Customer Reviews

Paperweights: The Collector's Guide to Identifying, Selecting, and Enjoying New and Vintage Paperweights

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Good book, simple, easy to read. Good reference for beginners.

This is a nice book for the collector, particularly one who is fairly new to the hobby. It covers most of the more popular makers of the 19th and 20th century. Paperweights have been on the go for a relatively short space of time, about 150 years give or take a year and initially started out to serve the purpose for which they were originally designed, a weight to hold down paper on a desk. A useful implement in the days of pen and paper.

Very soon after they started being produced they became more and more complex and attractive with each factory striving to outdo their rivals. There are few people who fail to be fascinated by a good paperweight, particularly the Millefiori type which comprise of small canes of glass of varying shapes and colours, sealed into what initially was a molten lump of glass.

The various forms of weights, millefiori as we have just mentioned, Sulphides, Lampwork and Dumps (the large green domes of glass that were often used as doorstops in their larger sizes), are all mentioned. Plus information on how to start collecting and differentiating between the different makers, not always easy, even for the expert.

One part of the book that did appeal to me in particular were the pages that showed the different cane designs for the different makers. This is an excellent aid to identifying paperweights that you are unsure of and I have used this method more than once myself.

The neophyte collector needs this well illustrated and helpful guide. Taking you from the origin of paper weights and introducing you to the modern artist. A must have!

A very nice introduction to paperweights ~ good photography as well as interesting information on the history and types of weights.