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

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

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

Medium Size:  2 9/16" diameter by 1 1/4" high.  The base is ground concave. 
Condition:  Excellent condition.  No scratches, chips or cracks found on inspection.  The label is worn.  
Signature:  Signed with a Perthshire "P" signature cane in the center of the design.  It also has its original worn Perthshire paper label "PERTHSHIRE PAPERWEIGHTS CRIEFF SCOTLAND" on the base. 

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

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

For more information about Perthshire Paperweights, see my Perthshire 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 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.

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 1981A.  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.

Small size:  2 1/16" diameter by just under 1 1/2" high.  The base is ground concave. 
Signature:  This paperweight is signed on the base with Perthshire's complex signature / date cane "P 1981".
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
Profile
Side view
Closeup
Signature / Date cane on base
Base

For more information about Perthshire Paperweights, see my Perthshire 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 - not 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.

Very large size:  Just under 3 1/2” diameter by 3 3/8” high.  The base is polished flat.  It weighs just over two pounds.
Condition:  One tiny (1/16") scuff mark found on the dome.  Otherwise in excellent condition with no other chips, cracks, or scratches found on inspection.
Signature:  Signed on the polished base with indented letters "JOE ST CLAIR".  This may be engraved or machined rather than hot stamped.  It probably dates from the 1960s or 1970s, but may be earlier.  Joe St. Clair died in 1987. 

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

Large picture
Signature
Closeup
Side view
Another view
Profile
Tiny scuff mark (1/16") on dome
Base

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

Click on the picture to see a larger image.

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

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

Large size:  Just under 3" diameter by 2 1/4" high.  The base is polished concave.
Signature:  This paperweight is signed with Perthshire's complex "P 1980" 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.  The paper label is worn.

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

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

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

Click on the picture to see a larger image.

This paperweight has a precise translucent design was difficult to photograph.  The "veil" effect created by using a metallic powder in the glass.  The veiling technique was first developed by Dominic Labino worked back in the early 1970s.  Later it was used by Harvey Littleton (1980) and Ed Nesteruk in 1982.  O'Keefe adopted the technique a little later.  This paperweight is dated 6/88. 

Michael J. O'Keefe has a BFA from the Center of Creative Studies, Detroit, MI.  He has also studied at the Penland School of Craft, Penland, NC (with Paul Stankard) and at the Pratt Fine Arts Center, Seattle, WA (with Stephen Dale Edwards).  He has had his own studio Michael O'Keefe Glass since 1983.  His early paperweights, such as this one, use the silver veiling technique.

Large size:  Just under 4 3/4" wide by 4 3/16" high by 1 1/2" thick.  It is disk shaped with a flat oval base.  The back is polished flat in the center.  It weighs just under two pounds.
Signature: Signed “MJ O'Keefe © 6/88” on the oval base. 
Condition:  Excellent condition with no cracks or chips.  There are no scratches on the body but it does have some light scratches on the base. 

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

Large picture
Another view
Angled view of back
Back (center is flat)
Closeup
Side View
Signature on oval base

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

Click on the picture to see a larger image.

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

Large Size:  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.

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

Large size :  3 1/16" diameter by just under 1 13/16" high.  The bottom is ground concave.  The paperweight is finished with a large top facet and six side facets.
Signature : Signed in the center of the base with a St. Louis "SL 1986" complex signature / date cane.  It comes with two certificates, one from St. Louis and one from Paul Jokelson.  Both identify this as edition number 31 in a limited edition of 250 paperweights.  It also has its original (worn) blue padded St. Louis box.    
Condition :  The paperweight is in excellent condition with no cracks, chips, or scratches.  Very slight wear on the base.  The padded box is worn, with a stain from a label on top, and the hinges are distressed and failing.

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

Large picture
St. Louis Signature / Date Cane
Certificate from St. Louis
Certificate from Paul Jokelson
Box with paperweight and certificates
Closeup
Profile
Side view
Box
Back of box showing wear and failing hinges
Base

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

Click on the picture to see a larger image.

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
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.

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:   Just over 3 5/8" diameter by 2 15/16" high.  It weighs two pounds two ounces (three pounds when packaged).  The base is polished flat.
Condition:   The paperweight has several very faint scratches and scuffs.  The longest is about 1/2" long and is on top.  The other scuffs and scratches are smaller and located on the side.  The paperweight displays beautifully.  The glass has some striations.
Signature:  This paperweight is unsigned but I believe it was made by the firm of Fratelli Toso.  I guarantee that this paperweight was made on the island of Murano in Venice, Italy. 

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

Large picture
Closeup
Profile
Side view
Another side view
Base

For more information about Murano paperweights, see my Murano 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 paperweight is extra small and is slightly smaller than Kaziun's popular spider lily paperweights.  It is hard to imagine how he packed so much detail into such a small object.

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

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.

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 1981H.  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:  2 11/16" diameter by just over 1 3/4" high.  The base is ground concave.  The paperweight is finished with a large top facet and ten side facets in two rows.  It also has five semi-facets (see description).
Signature:  This paperweight is signed on the base with Perthshire's complex signature / date cane "P 1981".
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
Profile
Side view
Upside down view
Closeup
Another side view
Signature / Date cane on base
View of base showing twisted canes below millefiori
Another view of base

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

Click on the picture to see a larger image.

Large size:  3 1/8" diameter by 2 1/2" high.  The base is polished flat.  It weighs just over 21 ounces and will be two pounds when packaged for mailing.
Condition:  Very good condition.  There is a 1/2" wide chip or imperfection at the edge of the base.  This may have been a chip which was polished.  Some 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:

Large picture
Closeup
Top view
Side view
Polished 1/2" chip or imperfection on edge of base
Base

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

Click on the picture to see a larger image.

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

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

Large size:  3" in diameter by just under 2 1/8" high.  The base is ground concave. 
Signature:  It is signed in the center of the design with Perthshire's "P' signature cane.  This example does not have a paper label.
Condition:  Excellent condition with no cracks, chips, or scratches.

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

Large picture
Closeup
Side view
Profile
Signature cane
Base

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

Click on the picture to see a larger image.

Size :  2 1/4” diameter by 3 1/8" high.   The base is polished flat. 
Signature :  Signed "Daum" in script near the base and "France" in script on the edge of the base. 
Condition :  Excellent condition.  There is a very faint 3/8" scratch near the base (see picture).  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
Signature with "Daum" on the side and "France" on the base
Profile
Another view
Faint scratch (3/8") on side near base
Base

For more paperweights from France and other countries, see my  Other Countries 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.

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" diameter by just over 2 1/8" high.  The base is hollow ground. 
Condition:  Excellent condition with no chips, cracks or scratches found on inspection.
Signature:  Signed with a Perthshire "P1976" date-signature cane in design.  It comes with its original certificate stating that this is edition number 282 of a limited edition of 400 paperweights.  This paperweight 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
Another closeup
Base

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

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

Very large size:  3 1/2" diameter by 2 3/16" high.  The base is polished flat.  It weighs just under two pounds.
Signature: Signed on the edge of the base in tiny script "Lundberg Studios 2009 100502".  The signature is tiny and very difficult to read so I show the signature highlighted with washable marker which was removed after taking the picture.
Condition:  Excellent condition with no cracks or chips or scratches other than some light scratches on the base.  There are some tool marks from when the paperweight was made.  The certificate has a wrinkle and a small tear.

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

Large picture
Closeup
Profile
Signature (coloring has been removed)
Certificate
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.

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

Large size:  Just over 2 3/4" diameter by just over 2 1/4" high.  The base is polished flat.   
Signature: Signed on the base "Lundberg Studios 1978 LS10419".  The signature is hard to read so I show one picture with the signature highlighted with washable marker which was removed after taking the picture.
Condition:  Excellent condition with no cracks or chips or scratches other than some light scratches on the base.  

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

Large picture
Closeup
Top view
Signature (coloring has been removed) and Selman label
Signature without coloring
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.

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.

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

Large size:  3 1/16" diameter by 2 3/8" high.    The base is polished flat.
Signature:  The paperweight is signed with Baccarat's complex signature cane "B 1971" in the next to the last outer ring.  It is upside down in the row and can be hard to spot.  In addition it is double signed with the acid etched Baccarat mark appearing twice on the base along with the the year (1971) and edition number (357). 
Condition:   Excellent condition.  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 shown right side up
Signature on base
Closeup
Side view
Another view
Profile
View of base showing both Baccarat logos
Base

For more information about Baccarat paperweights, see my Baccarat 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.

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: 

Large picture
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.

