Handcooler
c. 1845–60
Medium
Glass
Dimensions
6.7 × 4.5 cm (2 5/8 × 1 3/4 in.)
Classification
paperweight
Department
Applied Arts of Europe
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
188293
Art Historical Context
Step into the elegant world of 19th-century French glass with *Handcooler*, a paperweight crafted by the renowned Compagnie de Saint Louis around 1845–60. This petite gem, measuring just 6.7 × 4.5 cm, exemplifies the Applied Arts of Europe collection at the Art Institute of. Produced at Saint Louis' historic factory in Lorraine—founded in 1767 and celebrated for its crystal clarity—the piece served a practical yet luxurious purpose: holding down papers while doubling as a handcooler in stuffy offices or drawing rooms. The mid-19th century marked the golden age of paperweights, sparked by the ...
About the Artist
Compagnie de Saint Louis
**Compagnie des Cristalleries de Saint Louis**, founded in 1586 in Münzthal, Lorraine (present-day Saint-Louis-lès-Bitche, France), stands as the oldest glass manufacturer in France and the first to produce crystal glass on the continental European mainland starting in 1781.) Initially focused on window glass and bottles, the company shifted toward luxury crystal production in the 19th century. By...