Handcooler c. 1848 - 1855

This "Handcooler" is a small glass paperweight, created by the Compagnie de Saint Louis, a famous glass-making company in France, between 1848 and 1855. The paperweight features a clear glass sphere with a patterned interior, known as millefiori. Millefiori is a type of glasswork created by fusing together rods of different colored glass to form intricate patterns. This intricate example is now part of the collection of the Art Institute of Chicago.