Do you have a paperweight, glass or other material, in your home? Do you use a paperweight?
I was on the phone with my sister and asking her if anyone still uses paperweights. She told me I had the New York Historical Society book on glass paperweights in my house. She was right. I found it easily on a bookshelf in the little used third floor. The author is Paul M. Hollister
“Author, lecturer, and painter Paul Hollister (1918-2004) was one of the foremost scholars of 17th to 19th century glass studies, glass paperweights, and contemporary studio art glass. Hollister’s interest in glass was sparked when, upon the death of his mother, he inherited 10 paperweights she had collected during her travels in Europe” – Corning Museum of Glass Website
I knew I had a paperweight in the dining room cabinet. It had belonged to my parents.
How they make glass paperweights is fascinating to me. If you have any interest in how they are made, the history and popularity of paperweights, the various types, how to look for identifying markers, and other information about collecting them there is a wonderful article by Carleigh Queenth Collecting Paperweights:7 things to know
“Millefiori or ‘thousand flowers’ canes are produced by layering molten glass into a pattern in a fat cylindrical shape, then pulling the cylinder to create an elongated pencil-thin rod. When the rod is sliced, the pattern can be seen in the cross section. “ -Carleigh Queenth (Head of Ceramics and Glass, Christie’s NY @breakingisbad on Instagram)
See the Paperweights of the World collection at the Corning Museum of Glass here
Here is a paperweight from my parents.
The book my sister knew I had in my possession. She was correct
There is a second paperweight in my house that my sister bought for my son Matthew, a dandelion gone to seed, encased in a half globe of clear plastic.
