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

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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.

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.

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While this paperweight may seem unsophisticated by today's standards, it is the work of an important early paperweight maker.  This example has the full signature of Ronald E. Hansen.  According to Andrew Dohan in the Dictionary of Paperweight Signature Canes, Ronald Hansen used his full signature only on his best pieces. 

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" 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. 

Size:  2 7/16" diameter by 2" high.  The base is polished flat.
Signature : Signed "Ronald E. Hansen" in script on the base.
Condition :  Good condition.  As shown in the pictures, this paperweight has a 1/4" circular impact mark on the side.  It also has two very small (1/16") nicks just above the base.  There are also scratches on the base.

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

Large picture
Closeup
Profile
Signature on base
Impact mark on side
Another view showing impact mark
Top view
Back view
Side view
Base

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

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Pairpoint Glass has a long history extending back to its earliest origins with Mount Washington Glass in 1837.  Owners and locations changed a number of times and the name Pairpoint was first used in the 1890s.  The original Pairpoint companies were located in New Bedford, Massachusetts.  In 1938, it was reorganized as Gunderson Glass Works by owner Robert Gunderson and later renamed the Gunderson - Pairpoint Glass Works in 1952.  The name was acquired by Robert Bryden and the company moved briefly to East Wareham, MA in 1957 where it operated as the Pairpoint Glass Company.  They leased production facilities in Spain.  The 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.

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

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

Size:  2 5/8” diameter by 1 13/16” high.  The base is ground concave with a scar remaining from the pontil.
Signature:  This paperweight is not signed, but I guarantee it to be an authentic antique New England Glass Company paperweight. 
Condition:  Fair condition.  This paperweight has a large circular impact mark / bruise on the edge of the dome.  Please review the pictures.  The bruise is approximately 1/2" in diameter at the surface and spreads out to about 3/4" below the surface.  There is also a much smaller (5/16") bruise at the edge of the base and age appropriate scratches and scuffs.  It also has 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
Profile
Side view
View from back showing rabbit and possible group of rabbits
Large bruise - and rabbit nearby
Another view of large bruise
Smaller bruise on edge of base
Base

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

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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.

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 seventeen Gridel figures included in the design.  Some designs include all eighteen Gridel canes in smaller canes.  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 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:  Just under 3 1/8" diameter by just over 2 1/8" high.    The base is polished flat.
Signature:  The paperweight is signed with Baccarat's complex signature cane "B 1972" in the design.  It also has two acid etched Baccarat marks on the base along with the the year (1972) and edition number (336). 
Condition:   The dome of this paperweight is in excellent condition.  I found only one tiny pinprick on the side right next to the base.  However the base has more than a normal amount of wear / scratches.  This wear is confined to the base.

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

Large picture
Closeup
Profile
Base
Signature on base - Baccarat logo plus edition number (336) and year (with scratches)
Wide view showing both Baccarat logos, one with engraved edition number and year
Signature cane "B 1972"
Side view

For more information about Baccarat paperweights, see my Baccarat 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:  2 3/4" diameter by just over 2 5/16" high.  The white base is polished flat.
Signature:  Signed with Robert Banford's signature "B" cane at the tip of the stem.
Condition:  Very good condition.  There is some wear on the base.  I found one faint (1/16") scratch on the side.  And a small indent or tool mark also on the side.  There is also a 3/16" flaw near the base of this of the paperweight.  It is not a chip or crack.  There are some bubbles in the glass.  No other flaws found on inspection.

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

Large picture
Closeup
Profile
Signature cane
Another closeup
Side view
Flaw near base (3/16")
Base

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

Click on the picture to see a larger image.

Perthshire made this paperweight as one of their Annual Collection designs for 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.

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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:  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.

Click on the picture to see a larger image.

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

Large Size:  Just under 2 15/16" diameter by 2 1/8" high.  The base is ground concave.
Condition:  Excellent condition with some wear on the base but no other scratches, chips or cracks. 
Signature:  Signed with a "P" cane in the center of the design.  It is also signed with a a worn Perthshire paper label "PERTHSHIRE PAPERWEIGHTS CRIEFF SCOTLAND" on the base.

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

Large picture
Signature cane in center
Closeup view
Side view
Profile
Label
Base

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

Click on the picture to see a larger image.

Size:  1 13/16" diameter by just under 2 1/2" high without the stand.  The height with the stand is approximately 2 3/4".  The glass stand is just over 1 3/16" square by 7/16" high.
Signature:  The egg is signed with Baccarat's etched logo on the lower end (this etched signature is not clear).  There is also an acid etched Baccarat logo on the base of the stand.
Condition:   Excellent condition.  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
Baccarat logo on bottom of egg (poor etching)
Baccarat logo on base of stand (clear etching)
Side view
Another view of egg with stand
Stand
Another view of stand

For more information about Baccarat paperweights, see my Baccarat 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 . 

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.

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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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.

Size:  1 7/8" diameter by 1 13/16" high.  The base is polished flat.  The pamphlet is 2 3/4" by 2 3/4" and unfolds to a single two sided sheet 8 1/4" by 2 3/4".
Signature:   Signed "JS98" on the base.
Condition:  Excellent condition.  There is minor wear on the base, but no other cracks, chips, or scratches found on inspection.  There are a few tiny bubbles in the glass near the surface which are not damage. 

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

Large picture
Closeup showing spaceship
Signature on base
Cover of pamphlet
Trail of bubbles
Another view
Paperweight with box and pamphlet
Base
Box

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

Click on the picture to see a larger image.

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.

Very large size:  3 7/16" diameter by 2 5/16" high.  The base is ground flat.
Condition: Very good condition for its age.  The paperweight has a few faint scratches on the dome.  It has a lot of age on the base. It also has some small chips on the edge of the base.  What looks like surface damage in the profile view is actually dirt on the surface of the inner layer of glass that the butterfly is resting on.
Signature:  Unsigned, but I guarantee this is an antique paperweight from Bohemia or Belgium or Northern Europe.

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

Large picture
Side view - note how flat the butterfly is
Closeup
Top view
Profile - note dirt on inner layer - the clear layer used to pick up the butterfly
Base - chips at edge of base
Another view of base

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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

Click on the picture to see a larger image.

In 2006, John Deacons and William Manson collaborated to make three sets of 12 paperweight designs or 36 designs in all.  They were called the Strathearn Collection. Each design was a limited edition of 25 paperweights.  Each weight was signed with the signature cane of both artists.  This paperweight is designated S7 14/25, meaning it is the seventh design in the Strathearn Collection and is #14 of the limited edition of 25 paperweights. 

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

William Manson, Sr. started his glass working career at Caithness Glass at the age of 15 in the 1960s.  He apprenticed with Paul Ysart.  Manson left Caithness in 1971 to work at Ysart's Harland Glass and rejoined Caithness several years later in 1974.  He was at Caithness on and off between 1974 and 1997 when he left for good to form his own studio William Manson Paperweights.  His son, William David Manson, assisted him starting in 1992, taking it up as a career in 1996 (age 18) and continued until the market cooled in 2003-2004.  He is now in the process of setting up his own studio (in 2022).  For a brief period (2004-2006), William Manson, Sr. made collaborative paperweights with John Deacons. 

