A COLLECTION of various glass paperweights will be coming up for sale this week.
Comprising many different examples, mostly boxed, they show the variety of designs which were made towards the late 20th century and onwards.
Paperweights were first introduced in France in the mid-1840s, particularly by glass factories like Baccarat and Saint Louis.
First made as practical pieces, they quickly became decorative and were soon made in England, when they were shown at the Great Exhibition in 1851. Throughout the 19th century and until the present day, they have remained decorative items and now have a greater decorative than practical purpose, some examples being works of art.
Baccarat was the first factory which made the best paperweights and made famous the town of the same name in north-western France where it is based.
Today, Baccarat paperweights dating to the 15 years they were produced, from 1845 to 1860, are highly sought after and much collected.
The process of making paperweights involves several stages.
Firstly the glass is made and worked when molten, when, at this stage, coloured powder may be inserted and bubbles can be inset with compressed air.
The molten glass can be moulded and shaped depending on how decorative the glass-maker wants the piece to be.
They can also reheat the molten glass to enable a further process until the final polishing and cooling.
The collection which will go under the hammer at our May Antique and Collectors sale comprises about 120 by factories such as Selkirk, from Scotland, Okra Glass Studios, Perthshire, Caithness, Phoenix Hot Glass Studio, The Langham Glass House and various others.
One particular paperweight is iridescent, with an abstract design.
Most have designs within the glass, with one having a mountainous effect.
Others have some very unusual designs, with one having an inner circle with four spirals in the centre.
All the paperweights come with presentation boxes and certificates giving information about their manufacture and their limited edition number.
Such a varied range of paperweights would start a very good collection for any collector interested in the items and would prove to be a very good investment.
The paperweight collection will be sold on the second day of our three-day sale to be held from Thursday to Saturday.
For more information, contact Hansons Auctioneers on 01283 733 988 or visit the website www.hansonsauctioneers.co.uk.
