Paperweight c. 19th century

This 19th-century paperweight, crafted by Compagnie de Saint Louis, is an example of the intricate and decorative glasswork that characterized the period. The paperweight's design features a central, multi-layered motif of concentric circles, surrounded by a patterned field of green and white. The intricate detail, known as "Millefiori," meaning "a thousand flowers" in Italian, was created by fusing together numerous rods of colored glass. The paperweight, now in the collection of The Art Institute of Chicago, exemplifies the artistry and skill of glassmakers in the 19th century.