Paperweight c. late 19th century

This paperweight was made by the Boston and Sandwich Glass Company, sometime between 1825 and 1888, from molten glass. The process of making it involved embedding lampworked glass components within a clear glass dome. This involved considerable skill in manipulating hot glass, not only to create the individual floral elements, but also to encase them without distortion or breakage. Note the intricate latticino backdrop, a delicate network of fine glass threads. The company was known for its mass production of glassware, and paperweights like this one were luxury items, but made on a significant scale. Their production relied on skilled labor, but also on factory efficiency and marketing. The success of companies like Boston and Sandwich reflects the complex relationship between craft, industrial production, and consumer culture in the 19th century. Considering the materials, making, and context surrounding an artwork challenges traditional distinctions between fine art and craft.