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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.  Most collectors refer to three periods of Baccarat paperweight production:

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

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

Large size:  2 7/8" diameter by 2" high.  The base is polished flat.  The profile is slightly flattened. 
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:

Large picture
Closeup
Signature
Profile
Side view
View from the bottom
Base

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

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

Size:  Just over 3 1/16" diameter by just over 2 1/2" high.  The base is polished flat.
Signature:    Signed in script on the base "Orient & Flume 673M1978" and comes with its original numbered certificate. 
Condition:  Very good to Excellent condition.  Some tool marks on the surface from when it was made, including one tiny scratch or tool mark on a petal of the flower.  Some scratches on the base.  No other chips or cracks or scratches found on inspection.

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

Large picture
Closeup
Side view
Signature on base
Certificate (3 of 12 sections)
Another view
Base

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

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

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

Size:  Just over 3" diameter by 2 7/8" high.  The bottom is polished flat.
Condition:  Very good condition.  No chips or cracks, but a few tiny scratches and one surface bubble were found on inspection.
Signature :  Unsigned, by I guarantee that this is a vintage paperweight from the Island of Murano in Venice, Italy.  It was possibly made by Ferro and Lazzarini.  It has its original worn red and gold foil label identifying it as "MADE IN MURANO ITALY".  

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

Large picture
Side view
Top view
Label
Base

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

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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 . 

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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:  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

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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.

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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.

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 3/16" diameter by 2 3/8" high.  The base is polished concave.  It is finished with an unusual faceting pattern of one large top facet and nine oval side facets in two rows (six vertical facets in the top row and three horizontal facets in the lower row).
Signature:  This paperweight is signed with a complex "Q" signature / date cane in the center of the design.  This identifies the paperweight as a 1985 Perthshire PP32 paperweight.  There is no paper label on this paperweight.
Condition:  Excellent condition.  No cracks, chips, or scratches found on inspection. 

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

Large picture
Closeup
Signature / date cane
Profile
Side view
Base

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Thomas A. Philabaum (born 1947 Toledo, Ohio) studied ceramics at the Southern Illinois University (B.A. 1969) before switching to study glassblowing at the University of Wisconsin-Madison under Harvey Littleton.  While at Wisconsin, Tom also participated in Littleton's early experiments in studio glass art at the Toledo Museum of Art School.  After graduating from Wisconsin with a Masters of Arts (1973) in Glassblowing, Philabaum built his first glassblowing studio in 1975 in downtown Tucson, Arizona, and opened a gallery there in 1982.  He also has a MFA in ceramics from the University of Arizona (1983).  He has been a major contributor to the glass art movement and the leadership of the Glass Arts Society (GAS) which hosted its annual conference in Tucson twice, in 1983 and 1997.  Tom Philabaum is the recipient of many awards and his work can be found in many museums, private collections, and shops.  Tom officially retired from glassblowing in December, 2018, though he continues to paint and fuse glass.  In October, 2020, Tom and his wife Dabney sold the Philabaum Gallery to long-time Gallery Manager, Alison Harvey and her husband, Dylan Harvey.  The Gallery continues to be the only all-glass Gallery in Southern Arizona, displaying works from over 50 artists from across the country.

Very large size:  6 3/4" diameter.  It is 6 1/2" high when displayed upright.  Approximately 1 1/2" thick.  The base is polished flat.  The center of the back side is also polished flat, allowing the paperweight to lie flat in addition to upright.    This paperweight weighs three pounds four ounces, or four pounds when packaged.
Signature:  Signed "Philabaum 1991 LV" on the back near the base.  I don't know the significance of the letters "LV".  
Condition:  Very good condition with no cracks, chips or scratches found on the front side.  There is a 5/8" scratch on the reverse side near the center.

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

Large picture
Closeup
Backside
Another view
Signature on backside near base
Backside up
Scratch on back side
Still another view
Base

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

Click on the picture to see a larger image.

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 9/16" diameter by 1 11/16" high. The base is ground concave.  There is one large top facet. 
Condition:  Excellent condition with no cracks, chips, or scratches found on inspection.  The label is worn. 
Signature:  It is signed on the base with Perthshire's "P" signature cane.   It also has its original worn Perthshire paper label "PERTHSHIRE PAPERWEIGHTS CRIEFF SCOTLAND" on the base. 

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

Large picture
Closeup
Signature cane
Label on base 
Side view
Profile
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.

Note:  This miniature was among the smaller sizes produced at Vasart.  It is about the same sized used for the barware handles made by Vasart and incorporated into the Lassman corkscrews, bottle openers, and other barware.  They did make some as small as 1 1/2". 

Note on attribution:  With a concentric design it is often difficult to distinguish between a Vasart concentric and a later Strathearn concentric.  One feature that helps is whether the canes are even with the ground or stand above the ground (also called stand proud).  Vasart did not have reheat furnaces (glory holes) and thus most of their paperweights have the canes well above the ground.  Strathearn had newer equipment and were able to use some as reheat furnaces.  That gave them the ability to rework the glass and smooth out the tops of the canes.  Another distinguishing feature was the use of (mostly) colored twist canes at Vasart and the use of (mostly) white canes at Strathearn.  Colors also helped but that was more subjective. 

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 article inspired him to try to produce weights comparable to the French antiques.  With this goal in mind, he and several of the glass workers left Strathearn to found Perthshire in 1968.

Miniature size:  Just over 1 5/8" diameter by 1 1/4" high.  The base is fire finished. 
Condition:  Excellent condition with no scratches, chips or cracks. 
Signature:  Unsigned but I guarantee that it is an early Scottish paperweight, most likely made at Vasart.

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 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.

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.

Small size:   Just under 2 1/4" diameter by 2" high.  The base is polished flat. 
Condition:   Excellent condition although the label is worn and illegible.
Signature:  This paperweight started off with a legible Fratelli Toso silver foil label which had a conjoined "ft" and "MADE IN ITALY MURANO GLASS", but the ink came off when I cleaned the paperweight.  The label is now illegible and I am selling it for a reduced price.

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

Large picture
Side view
Top view
Base
Closeup of illegible silver foil label

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

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Very large size: Just under 3 11/16" diameter by 2 5/16" high.  The box is 5 3/16" by 5 3/16" by 4 1/8" high.  The base is polished flat.  It weighs just under two pounds, 43 ounces with its box. 
Condition: Excellent condition with no cracks or chips or scratches.  It is in perfect original condition.  The box is slightly worn.
Signature:  Made by Baccarat in France in 1996.  There is a complex signature / date cane "B 1996" in the design next to the starfish.  The base has an acid etched Baccarat logo plus it is engraved with the year (1996) and the edition number and edition size (69 / 100).  It is also engraved low on the side near the base with "Baccarat" in script. 

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

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

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

Large picture
Paperweight in box
Side view 
Signature cane
Signature on base
Baccarat engraved on side near base
Profile
Box
Closeup 
Base

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

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Perthshire made this paperweight as one of their Annual Collection designs for 1983.  This means the design was made only that one year and never again.  There were seven Annual Collection designs in 1983, designated A through G.  This design is designated 1983A.  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 over 2 1/2" diameter by 1 7/8" high.  The base is ground concave.
Signature:  This paperweight is signed with a complex "P 1983" signature cane in the center of the base.  It also has its original (worn) Perthshire label and comes with its original stained and wrinkled certificate.
Condition:  Excellent condition. No cracks, chips, or scratches found on inspection.  The label is worn and the certificate is stained and wrinkled.

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

Large picture
Closeup
Signature cane
Worn label
Side view
Certificate (stained and wrinkled)
Profile
Base

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

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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. 

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Unlike the 1930s copies of Millville crimp roses, this example thin petals and appears to be a lampwork assembly.  Lampwork flowers are assembled at a hot torch (lamp) before being encased in glass.  Crimp roses are made by a more difficult process that creates the rose in a single step using a metal crimp.

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.  Chinese paperweights continued to be made throughout the 20th century and now into the 21st century with greatly improved quality.

Very large size:  3 9/16” diameter by 5 1/8” high.  The base is 3 1/4" diameter.  The base is ground flat.  It weighs 46 ounces (2 pounds, 14 ounces).
Signature: Unsigned, but I guarantee that this is made in China circa 1980-2000. 
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
Top view
Side view
Another picture
Frit base

$79 postage paid in the US.                                        Added 8/21/2022

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

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Large size:  2 13/16" diameter by just under 2 1/2" high.  The base is ground concave.  The faceting pattern is described as finger cut with top and bottom edge fluting.  There is one large facet on top, eight long finger flutes, eight oval facets at the top, and eight oval facets at the bottom of the cylinder. 
Condition:  Excellent condition.  There are some scratches on the base.  No other chips, cracks or scratches found on inspection.
Signature:  It has a Whitefriars signature cane with a white monk and the date 1973 in the third ring from the outer edge.