Large Size:  Just under 2 7/8" diameter by 2 3/16" high. The base is ground concave. 
Signature:  Signed with John Deacons' "JD 2006" signature cane and William Manson's "WM" signature cane.  The JD 2006 cane also has a green thistle between two green shamrocks just below the JD.  The paperweight is also marked "S7 14/25". 
Condition:  There is wear on the base.  Otherwise, it is in 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
Signature Canes on Base
Signature with Edition number on Base
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.

Size:  Just over 2 5/8" diameter by 1 5/8" high.  The base is polished flat. 
Signature:  Signed in the center with Ebelhare's complex "E" signature cane.  In addition, it is signed on the base "Ebelhare 10-99".  
Condition:  Good condition.  There are some scratches on the base and a possible internal fracture or flaw along the side - see note above.  No scratches, cracks, or chips on the dome.  There are tiny bubbles in the glass.  

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

Large picture
Signature cane
Signature on base
Closeup
Side view showing flaw - possible internal fracture
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.

Size:   2 3/4" diameter by just under 2 3/4" high.  The base is polished flat.
Signature:  Signed and dated on the base "CSW373 Brian Maytum © 1983".
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
Profile
Top view
Signature on base
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.

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.

The birth of Scottish paperweight making is credited to the glass making family of Salvador Ysart, who moved to Crieff, Scotland from Spain in 1922.  They worked first at John Moncrieff Ltd and made the earliest Scottish paperweights during that period.  Paul Ysart (1904-1991), originally Pablo Moreno Isart, was apprenticed to his father as a glass worker at Moncrieff in 1922.  He worked on the production of Monart Art Glass.  Paperweights were primarily an after hours activity.  Paul made his first paperweight in the early 1930s.  Production was interrupted by World War II and the Monart line was not restarted until 1946.  In 1946 Salvadore and his sons Augustine and Vincent left Moncrieff and founded Ysart Brothers Glass.  They produced glass wares under the Vasart label.  Salvador Ysart died in 1955.  Paul stayed at Moncrieff from until 1962, when he joined Caithness as a Training Officer.  While at Caithness, he trained Peter Holmes, Colin Terris, and William Manson, among others.  After he retired from Caithness in 1972, he continued to make paperweights initially under the Harland label and then the Highland Paperweights label until 1979.   You can read more about Paul Ysart in the book by Colin Mahoney Masterpieces:  The Paperweights of Paul Ysart.

Large Size:  2 3/4" diameter by 2 1/8" high.  The base is fire finished and ground concave in the center. 
Condition:  Excellent condition with no damage.
Signature:  Signed with a "PY" complex signature cane in the center of the heart.  

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

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

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

Click on the picture to see a larger image.

This paperweight was made at the Vetreria 3 Fiori studio on the island of Murano in Venice, Italy.  Regarded as possibly the best millefiori paperweight maker in Murano, the studio was in operation for only five years, from about 2000 to 2005.  3 Fiori was founded by two glass workers who left ALT, another studio in Murano.  ALT closed around 2002 and 3 Fiori closed a few years later.  Subsequently, two of the workers at 3 Fiori opened a new studio called The Millefiori Factory but it appears that that has also closed.  Special thanks to two collectors in the UK who filled in some of the details on this wonderful but short lived studio.

Venetian glass making dates back centuries and the Venetians are given credit for the earliest millefiori canes and paperweights in 1840s.  More recently, paperweight making was revived in the 1930s and again in the 1960s.  

Large Size:   2 13/16" diameter by 1 15/16" high.  The base is polished flat. 
Condition:   Excellent condition.  There are a few scratches on the base, but no other wear was found on inspection.  No chips, cracks, or scratches on the dome.  
Signature:  This paperweight is acid etched on the base "Vetreria 3 Fiori Murano Ve".

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

Large picture
Acid etch signature on base
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.

Crown weights are considered by some to be the most exciting of all millefiori designs.  They are extremely difficult to make.  Peter McDougall did not make many of these miniature crowns. 

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.

Miniature Size:  Just over 2" diameter by just over 1 3/4" high.  The base is polished concave.
Condition:  Excellent condition with no scratches, chips or cracks. 
Signature:  Signed with a complex "PMcD" cane on the base.  The signature is tiny and can be hard to see without magnification.  There is no paper label on this PMcD paperweight. 

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

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

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

Click on the picture to see a larger image.

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

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:

Large picture
Closeup
Certificate
Profile
Engraved "CAITHNESS SCOTLAND FLAIR US COLLECTORS PAPERWEIGHT" and 99/500 on base
Top view
Side view

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

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Henry Gething Richardson (1825-1916) was one of a line of Richardson family members involved in the glass trade dating back to 1810.  He founded Henry G. Richardson & Sons Ltd. which was well known in the Stourbridge area for producing quality glass wares and eventually millefiori paperweights and inkwells.  Although paperweights appeared in their catalog in 1913, it is possible that they started earlier.  Production of millefiori items continued until the 1920s when the Wordsley Glassworks in Stourbridge was taken over by Stuart Crystal.

Size:  2 1/16" diameter by 1 1/2" high.  The base is ground concave.
Condition: Very good to excellent condition.  There are a few small scratches on the side near the base.  No chips or cracks.
Signature:  Unsigned but I guarantee that this is an antique English paperweight from approximately 1913 to 1920.  The maker is maker is most likely Richardson.

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

Large picture
Closeup
Side view
Profile
Base

For more information about Old English paperweights, see my English Paperweights Web Page .             (dl-eng-ant)

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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:  2 3/4" diameter by just under 2" high.  The base is ground concave, but not polished.  
Signature: Signed in the design with a signature cane "PB 1989". 
Condition:  Very good to excellent condition.  No chips or cracks but I found a small area on the side just above the base and below the millefiori that has tiny scratches.  This may have happened when the pontil scar was ground out.

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

Large picture
Signature cane in design
Closeup
Profile
Tiny scratches on side next to base
Base
Side view

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

Click on the picture to see a larger image.

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

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

For a long time, collectors believed that English paperweights and inkwells dated 1848 and similar undated items were made by Whitefriars.  The dates, however, are false dates and have been traced to production at Arculus and Walsh-Walsh in the 1920s and 1930s. Most paperweights referred to as old Whitefriars or antique Whitefriars were, in fact, made by other factories such as Richardson, Arculus, Walsh-Walsh,or one of the unidentified Old English factories.  When the maker can not be identified, it is best to call them Old English paperweights and not associate them with Whitefriars.

Very large size:  3 3/8" diameter by 2 1/2" tall.  The bottom is polished concave.  This paperweight is heavy and weighs just over two pounds.
Condition:  Excellent condition.  No chips, cracks or scratches. 
Signature:  It is signed with its original Whitefriars paper label on the top with a Whitefriars monk symbol and the text "WHITEFRIARS FULL LEAD CRYSTAL MADE IN ENGLAND".  

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

Large picture
Label
Top view
Base
Another view
Side view

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

Click on the picture to see a larger image.

