Paperweights

People have been creating glass objects as long as history has been recorded, but the art of making glass paperweights began in the 18th century when the Venetians began forming thin cylinders of glass built up with layers of different shape and colours and called “canes”.

By the 1840’s letter-writing had become very popular and people needed something to control the piles of paper accumulating on their desks. Lead crystal was popular because of its weight. Then came the idea of decorating it using the Murano canes and suddenly a new fad in Christmas gifts was born. The large French crystalleries such as Baccarat, St Louis and Clichy, were quick to take advantage of it and produced increasingly complex and beautiful weights. Glassworkers were also often allowed to make their own with the left-overs at the end of day.

Like most fads this one didn’t last and by the 1860’s paperweight production had largely ceased and the techniques became a forgotten art. German, Bohemian and Chinese factories with their own particular styles, were almost all who were still making them. Thus was born “the antique weight” which is now so sought after.

It was not until the 1940’s the Paul Ysart in Scotland and Charles Kaziun in America began to uncover some of the forgotten techniques and the modern age of paperweights was born. Along with most of the former French makers, a series of factories such as Whitefriars, Perthshire, Caithness and Selkirk developed in Scotland to make millefiori and abstract weights in particular, while in the U.S.A. a number of brilliant individual artists have developed lamp-working techniques to a fine art.

A GLOSSARY OF TERMS

Canes: cylinders built up by layering with different colours and shapes of glass and then extruded into very thin sticks and then usually cut into small cross sections. They are basic to most forms of paperweight-making.

Glass types: Traditionally the glass for paperweights was lead crystal because of its weight and purity. More recently optical glass has been used. Dichroic glass gives special effects of colour shifts and shimmering patterns.

Paperweight techniques: There are a number of very distinctive and different techniques used. The basic ones are:

• Millefiori or “a thousand flowers” is made of small canes mounted in cross section to form patterns which are then encased in glass.. They are the classic paperweight style.
• Lamp or torchwork are miniature replicas of items such as bouquets of flowers, fruit, insects, snakes and lizards are pre-made and assembled using a blow torch and glass rods and are then encased in glass.
• Sulphides consist of glass-encased ceramic items. The trick is in working with two substances with greatly differing temperature ranges.
• Abstracts are made with a variety of techniques often employing frit or powered glass. They are perhaps the most common of all designs.
• Crimp or Moulded weights use special tools to produce effect most notably in the Clichy and Millville roses.

Paperweight styles: Paperweights come in various shapes. The most common is the domed weight Others include conical weights and the more free-form pebble weight. Square shapes were rare until the recently introduced lazer cut weights. They also come in different sizes from the miniature to the magnum.

Specialised shapes include the piedouche/pedestal, basket and mushroom shapes. Facets or faces are often added afterwards to heighten the effect and frosted effects concentrate the viewer on a window. Encasement means the adding of extra layers which may then be delicately cut to create patterns.

Recent weights increasingly employ etching to add to the designs. Bubbles of air tend to occur in the process and in cheaper weights can be intrusive. However the use of controlled bubbles provides opportunity for special effects.

Paperweight Makers: The highest quality paperweights today mostly come from France, the United Kingdom, North America and New Zealand. The trend is away from the large factories to individual artists working from their own studios. This has meant the disappearance of some well-known names such as Perthshire. Among top artists currently producing weights some of the key names are John Deacons and Peter Holmes of Scotland, Americans such as Paul Stankard, Rick Ayotte, Debbie Taristano, Chris Buzzini, the Trabuccos, Bob Banford, Ken Rosenfeld, Drew Ebelhare and a large number of other very talented artists. In New Zealand there are Peter Raos, Peter Viesnik and Andrew Byers. The designers at the Caithness factory deserve special mention including such as Helen MacDonald and Alistair MacIntosh.

Things to Know about Collecting Paperweights: The “Big Names” understandably attract high prices for their work. Most make only a few pieces of a particular style and often the size of this limited edition and the number of the particular item is engraved on or near the bottom. The maker will identify the piece either by engraving his name or by including a special signature cane. However, there are many paperweights made in greater numbers which can bring great pleasure and also increase in value.

If you watch the sales on eBay you will quickly become aware of what is a suitable price for a particular item. There are occasional fakes or “seconds”on the market, but when you buy from a reputable seller they will normally tell you if there are any deficiencies. Some people specialize in a particular maker or style, but because these are real works of art it is what appeals to you that matters most.

Today’s paperweights are more exquisite than ever and demonstrate superbly the finest of glass working skills while giving endless artistic pleasure. They are also a compact collectible with proven potential for future increase in value.