In the business offices of the early 1800s, the breeze from an open window was always welcome. Well, almost always. Cramped and stale, a fresh breeze cooled the weary workers, but it also made a terrible mess of the paperwork on their desks. As the Industrial Revolution spread, the economics of commerce generated a constant stream of bills and invoices. As they say, necessity is the mother of invention. That being true, the invention of the paperweight was inevitable.
At first it was only a heavy glass object thrown on top of a pile of bills. But by the mid-19th century French artists transformed the practical paperweight into a work of art. Inspired by the artistic traditions of the ancient Romans, the French glass factories of the 1840s led production in what is referred to as the Classic Period. It is the most elaborate and expensive of the three periods of paperweight manufacturing, the other two being the Folk Art-Advertising Period and the Contemporary Period.
The Classical period (1845-1880), although lead by the French factories of Clichy, Pantina and Baccarat, was also represented by the English at Walsh-Walsh, and in America by the Boston & Sandwich, New England and Pairpoint factories.
While the Italians utilized and retained many of the ancient processes, the French were the first to capitalize on the optical characteristics of glass. They enclosed their decorative motifs within glass spheres and magnified them, producing a surreal effect. These paperweights from 1845-1860 are considered by serious collectors to be the artistic pinnacle of the Classic Period. London’s Crystal Palace Exhibition of 1851 brought the talents of the French and German/Bohemian paperweight makers to the attention of the world. In the decade to come they were emulated and improved upon by the glass factories of the United Kingdom the United States.
American production lead the way for the Folk Art-Advertising Period, from 1880-1942. Some of the most original American contributions to paperweights were made in Millville, New Jersey, including the crimp rose and the frit weights. This period saw the decline of the major glass factories and the advent of small family owned endeavors.
The Contemporary Period started at the end of WWII led by Charles Kazium. Kazium reinvented the processes and mechanisms used to create the classic paperweights and introduced the world to the concept of “studio glass.” This form of glass work is done by an individual artist, rather than factory produced, using the techniques first popularized by the Classic Period.
Collectors fall into one of three basic categories. “Type” collectors focus on acquiring one good example of each paperweight style (millefiori, lamp-work, sulphide, etc.) from each of the major factories. “Theme” collectors focus on a specific topic, color, or shape. Finally, “in-depth” collectors look for one specific type of paperweight made over a period of time with attention given to the variations in manufacturing techniques of major glass factories through the years.
There is a fourth unofficial category of collectors which well may be the largest group of all. I call them the “I bought it, because I liked it” collectors. And after all, isn’t that really what collecting should be about? Until next time . . . Linda
Linda Kennett is a professional liquidation consultant specializing in down-sizing for seniors and the liquidation of estates and may be reached at 317-258-7835 or lkennett@indy.rr.com
