Presse-papier 'Papillon de nuit' 1928

This small, cast glass paperweight, called 'Papillon de nuit', was made by Gabriel Argy-Rousseau, but we don't know exactly when. The blocky form is softened by the translucent green glass. Darker pigments streak through the cube, and seem to push the moth towards the surface. The moth itself is half-formed, almost erupting from the block. I love that this captures something about the process of making art, the sense of something emerging. Up close, you can see the texture of the glass. It’s not perfectly smooth, but has little bumps and ridges. The color is uneven too, with some parts darker and some lighter. This gives the paperweight a sense of depth and movement, as if the moth is really alive and fluttering. There’s a painterly quality, and I find myself thinking of Monet's waterlilies, where forms dissolve into light and color. Ultimately it's the ambiguity that holds my attention. Is the moth emerging or dissolving? Perhaps both.