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

Large picture
Closeup
Signature cane
Signature cane viewed from base
Top view
Side view
Another side view
Base
View through the 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.

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

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

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

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

Large Size:   Just under 3" diameter by 2" high. The bottom is ground concave. 
Signature:   Unsigned but I guarantee that this is from China and dates from about 1930. 
Condition:  Very good condition.  There are some minor surface scratches and pinpricks and also some tiny pinpricks on the facets plus one 1/8" chip on a facet (see picture).  There is some debris or dirt in the glass as shown in the pictures.  As with all Chinese paperweights from this period, this paperweight has a light weight glass mixture that is high in soda and has a greenish tinge. The glass has a soft almost oily feel. 

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

Large picture
Closeup
Profile
Side view
Base
Picture of chip

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

Large Size:  3 1/8" diameter by 2 1/4" high.  The base has a star cut.  Finished with a red and white double overlay and faceted with a large top facet and twelve side facets.
Signature:  Signed in the center of the white flower with an upside down Saint Louis "SL 1977" signature / date cane.  It also has its original foil label "CRISTAL SAINT LOUIS FRANCE" and comes with its original certificate of authenticity assigning this as edition number 269 of the 1150 limited edition paperweights made in 1977. 
Condition:  Very good condition with several small manufacturing flaws noted.  No other scratches, chips or cracks found on inspection.  The double overlay has several manufacturing flaws which are shown in the pictures.  The most significant is a line on the side where there is a lighter red color.  There are also two tiny tool marks, one near the top facet and another near the base.  The latter may be a tiny nick or scratch and there is also a nearby scratch on the clear base.  The original box is stained and worn and has blue ink pen marks on the white lining. 

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

Large picture
Closeup
Profile
Signature cane
Label
Certificate
Side view
Base with star cut
Box with certificate and paperweight
Color flaw on side - plus two tool marks or scratches
Another tool mark near top facet
Stained box
Stains inside box
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 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

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Perthshire made this paperweight as one of their Annual Collection designs for 1979.  This means the design was made only that one year and never again.  There were seven Annual Collection designs in 1979, designated A through G.  This design is designated 1979A.  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.

Extra large size:  3 3/16" diameter by just under 2 7/16" high.  The base is ground concave.  It weighs 22 ounces.
Signature:  This paperweight is signed with a complex "P 1979" signature cane in the center of the base.  It also has its original (worn) Perthshire label.
Condition:  Excellent condition. No cracks, chips, or scratches found on inspection.  The label is worn.  There are some striations (sugaring) and a few small bubbles in the glass from when it was made.

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

Large picture
Closeup
Signature cane
Label
Side view
Profile
Another closeup
Base

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

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The South Jersey Crimp Rose is one of the most famous American paperweights.  The best makers were Emil Larson of Vineland, New Jersey and Ralph Barber of Millville, New Jersey.  There were also other makers.  Newell's Old Glass Paperweights of Southern New Jersey shows examples of both the South Jersey weight and the 1930s Chinese copy.

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.

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:  3 1/8" diameter by 3 7/16" high.  The base is just over 2 7/16" diameter and has a double foot.  The center is ground concave.
Signature:  Unsigned, but I guarantee that this is a Chinese paperweight from about 1930.
Condition:  Very good condition with one faint 1/8" circular impact mark on the side (see picture).  No other cracks or chips.  No noticeable scratches found on inspection.  Some wear on the base.  As stated above, the glass has a greenish tinge and there are many tiny bubbles in the glass.  It is a well executed example.

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

Large picture
Top view
Another view
Side view
Base
Faint circular impact mark on side (1/8")
Profile

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

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.

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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.

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Ray Banford worked in Southampton, NJ.  He started making paperweights in 1971 along with his son, Bob Banford.  He continued to make paperweights until his death in 2003.  Bob and Ray did not date their paperweights.  Both father and son started using signature canes in 1975.  According to Andrew Dohan's Dictionary of Paperweight Signature Canes, "In the early years, Ray Banford used many different color combinations of a “B” signature cane."  The signature cane in this paperweight, a black “B” in a white background, was used from about 1980 until he died in 2003.  

Size:  Just over 2 7/16" diameter by 2 1/16" high.  The base is polished concave.     
Signature:  Signed near the stem with a Ray Banford signature cane having a red "B" on a white background.
Condition:  Excellent condition.  No chips, cracks, or scratches.

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

Large picture
Signature cane
Side view
Another 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.

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 1/8" diameter by 1 3/4" high.  The base is ground concave. Faceted with one top facet and five side facets. 
Condition:  Excellent condition.  No chips, cracks or scratches found on inspection.  The certificate is slightly 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 416 and comes with its original certificate. 

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

Large picture
Closeup
Signature cane
Side view
Certificate
Label
Engraved edition number on base (416)
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.

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 3" in diameter by just under 2 1/8" high.  The bottom is ground concave. 
Signature:  It is signed in the center of the design with Perthshire's "P' signature cane and also has a paper label "PERTHSHIRE PAPERWEIGHTS CRIEFF SCOTLAND". 
Condition:  Excellent condition with no cracks, chips, or scratches.   The label is very worn and has writing on it.

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

Large picture
Closeup
Side view
Profile
Signature cane
Worn label on base
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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Many authors call the fruit pears and cherries.  I feel that they look more like apples and radishes.

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

Size:  2 9/16" diameter by 1 13/16" high.  The base is ground concave.
Condition:  Excellent condition.  No chips, cracks, or scratches.  This paperweight has been professionally restored in the past.  The glass contains many striations (sugaring) as shown in the pictures.  This happened when the paperweight was made.  It is not damage. 
Signature:  Unsigned, but I guarantee this to be an authentic NEGC antique paperweight.   

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

Large picture
View from the back
Closeup
Profile
Base
Side
Another side view

For more information about Antique Paperweights, see my Antique 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.

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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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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 over 3 1/16" diameter by just under 2 13/16" high.  The base is polished flat.
Condition:  Excellent condition.  No chips, cracks, or scratches found on inspection. 
Signature:  This paperweight etched on the base "Caithness MOONFLOWER Scotland" and engraved with the sequence number "C44921".  It comes with its original certificate.

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

Large picture
Side view
Etched signature and engraved sequence number on base
Certificate
Top view
Another 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 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 1981F.  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.

Very large size:  Just under 3 1/4" diameter by 2 5/16" high.  It has one large facet on the top.
Signature: Signed with a Perthshire "P 1981" signature / date cane on the base.  It also has a slightly worn paper label "PERTHSHIRE PAPERWEIGHTS CRIEFF SCOTLAND" on the base.
Condition: Outstanding condition with no chips, cracks, or scratches.  The label is slightly worn.

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

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Closeup
Top view
Side view
Base
Signature Cane and label
Another view 

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

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Crown weights are considered by some to be the most exciting of all millefiori designs.  They are extremely difficult to make.  Hollow blown crown weights are even more difficult to make and are hard to find. 

A similar hollow crown paperweight appears on page 51 of the book Paperweights by Sibylle Jargstorf and is attributed to Fratelli Toso.

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

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:   Just under 2 15/16" diameter by 2 3/8" high.  The bottom is polished flat. 
Condition:  Excellent condition.  No chips, cracks, or scratches found on inspection. 
Signature:  Unsigned, but I guarantee that this is a paperweight from the island of Murano in Venice, Italy.  It was probably made by Fratelli Toso.

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

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Top view
Closeup
Side view
Base

For more information about Murano paperweights, see my Murano 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

Large size:  3 1/8" diameter by 2" high.  The bottom is polished flat and finished with a Baccarat star cut base.  It has a relatively flat profile as shown in the pictures.
Condition: Excellent condition.  This paperweight has been restored in the past.  There are no chips, cracks, or scratches other than a few faint scratches on the base. 
Signature:  Made by Baccarat in France.  Unsigned, but I guarantee that this is an antique Baccarat paperweight from the Dupont period. 

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

Large picture
View from the back
Closeup
Side view
Profile
Base

$295 postage paid in the US.                                                                              Added 7/7/2022

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

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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).

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.

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

Size:  3 1/8" diameter by 2 5/8" high.  The base is ground flat. 
Condition:  Excellent condition.  Minor wear on the base, but no other scratches found on inspection.  And no chips or cracks.
Signature:  It is signed with an acid etch on the base "Caithness HARLEQUIN SINGLE Scotland" and has a registration number "C102281".  There is also a "CG" signature cane in the design.

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

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

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

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

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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: 

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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

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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.