This paperweight comes with its original certificate stating that it was designed by Colin Terris and made at Whitefriars, a division of Caithness Glass in Perth Scotland.  This is one of the transition period paperweights issued after Caithness purchased the Whitefriars name in 1980.  It does not appear in any of the Whitefriars catalogs nor in the Colin Terris publications on Caithness.  I have seen this paperweight with a 1984 date and also a 1985 date.  It may also exist for other years.

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.

Size:  2 3/16" diameter by just under 1 5/8" high.  The base is ground flat.  Faceted with one large top facet and six smaller side facets.
Condition:  Excellent condition.  No chips or cracks.  The base has minor scratches consistent with the age of this paperweight.  The edge of the certificate is stained.
Signature:  Signed in cane with a Whitefriars 1984 cane on the base.  This paperweight comes with its original certificate.

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

Large picture
Closeup
Signature Cane on base
Profile
Certificate
Side view
Base
Another side view

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

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. 

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:

Large picture
Scratched signed "CHINA" signature
Profile
Side view
Closeup
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:  2 3/8" diameter by 1 15/16" high. The bottom is ground concave.  The edition number "53" is engraved on the base. 
Signature:  Signed on the underside of the ground 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:  Excellent condition.  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 underside of ground
Side view
Base
Base with engraved "53"
Another view of base showing signature cane and engraved "53"

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.

The Cape Cod Glass Works was operated by William Clark Burchfield in Sagamore, Massachusetts from 1976 to 2000.  It then continued briefly in Crossville, Tennessee until 2001.  Bill Burchfield died in 2012.  Bill's son Mark was also at the glass works until 1998.  Bill started making paperweights at Pairpoint Glass in 1970.

Size:   Just over 2 3/8” diameter by 1 15/16” high.  The base is ground concave.   
Condition:  Excellent condition.  No cracks, chips, or scratches found on inspection. 
Signature:  This paperweight is signed on top with a variation of the Burchfield-27 signature cane.  The signature cane is not as clear as one could wish, but I guarantee this paperweight was made by Bill Burchfield at the Cape Cod Glass Works.

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

Large picture
Profile
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.

Daniel Salazar is one of the lead gaffers at Lundberg Studios in Davenport, California and is their primary paperweight designer and maker.  He joined Lundberg in 1975.   The studio was founded by James Lundberg in the early 1970s.  Steven Lundberg joined shortly later.  The first paperweights were made in 1972.  In 1973 the firm was renamed Lundberg Studios and moved to Davenport, California.  James died in an accident in 1991.  Steven left Lundberg Studios in 1997 and set up his own studio.  He died from ALS in 2008.   Although in later years, each paperweight produced at Lundberg Studios was signed and dated by the studio and signed by the artist, the earliest paperweights were not dated and some did not have the artists signature. 

Large size:   3 1/16" diameter by 2 3/4" high.  The base is ground flat. 
Signature: Signed on the side next to the base "Daniel Salazar Lundberg Studios 2004 111775" and comes with its original certificate.
Condition:  Excellent condition.  No chips, cracks, or scratches found on inspection.  There are tool marks on the surface from when the paperweight was made.

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

Large picture
Profile
Certificate
Closeup
Side view
Signature on side next to the base
Another view
Base
And another view

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

Click on the picture to see a larger image.

This 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.

Note:  My pictures don't accurately capture the color of the aventurine and show silver rather than the actual copper color.  Rest assured that the correct color is more copper than silver.  The correct color shows up best in the side views. 

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

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

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

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

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

Click on the picture to see a larger image.

Magnum Size:  3 3/4" diameter by 3 5/16" high.  The bottom is polished flat.  The base is irregular (not round) in shape.  It weighs 40 ounces and will be over three pounds when packaged for mailing.
Condition:  Good condition with a single 3/16" circular impact mark on the side.  There is considerable wear on the base, but no noticeable scratches elsewhere.  The glass has a slight green color.   
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
Profile
Side view
Base
Impact mark on side
Second side view showing two layers of frit
Signature

For more vintage American paperweights, see my Vintage American 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: 

Large picture
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.

Click on the picture to see a larger image.

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:

Large picture
Top view
Profile
Signature on base

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

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Scott Bayless began his career in art glass in 1996 after a visit to the Corning Glass Museum.  He began his arts training as a film student at Ithaca College in New York and continued at Columbia College in Chicago.  In May 1996 Scott was hired to work part time in Charles Lotton's shop.  He developed his skills and learned basic methods of working with hot glass.  On Thanksgiving Day of 1999 Scott created his first Calla Lily paperweight which changed his world.  Scott has since developed personalized techniques that make his original Calla Lily, Orchid, Rose, Columbine and Hibiscus floral designs beautiful and unique. 

Charles Lotton began experimenting with paperweight and vase production in a backyard shed in late 1970 in Lynwood, Illinois.  At the time he was a successful hair stylist, salon owner, and a collector of glass.  From the beginning, he was determined not to reproduce styles made previously.  He developed his own formulas for creating glass colors and pioneered the technique of surface decoration.  In 1971 he developed the King Tut design.  Since 1973 he has worked full time in glass production. 

Today Lotton Art Glass features the work of Charles Lotton, his sons David and Daniel, his grandson Robert Lagestee, and studio artist Scott Bayless.  They create hand blown, one of a kind works of fine glass art.  Included are blown vases, bowls, sculptures, paperweights, perfume bottles, lamps, pendant lighting as well as chandeliers.  The studio is located in Crete, Illinois.  David Lotton and his son Jeremiah Lotton also have their own studio David Lotton Glass Designs in Lowell, Indiana.

Large size:  Just under 2 3/4" diameter by just over 2 9/16" high.  The base is polished flat
Signature:  Signed on the side near the base "Scott Bayless 2006 Lotton Studios" 
Condition:  Very good condition.  There is faint rough area near the top (see picture).  No other damage found on inspection. 

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

Large picture
Closeup
Profile
Signature
Top view
Faint rough area on top
Another closeup

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

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

Size:  2 5/8" diameter by 2 1/8" tall.  The base is polished flat. 
Signature:  Signed "Mayauel Ward 2009" on the side near the base. 
Condition:  Excellent condition with no cracks, chips, or scratches found on inspection.

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

Large picture
Closeup
Profile
Signature
Side view
Base

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

Click on the picture to see a larger image.

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

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

Large picture
Closeup
Top view
Signature cane
Signature on base
Profile

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

Click on the picture to see a larger image.

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:

Large picture
Profile
Top view
Signature on base
Side view

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

Click on the picture to see a larger image.

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:

Large picture
St. Louis Signature / Date
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 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 just under 2 1/8" high.  The base is polished flat.  It is finished with a blue over white double overlay and faceted with one large top facet and five side facets.
Signature:  The paperweight is signed with Baccarat's complex signature cane "B 1981" in the design.  It also has an acid etched Baccarat mark on the base along with the engraved year (1981) and edition number (23). 
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
Top view
Baccarat logo, date, and edition number on base
Signature cane "B 1981"
Side view
Base
Another side view

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

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Francis Dyer Whittemore, Jr. is considered one of the pioneers of the modern paperweight renaissance.  He started working in glass in 1938, but did not start making paperweights until 1962.   His studio was in Lansdale, Pennsylvania.  Like many other early glass artists, Francis started his career as a scientific glass blower and then later taught glass as an instructor.  For five years, he spent one month a year consulting at Baccarat to help them refine their lampwork paperweight art.  Some sources have this consulting work from 1971 to 1976.  Other sources have it starting later.  The signature cane used on this paperweight was one he developed 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

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:

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

Very large size:   Just under 3 1/2" diameter by 2 3/8" high.  It has a relatively flat top / profile.  The base is ground concave.
Signature:  Signed on the side near the base with Ken Rosenfeld's "R" cane and signature "Ken Rosenfeld '87". 
Condition:  Excellent condition.  No chips, cracks, or scratches found on inspection.

