Paperweight c. 1846s

This paperweight was made at the Clichy Glasshouse in France between 1837 and 1885, composed of clear glass, colored glass, and plaster. The glass is formed around a plaster portrait cameo, bordered by delicate glass flowers. It’s an object intended for the desk, but also for delight. The Clichy Glasshouse was known for the quality and intricacy of its work, and this paperweight is a great example. Consider all the steps involved: the making of the colored glass canes, the plaster portrait, the gathering and shaping of the clear glass. This kind of intensive, skilled labor was a point of pride in 19th century France. Though paperweights may seem like a frivolous luxury item, they actually represent an investment in craft and in the human touch, which was already being challenged by new industrial processes at the time. Objects like this show how the values of craft can find expression in unexpected places.