Paperweights have their origin in Egypt. The first glass paperweights were made in 1843 on the Venetian island of Murano, in Northern Italy.
The Golden Age of paperweights followed and lasted until the mid 1850’s. Popular companies at the time included Baccarat, Clichy, and Saint Louis.
In the early 1850’s, the Boston & Sandwich Glass Company and New England Glass Company were the first to make paperweights in the United States. In the UK, Whitefriars, Bacchus & Sons, and Richardsons made them.
In the mid 1900’s, many American and Scottish companies made paperweights. In the U.S., some well known manufacturers included Charles Kaziun, Emil Larson, and Paul Stankard. In Scotland, John Deacons, William Mason, Paul Ysart were well known, with the Caithness factory being one of the most popular.
Types Of Paperweights
Millefiori Paperweights – Combination of Italian words, mille meaning thousand and fiori meaning flowers. They are colored glass canes or rods that are cut and then fused together to create different patterns, usually flowers.
Lampwork Paperweights – Paperweights made by using a torch to melt and then shape the glass by hand or with tools.
Some top paperweight manufacturers include:
Baccarat
Caithness Paperweights
Clichy
Perthshire Paperweights
St. Louis