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

Large picture
Closeup
Signature
Profile
Side view
Base

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

Click on the picture to see a larger image.

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.

Very large size:  3 1/4" diameter by just under 2 7/16" high.  The base is ground concave.
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:  Very good condition.  I found two tiny pinpricks on the side, the largest of which was about 1/32" across.  See the picture.  No other cracks, chips, or scratches found on inspection.  The label is worn.

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

Large picture
Closeup
Signature cane and label on base
Two tiny pin pricks on side
Side view
Base
Profile

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

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Glass Eye Studio was founded in 1978 in Seattle, Washington.  Managed by Dale Leman, GES is a production glass company that produces a range of glass products.  Most paperweights are signed with the acid etched initials GES, although some are signed with the engraved Glass Eye Studio signature or even a signature cane.  Each GES glass product includes some ash from the 1980 eruption of the nearby Mount St. Helens volcano. 

Large Size:  Just under 3 1/4" diameter by 3" high.  The bottom ground flat.  The paperweight weighs just over 1 1/2 pounds (25 ounces).  With its original box it weighs 35 ounces. 
Signature: Signed with an engraved signature on the base "Glass Eye Studio 2005".  It comes with its original Glass Eye Studio lined box.
Condition:  Excellent Condition. Some faint 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
With box
Top view
Closeup
Signature on base
Side view
Profile
Base

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

Large size:  3" diameter by 2 1/4" high.  The base is convex with an opaque white layer and a star cut.     
Signature:  Signed near the stem with a Ray Banford signature cane having a black "B" on a white background.
Condition:  Excellent condition.  No chips, cracks, or scratches. The white base layer is slightly irregular.

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

Large picture
Signature cane
Side view
Star cut white layer on base
Closeup 
Profile
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.

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:

Large picture
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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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 1982E.  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:  3 1/16" diameter by just under 2 1/8" high.  The base is ground concave.
Signature:  This paperweight is signed with a complex "P 1982" signature cane in the center of the base.  It also has its original (worn) label and comes with its original wrinkled certificate. 
Condition:  Excellent condition with no cracks, chips, or scratches.  The label is worn and the certificate is wrinkled.

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

Large picture
Closeup
Signature cane on base
Certificate (wrinkled)
Side view
Base
Profile
Another side view
Signature cane and label on base

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

Click on the picture to see a larger image.

Large Size:   3 7/8" long by 2 3/4" wide by 1 3/16" thick.  The metal butterfly is about 3/4" by 3/4".  The base is ground concave.
Condition:  Excellent condition.  No chips, cracks or scratches found on inspection. 
Signature:  Signed on the base with a foil label "Neo Art Glass By K. Heaton" and is also engraved "K Heaton".   

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

Large picture
Backside
Closeup of butterfly
Signature
Another view
And one more view

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

Large picture
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.

Click on the picture to see a larger image.

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

Miniature size:   2” 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: 

Large picture
Side view
Closeup
Profile
Base
Label

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

Click on the picture to see a larger image.

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 3/16" diameter by 2" high.  The base is ground concave.  The paperweight is faceted with one large top facet and six side facets.
Signature:  Signed with a distorted complex "SL 1976" signature cane on the underside of the white ground.  It also has a paper label and comes with its original (although wrinkled and stained) certificate.
Condition:  Good condition - please note that this paperweight has a fracture in edge of the side facet nearest the pink bud.  This fracture can be seen in the detailed pictures and just an edge of the fracture shows in the top down view.  The paperweight displays beautifully with that exception.  No other damage found on inspection.

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

Large picture
Top view
Signature cane
Label
Certificate (stained and wrinkled)
Closeup
View of fracture on side facet
Another view of fracture on side facet
Side view
Base

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

Click on the picture to see a larger image.

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 1/2” diameter by 1 3/4” high.  The base is ground concave.
Signature:  This paperweight is not signed, but I guarantee it to be an authentic antique New England Glass Company paperweight. 
Condition:  Very good condition.  This paperweight has some minor scratches and scuffs, but no cracks or chips.  There are some bubbles in the glass.

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

Large picture
Closeup
Profile
Base
Side view
Another closeup
Another side view
Third side view

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

Click on the picture to see a larger image.

Miniature size:   1 3/4" diameter by just under 1 3/4" high.  The base is ground flat. 
Signature:  Signed and dated on the flat base "D P Salazar 1/00".
Condition:  Excellent condition.  No cracks, chips or scratches found on inspection.  There are small bubble in this paperweight.

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

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

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

Click on the picture to see a larger image.

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.

The Cape Cod Glass Works was operated by William Clark Burchfield in Sagamore, Massachusetts from 1976 to 2000.  It then continued briefly in Crossville, Tennessee until 2001.  Bill Burchfield died in 2012.  Bill's son Mark was also at the glass works until 1998.  Bill started making paperweights at Pairpoint Glass in 1970.

Size:  2 11/16" diameter by 2 3/16" high.  The bottom is ground concave.
Condition:  Excellent condition with no cracks, chips, or scratches found on inspection.  There are bubbles in the glass.
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
Top view
Side view
Closeup
Base

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

Note:  The picture does not do justice to this paperweight.  Ignore the white areas, they are glare from the lights. 

Peter McDougall started his glass making 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.

Miniature size:  1 13/16" diameter by just under 1 1/8" high.  The base is ground concave.
Condition:  Excellent original condition with no scratches, chips or cracks. 
Signature:  Signed with a (distorted) complex cane in the design.  It does not have a paper label.

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

Large picture
Side View
Closeup
Distorted signature cane
Profile
Base (sorry for the poor picture)

For more information about paperweights made by Peter McDougall, see my Peter McDougall 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 7/16" diameter by 3 1/16" high. The bottom is ground concave.  Magnum sized, it weighs 28 ounces.
Signature:  It is signed in script on the base "SELKIRK GLASS SCOTLAND SPIRAL STAR 55/500 1987" and comes with its original certificate.
Condition:  Excellent condition.  No chips, cracks, or scratches found on inspection.

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

Large picture
Top view
Signature on base
Certificate
Side view
Another view
Base

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

Click on the picture to see a larger image.

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

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

Allan Scott began his paperweight career as a lampworker apprentice with Perthshire Paperweights in 1975.  When John Deacons left Perthshire in 1978 to set up J Glass, Allan Scott and Harry McKay followed John to J Glass.  They stayed at J Glass until it closed in March 1983.  After that, Allan Scott joined Caithness Glass, where he stayed until 2007.

