L.H. Selman Ltd.

6. Clichy faceted chequer weight with a pink and green rose amidst complex pastry mold, cog, and moss canes, in pink, cadmium green, ruby, cherry, Naples yellow, lilac, thalo blue and cobalt blue, divided by cables of white filigree inside a crystal dome with a circular top facet and two rows of five side facets. Bubble over central cane. "However, usually, the very large florets, including fine Clichy roses in various colors, stand out rich and bold against the white filigree, the ground’s opacity reinforced by parallel filigree rods placed beneath it."—The Encyclopedia of Glass Paperweights. (See L. H. Selman Ltd. Spring 1993 Mail Auction, lot 17) Diameter 2 11/16". $1500–2500

7. Very fine close packed millefiori weight, origin unknown, possibly Bacchus, Bohemian or Islington. This design contains millefiori canes of great complexity that obviously required much thought on the part of the maker. Many of the elements have been greatly diminished and combined with other elements to create a pattern in a large complex cane. The canes, many of which exhibit fanciful, non-geometric forms, defy easy identification. The many different shapes cause one to wonder whether they were created by a lampwork process. Cane colors include salmon, pistachio, Persian blue, amethyst, tangerine and white.

This previously unrecorded weight exhibits characteristics found in both Bohemian and Bacchus designs. Like Bacchus, the elements of the canes have been bundled and reduced till they display an extraordinary complexity and fineness. Like many Bacchus weights the canes have been drawn down to form a mushroom-like stem at the base of the piece. The coloring of the canes is much more vibrant than one generally finds in Bacchus paperweights. Only two known examples of Islington paperweights are extant. They were not available for study at the time of this writing. It is entirely possible that this could be a piece of workmanship from an as yet undiscovered factory. Whatever its attribution, this piece’s craftsmanship rivals the best of the great French factories. See detail on p. 7. Diameter 2 7/8". $2500–3500

8. Baccarat quatrefoil garland millefiori weight with four petal-shaped loops of complex ruby, white and blue cog/arrow/fortress canes, alternating with red and white stardust/bull’s-eye canes, emanating from a circlet of ruby cogs centered in a blue and white stardust/bull’s-eye cane. Complex cog/quatrefoil/fortress canes have been placed inside the loops of the garland. Diameter 3 1/16". $500–750

9. Good Baccarat dated scattered millefiori weight with the Gridel silhouettes of a moth, a deer, a dog, a horse, a rooster, a monkey, lovebirds, a hunter, a squirrel and a goat, interspersed with complex cog canes, arrow canes, six-pointed star canes, trefoil canes, quatrefoil canes and whorl canes, in cobalt blue, ruby, turquoise, yellow, salmon, amethyst and cadmium green, on a white lace ground decorated with cobalt blue, turquoise, salmon and cadmium green tubes and twists. B1848 signature/date cane.

"The separation of the large canes gives them a breathing space they do not have in the close millefiori and makes their colors look as bright as Clichy."—The Encyclopedia of Glass Paperweights.

(See The Art of the Paperweight—Challenging Tradition, p. 32; The Encyclopedia of Glass Paperweights, pp. 54–55; Glass Paperweights, p. 34; Glass Paperweights in The Art Institute of Chicago, p. 36) See inside front cover. Diameter 2 7/8". $2500–3500

10. Rare Baccarat interlaced trefoil ruby-flash overlay weight containing a trefoil of red and white stardust/bull’s-eye canes interlocked with a trefoil of six-pointed star/star canes around a central circlet of green and white stardust/bull’s-eye canes centered, on a complex stardust/arrow/six-pointed star cane. A complex arrow/fortress or arrow/six-pointed star cane has been placed inside each loop of the garland. The design floats inside a ruby-flash overlay with six and one faceting and fancy finger flutes around the base. Some minor chips in the overlay.

"For precision of design, these are among the finest paperweights." —The Encyclopedia of Glass Paperweights. (See The Art of the Paperweight, p. 86; The Encyclopedia of Glass Paperweights, p. 55; Glass Paperweights of The Bergstrom-Mahler Museum, plate 30, ill. 306; Hobbies (October 1941), cover; Identifying Antique Paperweights—Millefiori, plate 33; One Hundred of the Most Important Paperweights, p. 49; Paperweights for Collectors, p. 61) See detail on p. 63. Diameter 3 1/4". $5000–7000

11. Baccarat scattered millefiori weight with the Gridel silhouettes of a deer, a rooster, lovebirds, a pelican and a goat, interspersed with complex cog canes, arrow canes, six-pointed star canes and trefoil canes, in cobalt blue, ruby, turquoise, yellow, salmon, amethyst and cadmium green, on a white lace ground.

"These weights show the Baccarat millefiori to best advantage and rank among the most attractive items from this factory."—Glass Paperweights.