INTRODUCTION TO GLASS PAPERWEIGHTS

I was first introduced to glass paperweights back when I was a teenager in the early 1970s and my Mother started to collect Caithess glass paperweights, at that time there was never any thought of them having a value on a colletors market at a later date they were just beautiful things to own.  Looking at a collection of glass paperweights now is like seeing a collection of marvellous  Jewels, the colours are bright and they catch the light wonderfully. Antique or Modern, British Paperweights, European Paperweights or Chinese Paperweights they all have an attraction which goes way beyone their original intended use of holding paper on a desk.  Here on AntiquesAvenue there is a wide variety of glass paperweights on offer – this article is intended to be a general introduction for new collectors and those who would like to purchase a paperweight as a gift.

Brief History:

Glass paperweights have probably been made since the early days of glass and paper however it is unlikely that you will find anything dating from before the Victorian era and certainly I have never had anything older to offer. Most Victorian Paperweights we see today were made in Europe (Italy, France & Bohemia) and Britain with the USA making a few weights as well. Victorian Millefiori and Lamp Work paperweights are now very expensive, a more affordable option is to collect Victorian glass Dumps which can be found with a variety of internal inclusions. An up and comming collecting field is Victorian Picture paperweights which have a picture ( Possibly a Lithograph) under the glass. Most of the paperweights we see today are from the 20th Century with production becomming more and popular as the century worn on with countiries like China producing glass paperweights from circa 1930s.

Paperweights Today: 

Today most of the  best paperweights are produced by individual artists or craftsmen in Britian ( Scotland), the USA and France. Collectable British names include: Caithness, Wedgwood, Langham Glass, Perthshire, Selkirk and Whitefriars. Individual Artists to look out for would include:  P Ysart, John Deacons, William Manson, John Ditchfield and Colin Terris .

 AntiqueAvenue has a large selection of 20th Century Scottish glass Paperweights including Caithness. I also specialise in british glass paperweights including  Wedgwood, Whitefriars and many more.

Paperweight Identification:

As with all antiques and colelctables, the easiest way to idientify the age and origin of a paperweight is from the manufactures label or markings. With paperweights the markings can be etched into the base or it is especially exciting to find an identification cane within the glass itself. Look carefully, etching on the base may not be easy to see, tilt the base of the paperweight towards the light and it is possible that you can read more than you originally thought.

There are a few hints and tips for identifying a paperweight that has no markings:

- Look at the base is it polished clear or left opaque. An unpolished base often indicates a Chinese origin. Is there a pontil mark?

- Compare the colour of the glass to other paperweights, in general a Chinese paperweight will have glass which is more yellow than its European counterpart.

I will add a pretty picture gallsry of Caithness glass paperweights in my next post