Large size:  2 3/4" diameter by 1 13/16" high. The bottom is ground concave.  The paperweight is faceted with one top facet and six side facets.
Condition:  Excellent condition with no scratches, chips or cracks.  See note about blue tint under fluorescent lighting.
Signature:  Signed and dated with the J Glass "J 1980" signature / date cane and Allan Scott's "A" signature cane in the garland. 

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

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

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

Click on the picture to see a larger image.

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: 

Large picture
Top view
Signature on base
Certificate
Side view
Profile
Base

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

Click on the picture to see a larger image.

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 1981D.  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 13/16" diameter by 2 1/16" high.  The base is ground concave.
Signature:  This paperweight is signed with a complex "P 1981" signature cane in the center of the base.  It does not have a paper label.  It comes with its original wrinkled certificate. 
Condition:  Excellent condition with no cracks, chips, or scratches.  There is a rough area on the base from where the pontil was imperfectly ground down.  The certificate is wrinkled.

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

Large picture
Closeup
Signature cane on base - image also shows rough area near center
Certificate (wrinkled)
Side view
Base
Profile

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" wide by 2 3/4" deep by 2 11/16" high.  The and top have different patterns from the one on the sides.  It weighs just over 33 ounces.
Condition:  Excellent condition.  No chips, cracks or scratches found on inspection. 
Signature:  Signed with an acid etch mark "Waterford" on the edge of the base. 

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

Large picture
Waterford etched mark applied to edge of base
Top pattern
Base pattern
Another view

For more paperweights from other countries, see my  Other Countries 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: 

Large picture
Side View
Profile
Base

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

Click on the picture to see a larger image.

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

Large size:  2 3/4" diameter by 1 15/16" high. The bottom is ground very slightly concave. 
Signature:  It is signed in script on the base "SELKIRK GLASS SCOTLAND SNOW DROPS 43/150 1982" and and comes with its original certificate.
Condition:  Excellent condition with some small 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
Closeup
Signature on base
Certificate
Side view
Profile
Base

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

Click on the picture to see a larger image.

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 (2022) although under new owners. 

Size:  2 7/8" diameter by 2 1/2” high.  The base is ground flat with a concave center.
Condition:  Very good to excellent condition.  No chips or cracks, but on careful inspection I found two very faint small scratches on the side next to the base.
Signature:  Unsigned but I guarantee this paperweight to be by Pairpoint Glass. 

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

Large picture
Closeup
Top view
Side view
Base

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.

Medium size:   2 7/16" diameter by 2 1/4" high.  The base is polished  flat. 
Condition:   Very good condition with no cracks or chips, but it does have an abraded area on the side.  There are many bubbles in the glass.
Signature:  This paperweight is unsigned, but I believe the maker was the firm of Fratelli Toso.  I guarantee that this paperweight was made on the island of Murano in Venice, Italy. 

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

Large picture
Top view
Closeup
Another view
Base
Abrasions on side

For more information about Murano paperweights, see my Murano 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:

Large picture
Closeup
Signature Cane
Profile
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.

Click on the picture to see a larger image.

James Hart is a paperweight artist working in Nevada.  He started working in glass in 1985 focusing initially on millefiori designs and more recently on floral encasements.  He studied murrine making with Lauren Stump.  His signature has evolved from a simple red heart to more complex signature canes.  His millefiori designs initially included canes from Murano, but over time he created  a wonderful assortment of his own complex canes, some incorporating Murano canes. 

Medium size:  2 7/26" diameter by 1 9/16" high.  The bottom is concave.  Unlike his earlier works, this paperweight is encased with a clear layer below the ground. 
Signature:  Signed in the design with James Hart's green and white signature cane with a heart in the center.  It is also signed again underneath the ground with Hart's white heart signature cane. 
Condition:  Excellent condition with no damage found on inspection. 

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

Large picture
Closeup
Profile
Side view
Signature canes
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.

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.

Click on the picture to see a larger image.

Note:  Some literature refer to the strands as seaweed and calls this and the larger PP21 a Seaweed weight rather than a Swirl weight.

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 9/16" diameter by just over 1 13/16" high.  The base is polished slightly concave.
Signature: Unsigned, but I guarantee that this is an authentic Perthshire PP20 paperweight from 1971-1975. 
Condition:  Excellent condition with no cracks, chips, or scratches found on inspection.  Some roughness on the base from when it was made.  There are bubbles and some striations in the glass.

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

Large picture
Closeup
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.

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

Large size: 2 15/16" diameter by 2" high. The base is ground concave in the center.
Condition:  Excellent condition with no scratches, chips or cracks. 
Signature:  Signed and numbered "PHOENIX 2003 48/50" on the base and also has a Phoenix "PP" signature cane near the stem of the flower.  It comes with its original certificate.

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

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

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

Click on the picture to see a larger image.

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.

Click on the picture to see a larger image.

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.

Medium size:  Just under 2 1/2" diameter by 1 15/16" high. The base is ground concave. 
Condition:  Excellent condition.  No chips, cracks or scratches found on inspection. The paper label is very worn.  There is writing in red ink on the certificate.
Signature:  It is signed with Perthshire's "P 1972" signature cane near the center of the design.  It also comes with its original certificate with writing on the certificate.  It also has a very worn paper label "PERTHSHIRE PAPERWEIGHTS CRIEFF SCOTLAND".   

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

Large picture
Closeup
Certificate
Signature Cane
Side view
Label (very worn)
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 several times. It continues to operate at that location today. 

Size:  2 11/16" diameter by 2 3/16" high.  The base is ground concave. It is faceted with one top facet and five side concave facets. 
Condition:  Excellent condition.  No chips, cracks, or scratches found on inspection.
Signature:  Signed "MMA" as part of a limited edition for the bicentennial made for the Metropolitan Museum of Art by Pairpoint Glass.  Although it is not signed Pairpoint, I guarantee it was made by Pairpoint Glass. 

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

Large picture
Top view
Closeup
Certificate
MMA Engraved on base
Side view
Base

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

Click on the picture to see a larger image.

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

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

Small size:  Just over 2 3/8" diameter by 1 1/4" high.  Molded with eight points and a flat top.  The base is ground concave. 
Condition:  This paperweight has a small internal crack starting with one of the blue canes (at about 5 o'clock) and extending through an adjoining white cane and into the clear outer layer.  Other than that, no cracks, chips, or scratches were found on inspection.  Please review the pictures.   
Signature:  Signed with the St. Kilda "STK" signature cane in the center of the design.

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

Large picture
Signature
Closeup
Profile
Side view
Internal crack
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.

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

Size:   2 15/16" diameter by 1 13/16" high.  It has a relatively flat top / profile.  The base is ground concave.
Signature:  Signed on the side near the base with Ken Rosenfeld's "R" cane and signature "Ken Rosenfeld '85". 
Condition:  Excellent condition.  No chips, cracks, or scratches found on inspection.

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

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

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

Click on the picture to see a larger image.

John E. Gooderham (1930-2007) was a Canadian glass artist known for his miniature paperweights and paperweight buttons.   He also created many paperweight buttons. Some of his buttons are in the collection of the Corning Museum of Glass.  John's wife Jackie also made glass buttons.  They were from Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Canada.

