Antique Collector - Antique Paperweights |
Paperweights are heavy and often decorative objects, designed to hold sheets of paper on a surface to prevent wind from blowing the paper away. Before the advent of air conditioning, offices had to keep their windows open in the summertime and use fans to cool off buildings. Thus, paperweights were necessary to keep papers on desks. Nowadays, paperweights are mostly used as decorations.
Paperweights are commonly made from glass, although may also be made from clear acrylic or other materials. They are often collected as examples of fine workmanship, and appreciated for their aesthetic as opposed to their utilitarian aspect. They generally have a flat base and a domed top, which may be faceted or etched.
Antique paperweights were made primarily in three French factories, between 1845 and 1860, in Baccarat, St. Louis, and Clichy. Weights (mainly of lesser quality) were also made in the United States, Great Britain, and elsewhere, though Bacchus (UK) and New England Glass Company (USA) produced some that equaled the best of the French.
