of back.
Closeup
Signature cane on base
Profile
Side view
Base

For more information about Perthshire Paperweights, see my Perthshire 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.  Caithness is still operating in Crieff and making paperweights today (in 2022).

Large size:  Just under 3 1/8" diameter by just under 2 7/16" high.  The base is polished flat.  It is faceted with one large top facet and twelve smaller side facets in two rows.
Condition:  Excellent condition.  Other than a few scratches on the base, no chips, cracks, or scratches found on inspection. 
Signature:  This paperweight engraved on the edge of the base "Ballerina Caithness Scotland 42/50".

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

Large picture
Side view
Profile
Signature on base
Top view
Base

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

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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:   3 1/4" diameter by 2 3/4" high.  The base is ground slightly concave. 
Signature:  Signed  with Victor Trabucco's "VT" signature cane on the underside of a leaf.  There is also a very faint scratched signature on the base "Trabucco 1988".
Condition:  Outstanding condition with no scratches, chips or cracks.

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

Large picture
Closeup
Top view
Side view
Signature cane
Another view of signature cane
Base
Faint scratched signature on base

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

Click on the picture to see a larger image.

Perthshire made this paperweight as one of their Annual Collection designs for 1982.  This means the design was made only that one year and never again.  There were eight Annual Collection designs in 1982, designated A through H.  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.  There are three books on Perthshire Paperweights.  If you collect Perthshire paperweights, you should have them in your library. 

Size:  Just under 2 5/8" diameter by 1 3/4" high.  There is a fancy star cut on the base.
Signature: Signed with a Perthshire "P" complex signature cane near the stem.  This paperweight does not have a label.  This paperweight comes with the original certificate and box. 
Condition:  Excellent condition with no chips or cracks or scratches.  There is some faint wear to the bottom of the overlay.  The box has some residue on it where I removed tape and labels. 

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

Large picture
Box with paperweight and certificate
Base with fancy cutting 
Closeup
Signature cane
Profile
Side view
Certificate
Box

For more information about Perthshire Paperweights, see my Perthshire 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.  Every Orient & Flume piece has a registration number which usually includes a date code.  In this case, I believe the "G" is for 2003. 

Size:  2 9/16" diameter by just over 4 7/16" high including the stem.  The bottom has been ground flat. 
Signature:    Signed in script on the bottom "Orient & Flume GQT3". 
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
Back 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.

This design is listed and designated CT-985 on page 147 of the Charlton Standard Catalog of Caithness Paperweights.  It was designed in 1993 by Margot Thomson as part of the Weight - Spherical series.  The paperweight is recorded as coming in three colors (Gold, Ruby, and Silver).  

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.  Caithness is still operating in Crieff and making paperweights today (in 2022).

Large size:  3 1/8" diameter by just under 2 7/8" high.  The base is polished flat. 
Condition:  Very good to excellent condition.  There are scratches on the base but no other chips or cracks or scratches found on inspection. 
Signature:  It is signed on the base "Caithness CONGRATULATIONS Scotland" along with a registration number "T89628" (registration number not shown in pictures). 

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

Large picture
Profile
Signature on base (registration number not shown)
Top view
Closeup
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 is an especially rare Whitefriars paperweight.  Although the edition size was planned for 1,000 paperweights, very few were made due to the complexity of the design made setup and pickup very difficult.  The certificate states that only 150 were actually made.  It was made for sale in the US only.

Note on condition:  This paperweight has a 1/4" chip on the edge of the base (as shown in the pictures) and some light scratches near the chip.  In spite of this it displays beautifully. 

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 a while.

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.

Size:  3 1/16 diameter by 1 3/4" high.  The base is ground concave. Faceted with one top facet and five side facets. 
Condition:  Good condition.  There is one 1/4" chip on the edge of the base and some light scratches near the chip.  No other chips, cracks or scratches.  The certificate is wrinkled.
Signature:  Signed in the design with a special Whitefriars signature cane.  The signature cane has a white monk and the dates 1776 and 1976 cane.  It also has its original paper label with a Whitefriars monk symbol and the text "WHITEFRIARS FULL LEAD CRYSTAL MADE IN ENGLAND".  Numbered on the base with the number 135 and comes with its original certificate. 

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

Large picture
Signature cane
Side view with label
Certificate
Closeup
Chip on edge of base
Bottom view with engraved edition number (135)
Profile
Base

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.