Miniature (tiny) size:  Just under 3/4" diameter by just over 1/2" high without the shank.  It is 3/4" high including the shank. 
Signature: Signed in the center of the flower with an early John Gooderham complex signature cane. 
Condition:  Very good condition.  Some faint scratches.  No chips or cracks found on inspection.

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

Large picture
Closeup
Side view
Signature cane
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:  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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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:  2 3/4" diameter by 1 11/16" high.  The base is ground concave.  
Signature: Signed in the outer ring with a light blue signature cane "PB 1991". 
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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Closeup
Side view
Profile
Signature cane in outer ring
Base
Another closeup

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

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Note:  There is a scratched area on the side of the paperweight with two 1/8" long scratches and I am selling this at a reduced price.  Please ignore the white areas, they are glare from the lights.

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

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

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

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Closeup
Side View
Another view
Gold foil K signature on underside of ground
Scratched area on side
Base

For more paperweights by Charles Kaziun, see my Kaziun 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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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. 

Very large size:  3 3/16" diameter by just under 2 3/8" high.  The base is ground concave.  
Signature: Signed in the design with a signature cane "PB 1985". 
Condition:  Excellent condition with no chips, cracks, or scratches found on inspection.

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

Large picture
Closeup
Side view
Profile
Signature cane in design
Base

For more paperweights by contemporary American paperweight makers, see my Contemporary American 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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Orient & Flume was started in 1972 in Chico, California by Douglas Boyd and David Hopper.  It studio took its name from its initial location which was at the corner of Orient & Flume.  Their early weights adopted a style that has become known as the California style of  iridescent paperweights with surface torchworked art nouveau motifs on the outside surface of the weight.  Later work involved interior lampworked designs such as the floral design found encased here.  Every Orient & Flume piece has a registration number which usually includes a date code.  Douglas Boyd passed away in 2018.  David Hopper and his wife Shari retired to nearby Paradise California.  They survived the wildfire that destroyed most of Paradise in 2018.  Orient & Flume continues in Chico with new owners Bruce Sillars and Ronda Davis.  Bruce was one of the original Orient and Flume artists and Ronda has spent the last 30 years at the studio handling sales and other responsibilities.  They are joined by another early O&F artist Scott Beyers.

Bruce Sillars was the first employee hired by Orient & Flume and is still at O&F today.  Since 1973 Bruce has been responsible for many of Orient & Flume's most successful designs.  He grew up in the Los Angeles suburbs and worked in ceramics in High School, later becoming a technician in the ceramic studio at Moorpark College.  Sillars shifted from ceramics at Chico State University to metal and sculpting to glass blowing, earning a BA in Art with an emphasis in ceramics, glass, and sculpture from California State University, Chico.  In the beginning he created iridescent vases and paperweights that incorporated both geometric and naturalistic floral motifs. Over time the designs became more and more complex and sophisticated and by the early 80's his work began to move away from iridescent glass focusing on three-dimensional motifs and employing both "torch worked" and "lamp worked" design elements.

Very Large Size:  3 3/16" diameter by 2 11/16" high.  The bottom has been polished flat.
Signature:    Signed on the base "Orient & Flume CZ2A1985 B. Sillars".  It also has an Orient & Flume paper label "ORIENT & FLUME CHICO, CALIF." on the base.
Condition:  Excellent condition.  No chips or cracks or scratches found on inspection.  The label is slightly worn.

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

Large picture
Closeup
Signature on base
Label
Profile
Side view
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.

Orient & Flume was started in 1972 in Chico, California by Douglas Boyd and David Hopper.  It studio took its name from its initial location which was at the corner of Orient & Flume.  Their early weights adopted a style that has become known as the California style of  iridescent paperweights with surface torchworked art nouveau motifs on the outside surface of the weight.  Later work involved interior lampworked designs such as the floral design found encased here.  Every Orient & Flume piece has a registration number which usually includes a date code.  Douglas Boyd passed away in 2018.  David Hopper and his wife Shari retired to nearby Paradise California.  They survived the wildfire that destroyed most of Paradise in 2018.  Orient & Flume continues in Chico with new owners Bruce Sillars and Ronda Davis.  Bruce was one of the original Orient and Flume artists and Ronda has spent the last 30 years at the studio handling sales and other responsibilities.  They are joined by another early O&F artist Scott Beyers.

Bruce Sillars was the first employee hired by Orient & Flume and is still at O&F today.  Since 1973 Bruce has been responsible for many of Orient & Flume's most successful designs.  He grew up in the Los Angeles suburbs and worked in ceramics in High School, later becoming a technician in the ceramic studio at Moorpark College.  Sillars shifted from ceramics at Chico State University to metal and sculpting to glass blowing, earning a BA in Art with an emphasis in ceramics, glass, and sculpture from California State University, Chico.  In the beginning he created iridescent vases and paperweights that incorporated both geometric and naturalistic floral motifs. Over time the designs became more and more complex and sophisticated and by the early 80's his work began to move away from iridescent glass focusing on three-dimensional motifs and employing both "torch worked" and "lamp worked" design elements.

Very Large Size:  3 1/8" diameter by just under 2 5/8" high.  The bottom has been polished flat.
Signature:    Signed on the base "Orient & Flume CZ11Jn1983 B. Sillars".  It also has a rare Orient & Flume signature cane "OF 83".  It comes with its original certificate.
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
Closeup
Signature on base
Signature cane
Certificate
Side view
Another view
Base

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

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Pairpoint Glass has a long history extending back to its earliest origins with Mount Washington Glass in 1837.  Owners and locations changed a number of times and the name Pairpoint was first used in the 1890s.  The original Pairpoint companies were located in New Bedford, Massachusetts.  In 1938, it was reorganized as Gunderson Glass Works by owner Robert Gunderson and later renamed the Gunderson - Pairpoint Glass Works in 1952.  The name was acquired by Robert Bryden and the company moved briefly to East Wareham, MA in 1957 where it operated as the Pairpoint Glass Company.  They leased production facilities in Spain.  The last New Bedford factory burned down in 1965.  In its latest iteration, Robert Bryden moved Pairpoint to Sagamore, Massachusetts in 1970.  It continues to operate at that location today (2019) although under new owners.

The Cape Cod Glass Works was operated by William Clark Burchfield in Sagamore, Massachusetts from 1976 to 2000.  It then continued briefly in Crossville, Tennessee until 2001.  Bill Burchfield died in 2012.  Bill's son Mark was also at the glass works until 1998.  Bill started making paperweights at Pairpoint Glass in 1970.

Size:  Just under 2 3/16" diameter by 1 13/16" high.  The bottom is ground concave.
Condition:  Excellent condition with no cracks, chips, or scratches found on inspection.    
Signature:  Unsigned but I guarantee that this was made at Pairpoint Glass in Sagamore, Massachusetts in the early 1970s.

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

Large picture
Top view
Side view
Closeup view
Base

Click on the picture to see a larger image.

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:

Large picture
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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Crimp roses represent the ultimate challenge for paperweight makers.  You can read about the crimps and their use in making crimp roses in the book American Glass Paperweights and Their Makers by Jean Melvin (1970). 