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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

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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.  In addition to the three types already mentioned, millefiori, lampwork, and sulphide paperweights, St. Louis also made a small number of designs with gold inclusions. 

Large size :  Just under 2 15/16" diameter by just under 2" high.  The bottom is ground concave.
Signature : Signed in the center of the base with a St. Louis "SL 1983" complex signature / date cane.  It also has its original "CRISTAL SAINT LOUIS FRANCE" foil label.    
Condition :  Excellent condition with no cracks, chips, or scratches.  Very slight wear on the base.

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

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St. Louis Signature / Date Cane
Label
Closeup
Profile
Side view
Base

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

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

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

Large size:  Just under 3 3/16" diameter by 2 1/4" high.  The base is polished flat.
Signature:  The paperweight is signed with Baccarat's complex signature cane "B 1972" signature / date cane near the base of the flower.  This paperweight is also signed on the base with an acid etched Baccarat mark along with the engraved year (1972) and sequence number (8).  There is also a second acid etched Baccarat mark on the base. 
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 1972"
Baccarat logo, date, and sequence number on base
Closeup
Profile
Side view
View of base showing both Baccarat marks
Base

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

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

Eva Margareta Englund (1937 - 1998) was a designer and artist who worked in the Swedish glass industry from 1964-1990, after which she became an independent glass artist.  She studied ceramics before switching to glass after viewing a 1963 exhibition of the designer Ingeborg Lundin held at Orrefors glassworks.  In 1964 she was appointed as successor to Göran and Ann Wärff as artistic contributor to Pukeberg Glasbruk and in 1974 switched to Orrefors Glasbruk where she created drink ware as well as advanced artistic glassware. Her drink ware often includes decorative hand-painted floral and foliage designs, but the emphasis of her output lay in advanced Graal glass.

Arne Lindblom was a decorator working for Orrefors in the 1970s and 1980s, frequently decorating designs created by Eva Englund.  I have no additional information.

Very large size:  3 1/2" diameter by 2 1/2"high.  The base is polished with a concavity in the center.   
Condition:  Excellent condition.  Some scratches on the base.  Otherwise, no chips, cracks, or scratches found on inspection.
Signature:  Signed by both artists with a green signature below the rose "EE" over "AL".  It also has an "Orrefors Sweden" label on the side.

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

Large picture
Closeup
Backside
Label
Signature
Base
Profile

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

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Size:  2 5/8" diameter by 2 1/2" high.  The base is fire finished.
Condition:  Excellent condition.  No chips, cracks, or scratches found on inspection.
Signature:  Signed "Cowdy" on the fire finished base.  The signature on this paperweight is hard to read.  I colored the signature with a washable marker to make it easier to see.  The pictures show the signature with the coloring and without the coloring.   

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

Large picture
Signature with coloring
Signature without coloring
Profile
Top view
Base

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

Miniature size:  Just over 1 13/16" diameter by just under 1 1/2" high.  The base is polished flat.
Condition:   Excellent condition.  No chips, cracks or scratches found on inspection.  There are some small bubbles in the glass. 
Signature:  Unsigned but I guarantee that this paperweight was made on the island of Murano in Venice, Italy.

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

Large picture
Side view
Closeup
Profile
Base

For more information about Murano paperweights, see my Murano 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.

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

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

Size:  Just under 2 7/8” diameter by 1 3/4” high.  The base is ground concave.  The profile is relatively flat.
Signature:  This paperweight is not signed, but I guarantee it to be an authentic antique New England Glass Company paperweight. 
Condition:  Excellent condition with no chips, cracks, or scratches found on inspection.  I believe this paperweight has been restored.

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

Large picture
Closeup
Profile
Side view showing one rabbit cane
View from base showing rabbit and Selman label
Closeups of two rabbit canes
Another view of base

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

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

David Quintin Moir (born 1939) started as an apprentice at Vasart (Ysart Brothers Shore Road works) in 1954.  He stayed when the name was changed to Strathearn and left in 1980.  He often contributes to discussions of Scottish glass on Facebook.

Herbert Dreier (born 1942 to an Austrian coal-mining family) was originally destined to work in the mines, but he left to join a glass factory in Bärnbach, Austria where served a three year apprenticeship.  In 1960, he moved to Germany where he worked for Peill Butzler, Dren, Germany as a glass blower.  He and a friend responded to an advertisement for Caithness Glass and moved to Wick, Scotland, where he worked as a glass blower under Paul Ysart from 1963-65, later moving to Strathearn Glass as Master Craftsman.  He remained with Strathearn through the takeover by Stuart Crystal and had a number of positions with Stuart Crystal.  When Stuart ceased operation in 2001, he moved to Plowden & Thompson in Stourbridge as a Master Craftsman.  In a life-time devoted to the art of glassblowing, Herbert Dreier’s repertoire encompassed paperweights, lamp-bases, decorative bowls, vases and three-dimensional decorative pieces.

Size:   3” diameter by 2 3/16" high.  The base is polished flat.  The paperweight is faceted with one large top facet and five side facets.
Condition:  Excellent condition.  Minor wear on the base, but no other  scratches found on inspection.  No cracks or chips.
Signature:  Signed with a (distorted) Strathearn complex signature cane "S 79" on the base.  The millefiori canes in this paperweight were taken from a reserve dating from the Monart period (at Moncrieff) or early Vasart production. 

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

Large picture
Signature cane
Closeup
Top view
Base
Side view

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

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

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

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

Large Size:  3 1/8" diameter by just under 2 1/4" high.    The base is polished flat with an indent for the edition number.
Signature:  The paperweight is signed with Baccarat's complex signature cane "B 1975" in the design.  It also has an acid etched Baccarat mark on the base along with the the year (1975) and edition number (262). 
Condition:   Excellent condition.  There are some light scratches on the base, but no other chips, cracks, 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 1975"
Baccarat Logo, date, and edition number on base
Side view
Closeup
Another closeup
Profile
Base

For more information about Baccarat paperweights, see my Baccarat 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:  2 1/2" diameter by 1 7/8" high. The base is hollow ground (ground concave). 
Signature:  Signed with a Perthshire "P" signature cane in the center of the design.  It also has a worn Perthshire paper label "PERTHSHIRE PAPERWEIGHTS CRIEFF SCOTLAND" on the base.
Condition:  Excellent condition.  No chips, cracks, or scratches found on inspection.  The label is worn and dirty.

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

Large picture
Signature cane
Label
Side view
Closeup
Profile
Base

For more information about Perthshire Paperweights, see my Perthshire 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 old New Bedford factory burned down in 1965.  In its latest iteration, Robert Bryden moved Pairpoint to Sagamore, Massachusetts in 1969.  Attempts were made to resume glassmaking in New Bedford for five years (1977-1982), but this was not successful.  Bryden retired in September 1988.  Since then, the Pairpoint Glass Company has changed owners again.  It continues to operate at that location today (2022) although under new owners.

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

Large Size:  2 13/16" diameter by 2 1/4" high.  The bottom is ground concave in the center. It is faceted with one top facet and five side facets. 
Condition:  Very good condition.  This paperweight has a faint 3/16" circular impact mark and a faint 3/16" vertical scratch on the side near the top facet.  There is some wear on the base.  I found no other damage.  There are also small bubbles and a couple of white flecks in the glass from when it was made.  I believe it dates from the early period in Sagamore when they sometimes had white "stones" in the glass thrown off by the furnace pots.
Signature:  Unsigned but I guarantee this paperweight to be made by Pairpoint Glass.   

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

Large picture
Closeup
Side view
Profile
Base
Another side view
Faint circular impact mark (3/16")
Faint scratch (3/16")

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.

Large Size:  2 11/16" diameter by1 5/8" high.  The base is ground concave.  It has a relatively flat profile.
Condition:  Very good condition for its age with only minor scratches and a few very small nicks.  This may have been restored in the distant past.
Signature:  Unsigned but I guarantee this to be an authentic New England Glass Company antique paperweight.  Circa 1860 - 1888. 

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

Large picture
Profile
Side view
Close up
Base

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

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.

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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.  This design is designated 1982B.  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 5/8" diameter by 1 11/16" high.  The base is ground concave.  Faceted with one large top facet.
Signature:  This paperweight is signed with a complex "P 1982" signature cane in the center of the base.  It also has its original worn Perthshire paper label "PERTHSHIRE PAPERWEIGHTS CRIEFF SCOTLAND" on the base and comes with its original (somewhat wrinkled) certificate stating that this is edition number 26 in a limited edition of 300 paperweights (of which only 184 were made).   
Condition:  Excellent condition with no cracks, chips, or scratches found on inspection.  There are some bubble in the ground. 

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

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

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

Click on the picture to see a larger image.

