Sulphide paperweights quietly appeared in the second half of the 19th century, but did not ignite the spirits of collectors until a century later. Today, connoisseurs fiercely compete for these fascinating microcosms: acquiring the glass masterpieces quickly becomes addictive!
Clichy glassworks paperweight with polychrome bonbon and rose décor, diam. 75 cm. h. 5 cm. Thursday 8 November 2018, Drouot-Richelieu, Boisgirard et Antonini.
Result: €19,140
The origins of the sulphide, now synonymous with crystal paperweights, lie in an ancient glassmaking technique lost in the early Middle Ages. Glassmaking did not re-emerge in the decorative arts until the Renaissance and, especially, late 18th-century Italy, when the earliest paperweights appeared. In the late 17th century, the growth of postal services led to epistolary exchanges, and weights of all sorts existed to hold down documents. In 1845, Pietro Bigaglia (1786-1876) of Murano introduced the first coloured paperweights at the Industrial Exhibition of Vienna. They were so successful that the Saint-Louis glassworks started producing its first paperweights…
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