Paperweight c. 1850 - 1900

This paperweight was made by Cristalleries du Val-Saint-Lambert, but we don’t know when. The company existed in Belgium for nearly two centuries, during which they were celebrated for their glass works. Paperweights like this were part of a Victorian craze. The delicate flower encased within the glass orb is a reminder of nature's beauty, preserved and protected. The weightiness and tactile feel of the object can evoke feelings of stability. But paperweights, like all domestic objects, also tell stories of gender and class. They were often collected and displayed by women of leisure, objects signifying domesticity, taste, and social status in a society that had limited avenues for women's expression. The paperweight, with its controlled, contained beauty, speaks to the complex relationship between nature, culture, and the everyday lives of those who lived with them.