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

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

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

Large picture
Closeup
Top view
Side view
Base with ground out center

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

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The technique used to produce the inner core with millefiori canes on the surface is sometimes called a cane roll-up.  The Murano firms of Fratelli Toso and Barovier & Toso produced objects with this technique. 

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. 

Size:  2 9/16" square at the widest.  The base is 2 1/8" square.  4 5/8" high including the knob.  The base is polished flat with a beveled edge. The center of the green core is hollow and the paperweight has an irregular 5/8" by 1 1/2" hole in the base.
Condition:   Very good condition. Some small scratches.  One nick on the side of the knob.  No cracks.
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: 

Large picture
Label
Another view
Base - note hole
Another view with label
Still another view

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

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

Large size:  3 1/16" diameter by 2 3/4" high.  The base is polished flat.
Condition:  Excellent condition.  With the exception of some faint scratches on the base, no other chips, cracks, or scratches found on inspection.
Signature:  This paperweight etched on the base "Caithness SEADANCE Scotland".  There is also an engraved registration number H103099".  It comes with its original certificate.

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

Large picture
Another view
Certificate
Etched signature and engraved registration number on base
Closeup
Side view
Top view
Base

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

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

Size:  Just under 3" diameter at the top by 1 1/4" high.  The base has a diameter of 1".  The top has a flat profile.  The base is ground flat.
Condition:  Excellent condition.  No chips, cracks or scratches.   
Signature:  It is signed "R. Strong 2003" on the edge just above the base.

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

Large picture
Profile view
Side view
Signature
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.

Very large size:  3 3/16" diameter by 2 3/4" high.  The base has been polished flat.  This paperweight has a high profile typical of Murano paperweights.
Condition:   Very good condition.  I found a small scuffed area on the side and some light scratches on the base.  No chips or cracks.    
Signature:  Unsigned, but I guarantee that this paperweight was made on the island of Murano in Venice, Italy.     

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

Large picture
Closeup
Signature
Profile
Base
Side view

For more information about Murano paperweights, see my Murano 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. 

Large Size:  3 5/16" at the widest by 3 1/8" high by just under 1 1/4" thick.  The back is ground flat.  The lower edge has been ground flat to allow the peacock to rest upright.
Signature: Signed with a "MADE IN CHINA" paper label on the back.
Condition:  Excellent condition.  There are a few minor scratches on the back, but no other scratches or chips found on inspection.   

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

Large picture
Side
Back
Label
Another view showing flat base

For more paperweights from China, see my Chinese 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. 

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.

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:  3" diameter by just over 1 7/8" high.  The base is polished concave.
Signature:  This paperweight is signed with a complex "P" signature cane in the center of the base.  It also has a special millennium date cane "2000" in the design.  It comes with its original certificate and box.
Condition:  Excellent condition.  No cracks, chips, or scratches found on inspection.

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

Large picture
Closeup
Special date cane in design
Signature cane on base
Certificate
Box with certificate and paperweight
Top view
Side view
Base

For more information about Perthshire Paperweights, see my Perthshire 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.

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 (2019) although under new owners.

Size:  2 1/2" diameter by 1 13/16" high.  The bottom is unfinished with the pontil scar remaining.
Condition:  Very good condition with no cracks, chips, or scratches found on inspection.  There are striations in the glass.  Also, the millefiori canes are pale and transparent, making it difficult to see the details.
Signature:  Unsigned, but I guarantee it was made at Pairpoint Glass in Sagamore, Massachusetts.

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

Large picture
Profile
Side view
Closeup
Base

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.

Very large size:  3 1/8" diameter by 2 3/4" high.  The base is polished flat.
Condition:  Excellent condition.  No chips, cracks, or scratches found on inspection.
Signature:  This paperweight is etched on the base "CAITHNESS SCOTLAND FLAIR US COLLECTORS PAPERWEIGHT" and is engraved "99/500".  It comes with its original certificate stating that it was designed by Colin Terris and that this is edition 99 of a limited edition of 500 paperweights. 

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

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Engraved "CAITHNESS SCOTLAND FLAIR US COLLECTORS PAPERWEIGHT" and 99/500 on base
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For more information about paperweights made by Scottish makers, see my Scottish Paperweights Web Page

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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:  Just over 2 1/2" diameter by just under 1 3/4"  high.  The bottom is ground flat.
Signature:  This paperweight is signed on the base with a scratch signature "CHINA".
Condition:  Good condition with no cracks or big chips.  There are surface nicks and scratches on the body and age appropriate wear on the base.  As is typical of Chinese paperweights from this period, the glass has many tiny bubbles and one larger bubble over one wing.

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

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Scratched signed "CHINA" signature
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Side view
Closeup
Base

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

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Parabelle Glass was a small company created in 1981 by Gary and Doris Scrutton in Portland, Oregon.  High quality paperweights were made in small quantities from 1983 to 1998 when they retired.  Their best weights are some of the finest ever made, comparing favorably to the best classical French paperweights.  Most designs were produced in limited editions of 10 to 25 paperweights, although some editions were larger.  They also made some one of a kind paperweights.  Doris passed away in 2013 and Gary followed in 2014.  After the Scruttons retired in 1998, their daughter Julie Scrutton Lewis made some paperweights and jewelry using Parabelle millefiori canes. 

Large Size:  Just under 2 7/8" diameter by 1 7/8" high.  The base is ground concave.  
Signature: Signed in the design with a signature cane "PB 1989".  This paperweight also has a very worn silver label on the base that has a drawing of two bells and the text "PARABELLE GLASS Rings True HANDMADE IN USA"  
Condition:  Good condition with some manufacturing defects.  There is a 1/8" scratch on the side as shown in one of the pictures and minor wear on the base.  The ground color is uneven and there are some defects in the surface of the ground.  No other cracks, chips, or scratches found on inspection. 

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

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Closeup
Profile view 
Worn label on base 
Signature cane
Base
Side view
Defects - flaw on ground and scratch

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

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Note:  This was a difficult paperweight to photograph.  It is very striking and bold.

Kosta is one of the oldest glass companies in the world, founded in 1742.  Today, the company remains in operation having merged with glassworks in Boda and Åfors.  The company name is now Orrefors Kosta Boda AB. 

Göran and Ann Wärff studied industrial design at a Bauhaus influenced school in Ulm Germany.  They worked at the Pukeberg glassworks in Sweden and then in 1964 they joined Kosta Boda.   In 1968, Ann and Göran Wärff shared in the Lunning Prize.  Their work was a joint venture, and was occasionally signed Görann. They separated in 1972.  She then adopted the name Ann Wolff.  After 10 years of helping define a style with his innovative designs and processes at Kosta Boda, Göran took leave for Australia, then England, where he worked and taught. He returned to Kosta Boda in 1984.

Medium size:  Just over 2 1/2" diameter by 2 5/16" high.  The base is ground flat. 
Condition: Excellent condition.  Faint scratches on the base, but no other chips, cracks, or scratches found on inspection.
Signature:  Signed on the base "Kosta Wärff Jewel 8". 

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

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Signature on base

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

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Large size:   2 7/8" diameter by 3" high.  The base is ground flat.
Signature:  Signed and dated on the base "Maytum Studio 1988 Rudin ©".
Condition:  Excellent condition.  There are some scratches on the base, but no other cracks, chips or scratches found on inspection.  There are some tiny bubbles in the pink color.

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

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Profile
Top view
Signature on base
Side view

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

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St. Louis started producing annual limited editions in 1970.  Only three designs were produced in 1970, this faceted double clematis, a large unfaceted dahlia, and a millefiori double overlay mushroom.  These paperweights appear in the the two books on St. Louis paperweights, The Art of the Paperweight - Saint Louis (First Edition (1981) and Second Edition (1995) by Gerard Ingold.

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

Very Large Size :  3 1/4" diameter by 2" high.  The bottom is ground concave.  It is faceted with one large top facet and six side facets.
Signature : Signed in the center of the flower with a St. Louis "SL 1970" yellow and white complex signature / date.  The cane is rotated in its placement (almost upside down).  
Condition :  Excellent condition with no cracks, chips, or scratches.  There are some striations in the glass.

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

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St. Louis Signature / Date
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Base

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

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

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

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Closeup
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Signature Cane
Base
Side view

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

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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.

Large Size:  3" diameter by 1 13/16" high.  The base is ground concave.  The paperweight is faceted with one large top facet and a fancy side cutting with 18 side cuts.
Signature:  Signed with a complex "SL 1980" signature cane on the base.  It comes with its original certificate.
Condition:  Excellent condition with no chips, cracks, or scratches found on inspection.