Robert Grablow was a Millville, New Jersey artist best known for full size crimp roses made from the furnace tank.  He started making crimp roses in 1986 or so when he started as a volunteer at Wheaton Village and added a signature cane around 1991.  Although best known for his full size crimp roses, he also made lampworked miniature roses starting about 1967 time frame.  These early miniature roses were sold through the Arthur Gorham Paperweight Shoppe at Wheaton Village.

Size :  2 3/4" diameter by just over 3" high.  The exterior is frosted with one angled polished window to view the rose.
Signature : Unsigned, but I guarantee that this paperweight was made by Robert Grablow in Millville, NJ. 
Condition :  Very good to excellent condition.  There are a couple of tiny scuff marks on the frosted finish.  There are also some striations or sugaring in the glass (from when it was made).  Some wear on the base.

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

Large picture
Side view
Closeup
Back
Base
Scuff mark on side

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

Medium Size:   2 1/2" diameter by 1 3/8" high.  The bottom is fire finished.    
Signature:   Unsigned but I guarantee that this paperweight is from China and dates from about 1930. 
Condition:  Good condition.  The surface has a few indentations  and faint scratches, but is mostly smooth.  There is one spot that is a tiny stray drop of glass and projects above the surface.  No chips or cracks.  As is often typical in this type of Chinese paperweight, the quality is low and there is debris in the glass.  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.  There are tiny bubbles in the glass. 

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

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Closeup
Profile
Side view
Base
Spot of extra glass

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

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Albert Graeser was a well known producer of photographic paperweights working in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in the 1890-1900 period.  He used a process patented by William H. Maxwell in 1882.  For more information on this style of paperweight see the article "Ordinary People" by William Price, Jr. in the 2000 Annual Bulletin of the Paperweight Collectors Association.

Very large Size :  3 1/2" diameter by 2 3/8" high.  The bottom is ground flat and finished with a matte finish.
Signature:  Unsigned, but I guarantee that this an antique paperweight using the patented Maxwell process and was possibly made by Albert Graeser of Pittsburgh, PA. 
Condition:  Very good condition.  The paperweight has a few faint scratches, but no chips or cracks.  The base has some minor roughness on its edge.  It may have been made this way.  There is a stain on the base left by a label. 

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

Large picture
Closeup
Profile
Side view
Base

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

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Size: Unusually large for Drew Ebelhare's early paperweights, this paperweight is has an extra large dome and is 2 9/16" diameter by 2 3/16" high.  The base is ground flat. 
Signature:  Signed in the center with Ebelhare's complex "E" signature cane.  In addition, it is signed on the base "Ebelhare 12-92 Houston".  
Condition:  Excellent condition with no scratches, cracks, or chips.  There are some striations in the glass.  

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

Large picture
Closeup
Top view
Profile
Signature cane
Signature on base
Base

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

Size:  2 7/16" high by just under 2 3/8" wide by just over 1 5/16" thick.  The base is fire finished.
Signature: Signed on the base "D. P. S. G." (for David P. Salazar Glass) with the initials "SB" (which I can't explain) and the date "12/06". 
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
Closeup
Profile
Side view
Signature on base with color added (and since removed)
Signature on base - no color added
Base

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

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Pairpoint Glass has a long history extending back to its earliest origins with Mount Washington Glass in 1837.  Owners and locations changed a number of times and the name Pairpoint was first used in the 1890s.  The original Pairpoint companies were located in New Bedford, Massachusetts.  In 1938, it was reorganized as Gunderson Glass Works by owner Robert Gunderson and later renamed the Gunderson - Pairpoint Glass Works in 1952.  The name was acquired by Robert Bryden and the company moved briefly to East Wareham, MA in 1957 where it operated as the Pairpoint Glass Company.  They leased production facilities in Spain.  The old New Bedford factory burned down in 1965.  In its latest iteration, Robert Bryden moved Pairpoint to Sagamore, Massachusetts in 1969.  Attempts were made to resume glassmaking in New Bedford for five years (1977-1982), but this was not successful.  Bryden retired in September 1988.  Since then, the Pairpoint Glass Company has changed owners several times. It continues to operate at that location today. 

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

Very large size:  3 5/8” diameter by 2 7/8” high.  The shape is oval rather than spherical and the pontil is unfinished.  
Condition:  Excellent condition with no damage found.  However this paperweight has execution flaws described above and some bubbles in the glass.
Signature:  Unsigned but I guarantee that this paperweight was made at Pairpoint Glass, possibly by Robbie Mason or one of his apprentices.

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

Large picture
Closeup
Profile
Side view
Base

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

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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:

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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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Magnum Size:  Just under 3 3/4" diameter by 3" high.  The bottom is polished flat. 
Condition:  Very good condition for its age.  Some scratches and scuffs on the side, but no chips or cracks.  This is a very large showy paperweight.   
Signature: Signed "M" for Mosser in the design.  The decoration of the plaque was done by Ray Bichard.  

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

Large picture
Closeup
Profile View
Side view
Base

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

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

Small size:  2 3/16” diameter by 1 1/2” high.  The base is ground concave.
Condition:  Good condition for its age.  There are scratches on the surface, but no cracks or chips.  It also has maker's flaws.  There are bubbles in the glass including one larger bubble.  And the purple pastry mold cane is deformed. 
Signature:   Unsigned but I guarantee this to be an authentic antique Clichy paperweight. 

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

Large picture
Closeup
Profile
Base

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

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Size:   2 7/16" diameter by 2 1/4" high.  The base is fire finished. 
Signature:  Signed and dated on the fire finished base "D. P. Salazar 1994", although the signature is difficult to read.
Condition:  Excellent condition.  No cracks, chips or scratches found on inspection.

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

Large picture
Closeup
Profile
Side view
Signature on base
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.

Lewis Calvin Wilson is a self-taught artist who started working with glass in 1972.  In October 1973, he worked briefly with Miguel Bonilla at Walt Disney World in Orlando.  Crystal Myths, Inc. was established in Albuquerque, New Mexico in 1974.  Lewis is best known for his fantastic glass sculptures, which he continues to make.  His repertoire now includes beads, marbles, and some paperweights.  He now works with his daughter Jennifer Wilson on the miniature encasements like this paperweight.  Together they also teach lampworking and have produced a number of books and videos on lampworking. 

Large Size:  2 5/16" diameter by 1 15/16" high.  The bottom is polished flat.  
Signature:  Signed near the base "L J W 05".
Condition:  Very good to excellent condition.  No chips, cracks, or scratches found on inspection.  There is one rough area about 5/16" across near the base that was left unpolished or touched something before it cooled down. 

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

Large picture
Closeup
Signature
Profile
Side view
Another large picture
And another
Rough area on side near base
Base

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

Click on the picture to see a larger image.

Size:  Just under 2 1/16" diameter by just under 1 5/16" high.  The base is ground concave. 
Condition:  Good condition for its age.  There are two small circular impact marks.  One is small (1/8") and on the dome (see picture).  The other is low on the side and much smaller.  There is also considerable wear on the base and on the sides near the base and some scratches on the dome.  There is sufficient glass and it could be restored.  The glass has a very slight grayish tint and, some bubbles, and also some black debris in it.
Signature:  Unsigned, but  I guarantee this to be an authentic antique paperweight from St. Mandé.  I have consulted with other experts and most agree with this attribution.  One collector felt it might be something rarer. 

