L.H. Selman Ltd.

1.Extremely rare Clichy camellia garland weight, the flower, with four tiers of delicately veined pink and yellow petals encircling yellow stamens and a green pistil. The camellia is encircled by a garland of Persian blue blossoms with variegated green leaves. The artist has taken special pains to portray the yellow stamens and green pistil of each flower. The yellow and pink colors of the camellia’s petals combine to give the blossom an overall peach tonality. The rounded petals of this flower distinguish it from the dahlia, though it is sometimes called a dahlia. The attribution of this design is based on the resemblance of the flowers and leaves to those found in certain plaque weights, which also contain more commonly found Clichy blossoms. The number of flowers in this soft floral design are a tribute to the skill of the Clichy artisans and their quest to produce masterpieces beyond the means of their rivals. Minor bruises near the wear ring and on side of weight. "Although camellias have been tentatively ascribed to Clichy, their place of origin is still questionable. Regardless of their origin, these rare flowers are remarkable examples of the glassmaker’s art."—Identifying Antique Paperweights—Lampwork. "Whatever they represent such flowers as. . . the juicy dahlia. . . would be hard to beat unless it were by the other flowers illustrated."—Paperweights: "Flowers which clothe the meadows". (See Annual Bulletin of the Paperweight Collectors’ Association, Inc. (1969), p. 16; The Art of the Paperweight—The Boston & Sandwich and New England Glass Companies, p. 144; Identifying Antique Paperweights—Lampwork, p. 4, fig. 78; Paperweights: "Flowers which clothe the meadows", pp. 58–59, 68) See detail on p. 64. Diameter 3 3/16". $20,000–30,000

2. Very rare Saint Louis encased overlay upright bouquet weight. A white lampwork daisy with a yellow matchead center crowns a bouquet with a Persian blue lampwork flower, a salmon lampwork flower, an amber lampwork flower and three complex cane flowers. The flowers are nestled in a bed of emerald green leaves on a three-dimensional stalk that extends to a star-cut ground. An opaque white overlay has been cut with a top facet and six side facets, and encased in crystal. It is rare to see an encased overlay of this sort, probably because of the extreme difficulty involved in producing them. After the white overlay was applied, the weight had to be annealed and when cool, faceted. Next, the weight had to be reheated so the outer coating of crystal would adhere without cracking the original weight. The process is extremely delicate, and certainly more weights were destroyed during production than made it to completion. Few antiques possess the technical artistry seen in upright bouquets. The white overlay in this piece, preserved eternally by a coating of crystal, frames the bouquet from the top, at the same time inviting one to explore the nooks and crannies of the piece from different angles on the sides, savoring the intensity of the flowers and foliage. This piece was formerly part of the collection of the New-York Historical Society. Painted in red enamel with museum accession number. Small piece of cullet in the dome. Small bubble in the base. "Overlays epitomize the trappings of elegance sought by prospering mid-nineteenth century bourgeoisie."—Glass Paperweights in The Art Institute of Chicago. (See Annual Bulletin of the Paperweight Collectors’ Association (1971), p. 29; (1976), p. 24; (1978), cover; (1988), p. 13; A Collector’s Guide to Paperweights, p. 38; The Encyclopedia of Glass Paperweights, p. 114) See detail on p. 4. Diameter 3 1/16". $9500–12,000

3. Very rare Baccarat bouquet weight, a formal arrangement, containing a pansy, a red double clematis, three white flax blossoms with ruby centers, and a purple and yellow bud. The pansy and the double clematis contain complex stardust/bull’s-eye cane centers. Small bubble near one of the flax blossoms. "Large multifloral bouquets were a specialty of Baccarat and displayed the highest degree of skill in lampwork and millefiori techniques."—Baccarat: Paperweights and Related Glass, 1820–1860. "Nearly all examples of flat floral bouquets show paperweight making at its gayest and most exuberant, belying the Victorian reputation for the lugubrious."—The Encyclopedia of Glass Paperweights. "People used the pansy as a subtle way to show support for Napoleon and the empire after he was deposed."—The Art of the Paperweight—Challenging Tradition. (See The Encyclopedia of Glass Paperweights, p. 68; Glass Paperweights of the New-York Historical Society, p. 67; L. H. Selman Ltd. Fall 1994 Mail Auction, lot 2; L. H. Selman Ltd. Winter 1998 Mail Auction, lot 7) See back cover. Diameter 3 1/8". $8000–12,000

4. Very rare Baccarat lime and celery snake weight, the reptile, containing pale celery-colored coils decorated with an intricate pattern of lime spots and curves, and red and black eyes and nostrils. The snake slithers on a sandy earth ground flecked with green glass and mica. Oftentimes, the appearance of these weights is spoiled by an air ring that appears around the body of the snake during the encasement process. This example is notably pristine. Minor air inclusions can be seen on the bottom of the weight. "The tubular bodies of the snakes lie coiled above whatever ground is used in one and a half or two turns, the head usually resting on a coil, the tiny button eyes with an expression of benign asininity if the eye is black pupil on white, or drunken bliss if it is black pupil on red or orange."—The Encyclopedia of Glass Paperweights. "Reptiles were relatively rare among the animal motifs of the classic period, although they were common symbols of renewal and youth."—Glass Paperweights in The Art Institute of Chicago. See detail on p. 19. Diameter 3 1/4". $7500–10,000

5. Extremely rare Baccarat tricolor bouquet weight containing a white pompon with pale yellow stardust stamens surrounded by two early pansies and a red double clematis on a stalk with a red bud, a purple bud and green leaves. The pansies are composed of two purple upper petals and white-veined blue bottom petals around a complex stardust/bull’s-eye cane. The lower petals of the _owers are composed of spiked mille_ori arrow canes. The clematis is composed of a double tier of ridged red petals around a stardust/bull’s-eye cane. The arrangement floats over a star-cut ground inside a crystal dome with six and one faceting. This is an unusually pristine bouquet having only one leaf which separated during the encasement process. "In contrast to the work of the other French factories, Baccarat produced conspicuously formal floral arrangements. These masterfully portrayed _owers combine to form a delightful garden."—The Art of the Paperweight—Challenging Tradition. "The tricolor of the revolution—red for the spilled blood of patriots, white for their purity and virtue, and blue for their vigilance, were very real symbols to the people of France and one finds these colors abundantly displayed in paperweights, which absorbed these tenants capturing the passions and hopes of a generation in crystal."—The Art of the Paperweight—Challenging Tradition. (See A Collector’s Guide to Paperweights, p. 22; Christie’s London April 8, 1975 sale, lot 168; The Encyclopedia of Glass Paperweights, pp. 68–69; One Hundred of the Most Important Paperweights, p. 27; Sotheby’s New York June 25, 1987 sale, lot 110) See inside back cover. Diameter 3 9/16". $15,000–20,000