Paperweight c. 1845 - 1860

Editor: So, this is the Baccarat Glassworks "Paperweight", made sometime between 1845 and 1860. The deep blue flower encased in glass gives it this weighty, almost somber presence. How would you interpret this piece? It seems almost too simple on the surface, but something pulls me in. Curator: You know, "somber" is a wonderful word for it! These little worlds, sealed in glass…it makes me think of pressing flowers between the pages of a book, trying to hold onto a moment, a feeling. It’s a Victorian thing, isn’t it? A reaction against industrialization, a yearning for a simpler beauty? Perhaps also the dawn of leisure, little bourgeois objects of curiosity and display. Do you feel it pulls in the romantic sensibilities? Editor: Definitely! The way the flower is captured so perfectly feels like an attempt to immortalize nature. Is there something particularly significant about using glass as a medium? Curator: Oh, absolutely. Glass itself is transformative – taking something raw and turning it into something…otherworldly, clear, yet fragile. It echoes that very desire to preserve the fleeting beauty that so captivated people at that time. The Art Nouveau style itself looked back at pre-industrial styles, such as Arts and Crafts! So what happens, ultimately, to art styles looking in their rear view mirror? Editor: I never thought of it that way before. I see it as something precious, both beautiful and melancholy in holding something gone, perfectly present, within it. Thank you! Curator: My pleasure! Thinking of art this way allows us to discover its cultural past and reflect that way today. What stories will you now discover in this flower today?