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

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

Large size:  3 1/8" diameter by 2 7/8" high.  The base is polished flat.
Condition:  Excellent condition.  With the exception of some faint scratches on the base, no other chips, cracks, or scratches found on inspection.
Signature:  This paperweight etched on the base "Caithness PINK CHAMPAGNE Scotland".  There is also a hard to read registration number which I think is H120776" or "11120776".

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

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Another view
Etched signature on base
Registration number
Top view
Base

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

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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:  Just under 3 1/16" diameter by just over 2 1/8" high.  The bottom is ground concave.  It is faceted with a large top facet and six side facets.  In addition there is a fancy cutting on the lower portion below the facets.  
Signature:  Signed with Robert Banford's signature "B" cane at the tip of the stem.  The cutting is by Ed Poore.
Condition:  Excellent condition.  No chips, cracks, or scratches found on inspection.

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

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Closeup
Profile
Signature cane
Closeup from the side
Side view
Base

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

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

Miniature size:   2” diameter by 1 3/16” high.  The base is fire polished. 
Condition:  Excellent condition.  No damage found on inspection.   
Signature:  This paperweight has 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: 

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Base
Label

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

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Selkirk Glass founded in 1977 by Peter Holmes and Ron Hutchinson.  Peter apprenticed under Paul Ysart at Caithness from 1963 and continued at Caithness until 1977.  Ron Hutchinson, 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 5/16" diameter by 2 3/16" high. The bottom is ground concave.  Magnum sized, it weighs 28 ounces.
Signature:  It is signed in script on the base "SELKIRK GLASS SCOTLAND CALYPSO 51/500 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: 

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Top view
Signature on base
Certificate
Side view
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Base

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

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

Large size:  3" diameter by 2 3/8" high.  The base is fire finished and then ground to a matte finish in the center to remove the pontil mark. 
Condition:  Excellent condition.  No cracks, chips, or scratches found on inspection.  There are some striations and a tiny bit of frit debris in the glass.
Signature:  Unsigned, but I guarantee this to be a paperweight by Ed Rithner from 1940 - 1970.  As is typical of Ed Rithner paperweights there are small bubbles in the design.  The bottom finish is typical of Rithner, with the remnants of the pontil mark ground out with a matte finish. 

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

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Side View
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Base

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

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The Whitefriars Christmas paperweights were limited editions made in 1975 through 1980, each with a different Christmas theme.   The central pictorial mosaic cane was created by Ray Annenburg.  Ray started working at Whitefriars in 1953 and became their chief cane maker in 1972.

Modern Whitefriars paperweights are prized by collectors for their high quality glass and millefiori designs. The paperweights with mosaic canes are especially sought after.  The name Whitefriars Glass dates from sometime in the 1600s.  The original site had been occupied by a community of Carmelite monks known as White Friars, hence the name taken by the glass company.  Some sources state that at least a portion of the company operated under the name of James Powell and Sons from 1834 to 1962.  Other sources state that the Whitefriars name was used from 1680 to 1980.  Limited production of millefiori paperweights and other millefiori items started some time in the 1930s and first appeared in the 1938 catalog.  Millefiori items were made using English full lead crystal (33% lead oxide).  It is difficult to associate specific paperweights with this production.  After 1945, they made colored glass and bubble design paperweights until the modern millefiori production started about 1951.  Even then relatively few designs were produced until the 1970s.  In 1980, Whitefriars glass went out of business. After Whitefriars Glass was liquidated, Caithness Glass purchased the rights to the name and produced paperweights under the Whitefriars name for a while. 

Large size:  3 1/16" diameter by 1 7/8" high.  The base is ground concave. Faceted with one top facet and five side facets.
Condition:  Excellent condition.  No chips, cracks or scratches found on inspection. The paper label is worn.
Signature:  Signed in cane with a Whitefriars 1978 cane and also has a worn Whitefriars paper label "WHITEFRIARS FULL LEAD CRYSTAL MADE IN ENGLAND". 

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

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Closeup
Signature Cane
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View from the back
Label
Base
Side view with paper label

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

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Perthshire made this paperweight as one of their Annual Collection designs for 1978.  This means the design was made only that one year and never again.  There were six Annual Collection designs in 1978, designated A through F.  This design is designated 1978C.  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.

Small size:  2 1/4" diameter by 1 11/16" high.  The base is finished with a fancy star-cutting.  The paperweight is faceted with one convex top facet and sixteen convex side facets in two rows.
Signature:  This paperweight is signed with a complex "P" signature cane near the base of the stem.  It does not have a paper label.
Condition:  Excellent condition with no cracks, chips, or scratches.

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

Large picture
Closeup
Side view
Signature cane near the stem
Base with star cut
Profile

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

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This paperweight is a form of Chinese folk art although it was most likely inspired by frit weights from Southern New Jersey.  I believe the Chinese were given examples of Millville frit weights to duplicate.  Since they were already experienced in painting on ceramics, they applied their own unique interpretation to paperweights using a white enamel disk as the base and incorporating familiar themes already found in Chinese art. 

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.

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

Large size:   Just over 2 11/16" diameter by 1 7/8" high.  The base is finished base.   
Signature:   Unsigned but I guarantee that this paperweight is from China and dates from about 1930. 
Condition:  Very good condition.  The surface has a few indentations  and faint scratches, but is mostly smooth.  No chips or cracks.  As is often typical in this type of Chinese paperweight, the quality of the glass is low and there is debris in the glass.  The glass has a soft almost oily feel and has a slight greenish tinge.  There are some tiny bubbles in the glass. 

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

Large picture
Closeup
Profile
Side view
Base
Another picture

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

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Large Size:  3 1/16" diameter and just under 2 11/16" high.  The base is polished concave. 
Condition:  Excellent condition.  No damage found on inspection.  There is a slight dimple on the top and some tool marks on the surface.
Signature:  Signed on the base with an acid etched "Royal Brierley Studio" - although the etch was applied in reverse.  Please review the pictures as I show the etch in its reversed form and a mirror image that is more legible.

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

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Top view
Profile
Closeup
Etched signature on base
Signature and more legible mirror image of signature
Side view
Base

$125 postage paid in the US.                                                 Added 2/3/2022

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

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The St. Clair line (as far as paperweights are concerned) started with John "Pop" St. Clair, Sr. who worked at the George MacBeth Glass Works in Elwood from around 1903 to 1938.  Local natural gas production faltered in 1938 and the St. Clairs began to develop their ideas for a new business of their own.  Joe St. Clair (1909 - 1987) did the original experimentation and the business was formally started in 1941 in Elwood, Indiana.  John, Sr. and the brothers John, Jr., Joe, Ed and Bob all participated, while another brother, Paul, did not at first.  By 1944 St. Clair paperweights were being sold through Georg Jensen on Fifth Avenue in New York. Joe retired (the first time) in 1971 and sold the factory to new owners in Elwood, Indiana.  About the same time, Bob St. Clair and his wife Maude opened a new factory in Elwood.  Paul St. Clair retired from General Motors and joined Bob, along with Ed St. Clair and a nephew, Joe Rice.  Sometime later after Bob opened his factory, the new owners of the original factory sold the factory back to Joe.  So, for a while, there were two St. Clair Glass factories.  Bob St. Clair died in 1986.  Joe St. Clair died in 1987.  Ed St. Clair died in 1989 and the last brother,  Paul St. Clair died in 2000.

Very large size:  3 11/16" diameter by 2 9/16" high.  It weighs over 28 ounces and will be over two pounds when packaged.  The base is finished flat and hot stamped in the center with the signature. 
Condition:  Excellent Condition with no chips, cracks, or scratches found on inspection.
Signature:  Hot stamped JOE ST. CLAIR on the base.  This probably dates from the 1960s or 1970s, but may be earlier.  Joe St. Clair died in 1987. 

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

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Signature on base
Closeup
Side view
Profile
Base

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

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Very large size:  7 1/2" wide by 7" deep by 3 7/8" high.  The base is ground flat.  It weighs 102 ounces (six pounds six ounces) and will be approximately eight pounds when boxed for mailing.    
Signature:   Unsigned but I guarantee that this paperweight is from China and dates from about 2000.  It was originally marketed on the QVC television network and was sold as a "lamp" with a lighted stand.  There is no stand with this copy.
Condition:  Excellent condition.  I found no chips, cracks, or scratches on inspection.  It does have manufacturing flaws in the basket staves and the torsade forming the lip of the top and base (see side view).  There are a few small bubbles. 

