About this artwork
This paperweight uses a traditional glass-making technique called millefiori to great effect. Italian for “one thousand flowers,” millefiori was first developed in fifteenth-century Venice. In the nineteenth century, French glassmakers revived the technique with a cultural twist. Arranged to evoke traditional French gardens such as the Tuileries in Paris, paperweights like this example brought a little of this landscaping magic indoors.
From the late 1840s to early 1860s, French manufacturers of fine glass and crystal—such as Baccarat (Alsace), Clichy (Paris), and Saint-Louis (Lorraine)—catered to the vast public enthusiasm for beautiful yet functional desk accessories. Paperweights, which were designed to secure loose papers against drafts, were among their most popular products.
-
Status
- Currently Off View
-
Department
- Applied Arts of Europe
-
Artist
- Clichy Glasshouse
-
Title
- Paperweight
-
Place
- Clichy (Object made in)
-
Date
- 1800–1899
-
Medium
- Glass
-
Dimensions
- Diam.: 7.9 cm (3 1/8 in.)
-
Credit Line
- Bequest of Arthur Rubloff
-
Reference Number
- 1988.541.225
-
IIIF Manifest
- https://api.artic.edu/api/v1/artworks/241013/manifest.json