Paperweight
c. 1845/60
Medium
Glass
Dimensions
Diam.: 7.1 cm (2 13/16 in.)
Classification
paperweight
Department
Applied Arts of Europe
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
188075
Art Historical Context
This delightful glass paperweight from the Clichy Glasshouse, dating to around 1845–60, exemplifies the golden age of French glassmaking. Produced at the renowned La Fabrique de Cristal Clichy near Paris, it measures just 7.1 cm in diameterperfectly sized for a Victorian desk. Clichy was one of the pioneering factories, alongside Baccarat and Saint, that elevated paperweights from mere office tools to coveted collectibles during the mid-19th century. The paperweight's creation reflects masterful techniques in lampworking and millefiori (thousand flowers) glass canes, where slender rods of col...
About the Artist
Clichy Glasshouse · 1837–1885
The Verrerie de Clichy, also known as the Clichy Glasshouse or Cristalleries de Clichy, was established in 1837 through the merger of local glassworks at Billancourt near Paris, under the direction of Rouyer and Maes. The firm relocated to Clichy-la-Garenne in 1839, where it initially produced utilitarian items like bottles and tableware before pivoting to luxury glass objects amid France's burgeo...