Paperweight c. 1845 - 1860

This "Paperweight" is a beautiful example of millefiori glass, a technique of glassmaking popular in 19th-century Europe. Created by the Clichy Glasshouse, renowned for their intricate floral designs, the paperweight features a bouquet of vibrant flowers crafted from multi-colored glass rods. The millefiori technique, meaning "a thousand flowers" in Italian, allows for the creation of intricate designs by fusing together rods of different colored glass. This piece, now housed in the Art Institute of Chicago, is a testament to the delicate beauty and artistic mastery of the Clichy Glasshouse.