Paperweight c. 1848

This "Paperweight" was crafted by Compagnie de Saint Louis in circa 1848. The glass paperweight features a central white circle with a silhouette of a woman in a dress blowing in the wind, surrounded by intricate patterns of blue, green, white and brown glass. The intricate millefiori technique, visible in the concentric rings of colored glass, was popular in the 19th century and involved embedding rods of colored glass together before being cut into cross sections for a unique pattern. The paperweight is a beautiful example of the craftmanship of the Compagnie de Saint Louis, and is now part of The Art Institute of Chicago's collection.