Paperweights, used to hold down papers, and most commonly made in glass, evolved in Venice in the early nineteenth century, and spread to France via Bohemia about 1845, where the finest examples were produced by three factories: Baccarat, Clichy and St Louis. Examples from these manufacturers are mostly unmarked and widely faked and imitated and thus a minefield for the uninitiated. The most popular motif is millefiori ('thousand flowers'), though fruit, single flowers, insects, and other small objects are often used as well as portraits and view. The cheaper paperweights use air bubbles as decoration. The classic paperweights are round and domed, but lesser weights were also made in the form of pyramids and rectangles. The early period of paperweights is reckoned to have ended in 1870 but some 20th century manufacturers such as Lalique, Kosta Boda, Whitefriars and Caithness Glass have produced some fine examples. The great majority of more...

12 items found:

These items have been sold, and the description, image and price are for reference purposes only.

Baccarat crystal cameo paperweights, Royal Family series Queen…

Baccarat Royal Family Cameo Paperweights

Baccarat crystal cameo paperweights, Royal Family series Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Philip, Prince Charles and Princess Anne

An Italian Grand Tour hardstone shaped paperweight, 19th…

19th Century Italian Hardstone Paperweight

An Italian Grand Tour hardstone shaped paperweight, 19th century, 6 cm high, 8 cm wide

Two paperweights including Queen Victoria

Royal Paperweights: Queen Victoria and More

Two paperweights including Queen Victoria

A set of four Baccarat faceted glass 'Royal Family'…

Baccarat Royal Family Glass Paperweights with Sulphide Busts

A set of four Baccarat faceted glass 'Royal Family' paperweights each with a sulphide bust portrait of 'Queen Elizabeth II', 'The Duke of Edinburgh', 'Princess Anne' and 'The Prince of Wales', each stamped Baccarat, France to the base 7.2 cm diameter

Three Caithness and one Whitefriars paperweights, the…

Mixed Paperweight Collection with Whitefriars and Caithness

Three Caithness and one Whitefriars paperweights, the Whitefriars of millefiori cane and commemorating the Silver Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth, the three Caithness with certificates and two with stands.

A collection of twenty souvenir paper weights, circa 1910, of…

Souvenir Paper Weights Collection, Circa 1910

A collection of twenty souvenir paper weights, circa 1910, of varying shapes and designs including canterbury cathedral, Mont St Michel and Holyrood palace, largest 8 cm diameter

A pressed depression glass Sydney Harbour Bridge souvenir dish…

Sydney Harbour Bridge Souvenir Glassware Set

A pressed depression glass Sydney Harbour Bridge souvenir dish + a pressed glass Sydney Harbour Bridge paperweight A/F [2], height 8 cm

Two Sydney Harbour Bridge souvenir paperweights [3], diameter 8…

Sydney Bridge Souvenir Paperweights (Set of 2)

Two Sydney Harbour Bridge souvenir paperweights [3], diameter 8 cm

Two vintage Australian steel paperweights with stylised…

Vintage Qantas-Style Kangaroo Steel Paperweights (Set of 2)

Two vintage Australian steel paperweights with stylised Qantas-style kangaroos, each 10 cm high, 16 cm wide (2)

Waterford Crystal football paperweight, width 12 cm

Waterford Crystal Football Paperweight - 12cm Width

Waterford Crystal football paperweight, width 12 cm

Four Baccarat crystal Sulphide medallion British Royal Family…

Baccarat Crystal Royal Family Paperweights Set

Four Baccarat crystal Sulphide medallion British Royal Family paperweights, by John Pinches 1976, of 'Queen Elizabeth II, the Duke of Edinburgh, the Princess Anne & the Prince of Wales'. Diameter 7.2 cm, each engraved to base. Height 5 cm.

Baccarat crystal sulphide paperweight medallion British Royal…

Baccarat Royal Family Crystal Paperweight

Baccarat crystal sulphide paperweight medallion British Royal paper weights by John Pinches 1976, of 'Queen Elizabeth II, the Duke of Edinburgh, the Princess Anne & the Prince of Wales'. Condition good, minor scratches to the bases. Diameter 7.2 cm