Large Size:  3 1/8" diameter by 2 15/16" high.  The base is polished flat. 
Signature: Signed "R. Eickholt 1981" on the base. 
Condition:  Excellent condition with no cracks or chips.  The surface shows some variation in color, which I believe was deliberate.   

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

Large picture
Signature on base
Profile
Back
Side view
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.

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.

Large size:   Just under 3” diameter by 2 1/4” high.  The base is fire polished. 
Condition:  Excellent condition.  No cracks, chips, or scratches found on inspection other than minor wear on the base. 
Signature:  This paperweight has its original Strathearn paper label "STRATHEARN HAND MADE IN SCOTLAND" on the base.

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

Large picture
Label and auction sticker on base
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.

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

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

Large size:  Just over 2 5/8" diameter by 1 15/16" high.  The base is polished concave.
Signature:  This paperweight is signed with Perthshire's complex "P 1982" signature cane in the center of the base.  It also has its original worn paper label "PERTHSHIRE PAPERWEIGHTS CRIEFF SCOTLAND" on the base.
Condition:  Excellent condition.  Some 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
Signature cane and label on base
Profile view
Side view
Base

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

Click on the picture to see a larger image.

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.

Large size:  2 3/4" diameter by just over 2 5/16" high.  The white base is polished flat.
Signature:  Signed with Robert Banford's signature "B" cane at the tip of the stem.
Condition:  Very good condition.  There is some wear on the base.  I found one faint (1/16") scratch on the side.  And a small indent or tool mark also on the side.  There is also a 3/16" flaw near the base of this of the paperweight.  It is not a chip or crack.  There are some bubbles in the glass.  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
Another closeup
Side view
Flaw near base (3/16")
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.

Perthshire made this paperweight as one of their Annual Collection designs for 1981.  This means the design was made only that one year and never again.  There were eight Annual Collection designs in 1981, designated A through H.  This design is designated 1981C.  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). 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:  3 3/8" diameter by 2 11/16" high.  The base is ground concave.  Faceted with one large top facet and 24 side facets in three rows.
Signature:  This paperweight is signed with a complex "P 1981" signature cane in the center of the base.  It is also engraved with Peter McDougall's "PMcD" signature on the base.  It comes with its original Perthshire box.  There is no label or certificate with this paperweight. 
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
Signature cane and PMcD signature on base
Paperweight with box
Side view
Base
Top view
Another side view
Third side view

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

Click on the picture to see a larger image.

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

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

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

Miniature size:  2" diameter by 1 5/8"  high.  The bottom is flat with remnants of the pontil scar.
Signature:  This paperweight is unsigned, but I guarantee it is from China and dates from the 1940 thru 1960.
Condition:  Good condition with no cracks or chips.  There are some slight surface scratches.  As is typical of Chinese paperweights from this period, the glass has some debris and bubbles.

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

Large picture
Profile
Another view
Closeup
Base

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

Click on the picture to see a larger image.

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

In 1952, Paul Jokelson approached Baccarat with the idea of making sulphide paperweights again.  In 1953 Baccarat resumed paperweight production with a series of sulphide paperweights the first of which were the unsuccessful Eisenhower sulphide followed by the Queen Elizabeth coronation sulphide.  Millefiori paperweight production was resumed in 1957 and lampwork paperweights were re-introduced in the early 1970s.  Baccarat stopped making this type of fine glass paperweights in 2002.  You can read more about the Baccarat paperweights in the new book Baccarat Paperweights - two centuries of beauty by Paul Dunlop or one of the older books on paperweights in general, such as The Encyclopedia of Glass Paperweights by Paul Hollister or World Paperweights by Robert Hall.

Large Size:  Just under 3 3/16" diameter by 2 3/8" high.  The base is polished flat.
Signature:  The paperweight is signed with Baccarat's complex signature cane "B 1987" in the design.  It also has an acid etched Baccarat mark on the base along with the engraved year (1987) and edition number (64). 
Condition:   Excellent condition.  With the exception of light wear on the base, no cracks, chips, or scratches were found on inspection.   

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

Large picture
Signature cane "B 1987"
Baccarat logo, date, and edition number on base
Closeup
Profile
Side view
Base

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

Click on the picture to see a larger image.

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

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

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