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

Large picture
Closeup
Profile
Base
Side view
Another side view
Impact mark on dome

Click on the picture to see a larger image.

Large size:  It has a flat profile and is just over 3 3/4” diameter by 2" tall. 
Condition:  Excellent condition.  No chips, cracks or scratches. 
Signature:  Signed near the base with a engraved signature "Peter Raos 2001 NZ".

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

Large picture
Closeup
Another closeup
Profile
Another profile
Side view
Signature

Click on the picture to see a larger image.

The Cape Cod Glass Works was operated by William Clark Burchfield in Sagamore, Massachusetts from 1976 to 2000.  It then continued briefly in Crossville, Tennessee until 2001.  Bill Burchfield died in 2012.  Bill's son Mark was also at the glass works until 1998.  Bill started making paperweights at Pairpoint Glass in 1970.

Size:  Just under 1 13/16” diameter by 1 1/4” high.  The base is ground concave.   
Condition:  Excellent condition.  No cracks, chips, or scratches found on inspection. 
Signature:  This paperweight is signed on top with the rose signature cane used in 1997.    

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

Large picture
Rose cane on top
Profile view
Base
Side view

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

Click on the picture to see a larger image.

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. 

Size:  1 1/4" by 1 1/4" by 1 7/16" high.  The edges are beveled.  The base has been polished flat but still has some voids.
Signature: Unsigned, but I guarantee this is a Chinese paperweight, made in the 1940s or later.  
Condition:  Very good condition.  Very little wear for its age.  The base has a couple of voids, but I believe that is how it was made and not damage.  The quality of the glass is relatively good when compared to earlier Chinese aquarium paperweights.    

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

Large picture
Profile
Base
Top view
Another view

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

Click on the picture to see a larger image.

William Manson, Snr. started his glass working career at Caithness Glass at the age of 15 in the 1960s.  He apprenticed with Paul Ysart.  Manson left Caithness in 1971 to work at Ysart's Harland Glass and rejoined Caithness several years later in 1974.  He was at Caithness on and off between 1974 and 1997.  During this period he also had a small studio at home.  In 1997 he left for good to form his own studio William Manson Paperweights.  After Perthshire closed in January 2002, William Manson Sr. started Phoenix Paperweights to engage three workers from Perthshire.  They only lasted a year and issued paperweights in 2002 and 2003 before closing in August 2003.  Phoenix operated in the Manson works in Perth, Scotland.  For a brief period (2004-2006), William Manson, Sr. made collaborative paperweights with John Deacons.  His son, William David Manson, assisted him starting in 1992, taking it up as a career in 1996 (age 18) and continued until the market cooled in 2003-2004. He is now in the process of setting up his own studio (in 2021).

Size:  Just over 2 7/8" diameter by 2" high.  The base is ground flat. 
Condition:  Very good to excellent condition.  I found one small (less than 3/16") very faint scratch on the side.  No cracks, chips, or other scratches found on inspection.  
Signature:  It is signed on the base with a "wm 80" signature / date cane.  It also has the edition number and edition size engraved on the base "94/150".

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

Large picture
Closeup
Signature and edition on base
Side view
Top 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 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.

Click on the picture to see a larger image.

Stuart Abelman studied glass at Carnegie Mellon University and in the Master of Fine Arts program at UCLA (California).  He taught a developed a flat glass program for El Camino College and in 1977 opened his Abelman Glass Studio in Van Nuys, CA.  He worked with a number of other glass artists in developing his style.

Size:  2 9/16" diameter by 2 3/8" high.  The base is ground flat. 
Signature:    Signed "Abelman 1997 GFL29" on the base.
Condition:  Excellent condition with no cracks, chips, or scratches found on inspection.  There is a tool mark on the side resembling stitches, but this is inside the glass and is a flaw in the making and not damage. 

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

Large picture
Side view showing stylized leafy stem
Top view
Signature
Tool mark on side - not damage
Another view
Back side (also showing leafy stem)
Base

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

Click on the picture to see a larger image.

Perthshire made this paperweight as one of their Annual Collection designs for 2000.  This means the design was made only that one year and never again.  There were eight Annual Collection designs in 2000, designated A through G plus a Special Limited Edition which had no letter designation.  This design is designated 2000A.  The annual collection paperweights are the most desirable of the Perthshire line, with the exception of one of one items.

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

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

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
Profile
Side view
Signature on base
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.

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.

Click on the picture to see a larger image.

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.

Click on the picture to see a larger image.

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.

According to the two books on St. Louis paperweights, the QE II sulphide was issued in an edition of 1,226 regular sulphides on a variety of grounds and with and without millefiori garlands.  There were also some overlay versions produced.  Not all were marked with the special COURONNEMENT mark.  This was St. Louis earliest modern sulphide and one of the company's earliest modern paperweights.  It was much in demand and the famous French writer Colette requested one for her collection. 

Note on fractures in the white ground layer:  The rose petal ground is created using red and white layers of frit.  Unfortunately the two colors were incompatible and the white under layer contains a few thin fractures.  They are hard to see without magnification but I have included a picture showing some of the fractures.  I suspect this manufacturing problem caused St. Louis to produce very few paperweights in this color combination.  Please keep in mind that this was their earliest modern sulphide.   

Sulphides are cast objects (animals, flowers, people) made of a ceramic material that has properties similar to the surrounding glass.  They are normally white, but are also sometimes colored or even painted.  The objects are cast in a mold that copied or made directly from a medallion, coin or sculpture.  The finest French sulphides are cast in a mold made by a skilled artist.  Often a sulphide will have a silvery appearance due to a thin layer of trapped bubbles between the glass and the sulphide itself. 

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:  2 15/16" diameter by 1 11/16" high.  The bottom is ground concave.  It is faceted with a large top facet and five side facets.
Signature : Signed with an upside down complex St. Louis signature / date cane in the garland "SL 1953" and also signed on the base with an impressed mark "COURONNEMENT  2-6-53  SAINT-LOUIS-FRANCE". 
Condition :  Unfortunately there are a few thin fractures in the white ground layer, visible from the bottom.  These are inside the encasement and cannot be felt.  Other than this manufacturing flaw, 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 date cane in the garland
Special COURONNEMENT mark on base
Closeup
Profile
Side view
Base
Fractures in white ground 

For more information about paperweights made by the St. Louis factory, see my St. Louis Web Page                   (dl-sl-sul)  

Click on the picture to see a larger image.

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

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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.

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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
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)

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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 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.

Large size:  3 1/8" diameter by 2 15/16" high.  The bottom is ground concave.  The paperweight is faceted with one large top facet and twenty eight side facets in three rows of eight, ten, and ten facets.  
Signature:  This paperweight is signed with a "P1983" cane on the base.  It also has a slightly worn paper label "PERTHSHIRE PAPERWEIGHTS CRIEFF SCOTLAND" on the base. 
Condition:  Excellent condition with no cracks, chips, or scratches.  There is some wear on the base.

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

Large picture
Closeup
Profile
Side view
Signature cane and label
Base

For more information about Perthshire Paperweights, see my Perthshire 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 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:

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

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