Paperweight

Applied Arts of Europe

c. 1870

France or Czech Republic

Glass paperweights became popular in the mid-19th century when the establishment of a dependable mail service led to an increase in letter writing and a demand for writing products. Lily of the Valley is one of over 1,400 paperweights in the Art Institute’s famous Arthur Rubloff Collection, which documents all periods, designs, and techniques. In this delightful example, glass flowers have been centered under the magnifying dome of lead glass not only to reveal the technical skill with which they were made but also to achieve an illusion of depth.

Status: On View
Department: Applied Arts of Europe

Title: Paperweight
Place: France (Object made in)
Date Dates are not always precisely known, but the Art Institute strives to present this information as consistently and legibly as possible. Dates may be represented as a range that spans decades, centuries, dynasties, or periods and may include qualifiers such as c. (circa) or BCE.: 1865–1875
Medium: Glass
Dimensions: Diam.: 8.6 cm (3 3/8 in.)
Credit Line: Arthur Rubloff gift
Reference Number: 1982.1480
IIIF Manifest The International Image Interoperability Framework (IIIF) represents a set of open standards that enables rich access to digital media from libraries, archives, museums, and other cultural institutions around the world. Learn more.: https://api.artic.edu/api/v1/artworks/107288/manifest.json

Jokelson, Paul, One Hundred of the Most Important Paperweights, pl. 28, pp. 70-71.
Selman, L.H., Paperweight Collectors’ Association Bulletin, 1980, fig. 1, p. 13, attributed to Pantin.
See illusration (color plate) on cover and on page preceding lot No. 124 in the Sotheby Parke Bernet, Inc., New York, auction catalogue of May 18, 1982, No. 148.
The Art Institute of Chicago Annual Report 1982-83, page 36, figure 44 reproduced.
A record of Sharing with Chicago’s Masterpiece, July 1, 1982-June 30, 1983 (a supplement to the 1982-83 Annual Report), page 29 reproduced in color.
Casper, Geraldine J., Glass Paperweights in the Art Institute of Chicago, 1991, cat. 108, color ill. 58.
To be published in “Chicago Magazine” in early 2019 (Vera Mandilovitch, 12.18.18)

Unknown 1234A

Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. To help improve this record, please email . Information about image downloads and licensing is available here.

Suggested Terms

On View

Date:

Artist:

About this artwork

Status

Department

Title

Place

Date Dates are not always precisely known, but the Art Institute strives to present this information as consistently and legibly as possible. Dates may be represented as a range that spans decades, centuries, dynasties, or periods and may include qualifiers such as c. (circa) or BCE.

Medium

Dimensions

Credit Line

Reference Number

IIIF Manifest The International Image Interoperability Framework (IIIF) represents a set of open standards that enables rich access to digital media from libraries, archives, museums, and other cultural institutions around the world. Learn more.

Extended information about this artwork

Publication History

Catalogues Raisonnés

Share

Explore Further

Sign up for our enewsletter to receive updates.

Gallery actions

Image actions

Share

IIIF Manifest The International Image Interoperability Framework (IIIF) represents a set of open standards that enables rich access to digital media from libraries, archives, museums, and other cultural institutions around the world.

Learn more.