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

Large picture
Top view
Closeup
Profile
Side view (note flaws in torsade and staves)
Base
Another side view
Upside down
Another view

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

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Very large size:  4 5/15” diameter by 2 15/16” high.  The base is polished flat.  It weighs just under three pounds (47.1 ounces).
Condition:  Very good condition.  One tiny bruise (less than 1/8" across) found on the side next to the base when taking pictures. Not noticed in earlier inspections.  No other chips, cracks or scratches. A few tiny bubbles in the glass.
Signature:  Signed with an acid etch mark on the base with the name Rosenthal, the crown and crossed swords logo, and Studio-Linie underneath.   

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

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Side view
Profile
Rosenthal Studio-Linie mark on base
Closeup
Upside down
Tiny bruise (<1/8") on side near base
Base
View from back

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

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Twin brothers David and Jon Trabucco learned glass working under the direction of their father, the accomplished glass artist Victor Trabucco.  When they first started out, David made the floral setups and Jon did the encasement and cutting, but over time they both became involved in all aspects of paperweight production. They are now accomplished glass artists in their own right.  They have their own studio and also continue to work with Victor at the large Trabucco Glass Studio in Clarence, NY.

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.

Large Size:   2 7/8” diameter by 2 3/16” high.  The base is ground slightly concave.  The paperweight is faceted with a large top facet and six side facets.
Signature:  Signed with a stretched "T" signature cane on the back of a leaf.  No script signature.  I verified with Victor Trabucco that this is the work of David and Jon and is not Victor's own work. 
Condition:  Excellent condition with no scratches, chips or cracks.

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

Large picture
Closeup
Profile
Side view
Signature cane on back of leaf
View from back
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.

Very large size:  Just under 3 3/16" diameter by 2 11/16" high.  The base is polished flat.
Condition:  Excellent condition.  No chips, cracks, or scratches found on inspection.  The label has writing on it. 
Signature:  This paperweight is engraved "EiiR 1952 - 1977" and the number 501.  Also has a worn Caithness label "CG HAND MADE IN SCOTLAND" with writing on it.

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

Large picture
Profile
Engraved EiiR 1952-1977 501 and label on base
Top view
Another 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 designs for 1989.  This means the design was made only that one year and never again.  There were seven Annual Collection designs in 1989, designated A through G.  This design is designated 1989F.  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.

Large size:  2 7/16" diameter by 1 1/2" high.  The base is fire finished and engraved with the letter "P".  The paperweight is faceted with one large top facet and five side facets.
Signature:  This paperweight is signed with an engraved "P" on the base.  It does not have a paper label.
Condition:  Excellent condition with no cracks, chips, or scratches.

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

Large picture
Closeup
Grid cut on base
Side view
Signature on facet near base
Base
Another view of base
Another view

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

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Special thanks to another collector who pointed out that the words are actually word canes rather than painted plaques.  The lettering goes all the way through the white background from top to bottom.  You can see the letters in reverse from the bottom.  This is in contrast to a painted plaque where the letters would be visible on only the top surface.

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. 

Small Size:   Just over 2 1/16” diameter by just over 1 1/16"  high.  The base is fire finished flat. 
Signature:  Signed "MADE IN CHINA" on three white signature canes in the design. 
Condition:  Very good condition for Chinese paperweights from this period.  Some light scratches, but no chips or cracks found on inspection.  The glass has a soft oily feel.  There are some bubbles in the glass.

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

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

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

Click on the picture to see a larger image.

Large size:  3 1/8" diameter by 1 7/8" high.  The base is ground concave.  Faceted with a total of one large top facet and five large side facets.
Condition:  Excellent condition.  No chips, cracks or scratches found on inspection.  There are some small bubbles in the glass.
Signature:  It has a Whitefriars signature cane with a white monk and the date 1975 in the outermost white ring and also has a Whitefriars paper label.

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

Large picture
Closeup
Another closeup from the side
Signature cane
Label
Top view
Side view
Base
View through the bottom

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

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The most common NEGC blown fruit are apples and pears, although some collectors have seen other fruits.  It is not unusual to find pieces of these fruit in scramble paperweights, mixed in with millefiori and twist canes.  The shading of the colors on the exterior often leads to crackling and this flaw is found in varying degrees in many blown fruit paperweights.  Normally a NEGC hollow blown pear paperweight would be a $800 to $1,000 paperweight but this one is offered at a considerably reduced price to compensate for the flaws in condition.   

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

Size:  The pear itself is 2 1/2” diameter by 3 1/4” long.  Overall dimensions are 3 7/16" diameter by 2 9/16" high. 
Signature:  This paperweight is not signed, but I guarantee it to be an authentic antique New England Glass Company blown glass pear paperweight. 
Condition:  Good condition.  While there is no crackling, unfortunately there is an area near the blossom end that has a loss of surface color and a strange white stripe where no color was applied.  There is some chipping near the blossom end.  And there is also a tiny nick in the area of deep red where some color is lost.  Finally, there is a fracture at the bottom of the pear visible only through the base.   

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

Large picture
Top view
Base
Loss of color and stripe near blossom end
Another view
Stem end
Another view of blossom end
Fracture on base of pear visible through clear cookie
Another base view

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

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Size:  3 7/8" diameter by approximately 1 3/8" high. The foot has a diameter of 3 1/2".    
Condition: Very good condition for its age.  It has considerable wear on the base and some scratches.  There is some stray red color inside the glass.
Signature:  Unsigned, but I guarantee this is an antique paperweight from Bohemia or Germany.  

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

Large picture
Side view
Base
Closeup
Profile
Another closeup

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

Size:  The knob is 1 13/16" diameter by 2 3/16" long including the brass hardware, but not the spindle.  With the spindle, it is 4 13/16" long.   
Condition: Very good condition for its age.  The paperweight knob has a few scratches, but no cracks or chips.
Signature:  Unsigned, but I guarantee this is an antique paperweight doorknob from Bohemia or Belgium or Northern Europe.  

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

Large picture
End view
Closeup

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

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

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

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

Size:  2 1/2” long by 1 1/2" tall by 1 7/16" deep.  The base is ground flat.
Signature:  Unsigned, but I guarantee that this is an authentic 1930s Chinese paperweight. 
Condition:  Very good condition with no cracks or chips.  Some very minor surface scratches.  There are striations in the glass.  As is typical of Chinese paperweights from this period, the glass has a slightly green tint and has some tiny bubbles and debris in it.

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

Large picture
Profile
Other side
Base

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

Click on the picture to see a larger image.

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

Size:  Just under 2 7/16" diameter by 2" high. The bottom is ground flat.  The edition number "53" is engraved on the base. 
Signature:  Signed on the back of a leaf with an early Whittemore signature cane.  The cane has a black "W" on a yellow background.  This signature cane was used until about 1970.   
Condition:  Very good condition.  I found two tiny faint circular impact marks on the side (see picture).  Each was less than 1/16" across.  No chips, cracks, or scratches were found on inspection.

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

Large picture
Closeup
Profile
Signature Cane on back of leaf
Base with engraved "53"
Side view
Another view of base showing signature cane
Faint tiny impact marks - each < 1/16"
View through the 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.

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 earliest period (1930-1950) 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.  This paperweight has a slightly better glass, but it is not crystal clear like modern paperweights.

Miniature Size:   1 13/16" diameter by 1 1/2" high. The bottom is ground flat.
Signature:   Unsigned but I guarantee that this is from China 1970 or earlier. 
Condition:  Good condition with no chips or cracks.  Some minor surface scratches.  The glass is poor quality and has striations and bubbles in it. 

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

Large picture
Closeup
Profile
Side view
Base
Rose cane

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

Click on the picture to see a larger image.

In 1846 Baccarat introduced the popular Gridel figures in their closepack millefiori paperweights.  It was named after Emil Gridel, the nephew of Jean-Baptiste Toussaint the general manager of Baccarat.  Toussaint saw Gridel making paper cutouts of animals and saw an opportunity to incorporate these silhouettes in millefiori paperweights.   From 1971 to 1979 Baccarat issued a modern Gridel series of millefiori paperweights based on eighteen Gridel figures.  Each paperweight has a large Gridel figure in the center with smaller versions of the other figures included in the design.  There are variations in orientation and color as well as the types of canes in each design and it is possible to amass a very large collection covering just this series.

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

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

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

Very large size:  3 3/16" diameter by 2 3/8" high.  The base is ground flat.
Signature:  This paperweight is signed with Baccarat's complex signature / date cane "B 1975" in the design.  It also has an acid etched Baccarat mark on the base along with the engraved year (1975) and engraved edition number (46). 
Condition:   Very good condition.  There is a tiny circular fracture mark on the base next to the number "9" in "1975".  Perhaps this happened when the 1975 was engraved.  There are some other minor 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
Signature cane "B 1975"
Signature on base with etched Baccarat  logo, engraved edition number "46", and engraved "1975"- note circular fracture next to "9"
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.

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

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

Miniature Size:  1 15/16" diameter glass sphere.  The acrylic stand is 2" tall by 1 1/2" by 1 5/16".
Signature:   This example is unsigned, but I guarantee that it is a genuine Josh Simpson marble.
Condition:  The marble is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, or scratches found on inspection.  A few of the bubbles are larger and have an amber cast.  It may be a second.  The acrylic stand is in very good condition with a few tiny scratches.

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

Large picture
Dimple stand
Closeup
Another closeup
Another view
And another view
Still another closeup
And one more closeup

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

Click on the picture to see a larger image.

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.  Paul Ysart (1904-1991), originally Pablo Moreno Isart, was apprenticed to his father as a glass worker at Moncrieff in 1922.  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.  Shortly later, George Dunlop, the owner of Pirelli Glass in London, brought in fresh capital, equipment, and orders.  Vincent Ysart and George Dunlop formed a new company in 1956, Vasart Glass Ltd.  Strathearn Glass was formed in a reorganization of Vasart glass in 1963.  The new company was owned by Teachers Whiskey.  The factory was taken over by Stuart Glass in 1980, and renamed Stuart Strathearn Ltd.  Production ceased in 1992.

Size:  Just under 3" diameter by 1 15/16" high.  The base is fire finished.  
Condition:  Poor condition.  The surface is free from defects but the paperweight is filled with many annealing cracks / fractures due to improper temperature control during the annealing process.
Signature:  Unsigned, but I guarantee this to be an Ysart Brothers or early Vasart paperweight from Scotland made prior to the installation of new annealing oven in the mid 1950s. 

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

Large picture
Closeup
Profile
Base
Side View

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

Click on the picture to see a larger image.

Size:  In its current form, it is 3" long, the cup has a diameter of 2".  The inner diameter of the cup is just over 1 1/2".  The base is flat in the center.  The original shape is unknown.
Signature: Unsigned, but I guarantee this is an antique object from an unidentified factory.
Condition:  Very good condition for its age although the shape has been modified.  No cracks or chips found on inspection.

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

Large picture
Side view
View of the cup
Closeup of paperweight section
Faceting on base
View with cup down

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

Click on the picture to see a larger image.

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

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

Large picture
Closeup
Profile
Signature Cane
Base
Side view (out of focus)

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

Click on the picture to see a larger image.

This design 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.

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.

This style of paperweight was made by many glass companies throughout the glass producing areas of the midwestern US (Ohio, Indiana, West Virginia, or even New Jersey) in the first half of the 20th century and later.  Frit refers to the powdered glass used to make the design.  The design is set up in a metal die and then picked up with a gather of a ground color.  Sometimes the maker can be identified by researching the mold or die used to set up the design.  According to Newell's Old Glass Paperweights of Southern New Jersey , frit weights were made as early as 1863.  Newell identifies this style as a true folk art.

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).

Large Size:  3 5/16" diameter by 2 3/4" high.  The base is fire finished.
Signature :  Unsigned, but I believe this was made by Gentile Glass prior to 1975..
Condition :  Very good condition.  There are some faint scratches and scuff marks, but no significant damage.

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

Large picture
Profile
Base
Side view
Closeup

For more information about Gentile paperweights, see my Gentile Paperweights Web Page.    (dl-g-va)

Click on the picture to see a larger image.

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

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

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

Size:  2 11/16” diameter by 2 1/16” high.  The base is polished flat.
Signature:  Made by Baccarat in France.  Signed on the base with an etched Baccarat logo.  It also has a Baccarat "B1988" signature / date cane in the outermost row.
Condition: Excellent condition.  No cracks, chips, or scratches found on inspection.

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

Large picture
Closeup
Baccarat "B1988" signature / date cane
Baccarat logo on the base
Base
Side view
Profile view

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

Click on the picture to see a larger image.

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

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

Large size:  Just under 3 1/8" diameter by just under 7 1/2" high with the stopper.  The bottle is 5 3/4" tall without the stopper.  The stopper is 1 9/16" diameter by 2 5/8" long.  The base is ground concave in the center.  The bottle has 24 side facets and the stopper has eight side facets.  The box is 8" long by just under 5 1/2" wide by 3 7/8" tall.
Signature:  This paperweight bottle has a Perthshire complex "P1975" signature / date cane in the base and a Perthshire paper label "PERTHSHIRE PAPERWEIGHTS CRIEFF SCOTLAND".  It comes with its original satin lined fitted box.
Condition:  Excellent condition.  No cracks, chips, or scratches found on inspection.  The box is in excellent condition. 

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

Large picture
Closeup of concentric pattern
Closeup of stopper
Top of stopper
Signature cane and label
Base
Box
Box with bottle
Bottle with stopper

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

Click on the picture to see a larger image.

Size:  Just over 2 7/8" diameter by just over 2" high.  The base has been polished concave.  The surface is a little irregular There is a hole in the base left from the blowing process.
Condition:  Good condition.  Some crackling of the surface.  A few minor scratches.
Signature:  Signed KO on the base but the maker is unknown.

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

Large picture
Closeup
Base
Side view
Profile
Possible signature (KO)

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

Click on the picture to see a larger image.

Very small size:  2" diameter by 1 1/4" high.  The base has been polished flat.
Condition:  Very good condition  with no chips or cracks.  Minor scratches on the base.  One tool mark on the side.
Signature:  The maker of this paperweight is unknown.

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

Large picture
Closeup
Base
Side view
Profile

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

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Charles and John Degenhart started their careers in glass working in glass at the Dalzell, Gilmore & Leighton Company factory in Findlay, Ohio.  Charles, born in 1882, started first and then John, born in 1884, started at the age of ten in 1894.  In 1901, both joined Cambridge Glass in Cambridge, Ohio.  The original paperweight production was an after hours activity at Cambridge Glass by Charles and his two sons in the 1920s.  John also produced paperweights to help meet the demand.  This was with the approval of the company. Of the two, Charles Degenhart was the more skilled artistically.

John retired from Cambridge Glass in 1946 and opened the Crystal Art Glass Company shortly after that. Most of the early production was devoted to paperweights. The factory also produced pressed glass novelties in an incredible range of colors. After John died in 1964, his wife Elizabeth took over production. Prior to that, the paperweights were unsigned. There was also a close association with Zack Boyd and his son Bernard, both of whom worked at Crystal Arts. Today in Cambridge, the Boyd family continues to run Crystal Arts.

Size:  2" diameter by 1 1/2" high.  The base has a glass stub.
Condition:  Good condition with no chips or cracks other than the broken stub.  It has many scratches indicating that it was actually used as a gearshift knob. 
Signature:  Unsigned but I guarantee that this is a genuine Degenhart paperweight.

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$45 postage paid in the US.                                                                   Added 6/11/2021 

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

Size:   3 1/16” diameter by 2 5/16” 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:  Unsigned, but I guarantee this to be a Strathearn paperweight from Scotland. 

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

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

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Ronald E. Hansen was born in Virginia, Minnesota in 1910.  He was first exposed to glass lampwork as a child when he was befriended by Bohemian glassworkers in a "hobo village" making glass ships.  He later worked as the director of the Neon Tube School in Detroit, Michigan.  With this exposure, he was aware of the artistic and technical aspects of glassworking.  He established his own studio in Mackinaw City, Michigan, mixed his own colors and glass, and created a variety of small glass paperweights, most of which are 2 1/2" or less in diameter.  He made paperweights from the late 1950s to 1971.  He was one of a number of glass artists in this paperweight making family.  His nephew, Eric Hansen, continues the art today.  You can read more about Ronald E. Hansen in the book American Glass Paperweights and their makers by Jean Melvin (1970 Revised edition) or the article by Nancy Alfano in the 2004 PCA Bulletin.

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

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

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

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

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

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Signature cane
View from the base showing fancy cutting
Tool mark or nick (1/8")
Side view
Base

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Size:   Just under 3" long (beak to tail) by diameter by 1 3/4" wide.  The small base is polished flat. 
Condition:   Excellent condition with no cracks,  chips, or scratches.  There is some debris in the glass and there is some roughness at the end of the tail feathers - left by the tools used to snip the glass.
Signature:  This paperweight is unsigned, but I guarantee that this paperweight was made on the island of Murano in Venice, Italy. 

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

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Other side
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Another closeup
Rough area on tail feathers left by tools

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

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

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

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

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

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Scratch on side
Base with grid cut finish

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

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

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

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Base with signature
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Another view
Another view of signature and pontil stamp
And a third view of signature and pontil stamp

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

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

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

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