L.H. Selman Ltd.

1. Very rare Baccarat three-flower bouquet weight containing a white double clematis with a red, white and blue arrow/six-pointed star cane center, a primrose with a red and white stardust/bull's-eye cane center, and a pansy with a red and white stardust/bull's-eye cane center, on stems with spring green leaves. The bottom petals of the pansy, which have been ingeniously formed with millefiori arrow canes, identify this piece as an early work by the factory. "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 Art of the Paperweight–Challenging Tradition, p. 23; The Encyclopedia of Glass
Paperweights, p. 68) Diameter 3 1/8". $13,000—16,000

2. Very rare Baccarat tricolor bouquet weight containing a white double clematis with a yellow, white and ruby star honeycomb center, arranged with a red and white primrose containing a red and white stardust/bull's-eye cane center, and five blue forget-me-nots. Four of the forget-me-nots contain very fine six-pointed star honeycomb/stardust canes. The flowers are arranged on entwined stems with two types of green leaves. The arrangement floats above a star-cut ground. Barely visible separation in one of the primrose petals. In the parlance of Victorian flower language, the clematis was a symbol of luck. The primrose represented youth. The forget-me-not spoke of true love and remembrance. The flowers combine to send the message, "How lucky we were to find true love in youth." This bouquet features the patriotic colors of the Revolution, and it could be construed as a patriotic message not to forget the ideals that began with the Revolution. "In contrast to the work of the other French factories, Baccarat produced conspicuously formal floral arrangements. These masterfully portrayed flowers 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) See detail p. 5. Diameter 3". $9000—12,000

3. Very rare Baccarat wallflower garland weight containing five white petals outlined in ruby, around a red, white and blue cog/six-pointed star cane center, on a stalk with emerald green leaves. The flower is nestled on a white upset muslin ground inside a garland of cobalt blue, emerald, white and ruby arrow/six-pointed star canes. "Baccarat flowers displayed against muslin grounds are rare."–Baccarat: Paperweights and Related Glass, 1820—1860. "Everyone is familiar with the term 'wallflower', applied to the shy person at a dance who stands by the wall. Legend says the wallflower was once a woman who was killed when she fell from a tower wall as she attempted to elope against her father's wishes. Her love was so strong that she came back as this flower, and she continues to cling to stone walls, waiting for her lover. The glassworkers outdid themselves with this fantastic piece which embodies story and legend. To the Victorians this bloom spoke of fidelity in adversity."–The Art of the Paperweight–Challenging Tradition. (See The Art of the Paperweight, p. 101) See detail p. 19. Diameter 2 7/8". $3000—4000

4. Celebrated Clichy rose bud weight containing a large millefiori rose cupped in emerald green sepals, on a stalk with emerald and sea green leaves, over a swirling white latticinio ground. Clichy artisans created a unique presentation with this design, instilling it with a rare dimension-ality not seen in many other weights of the period. This piece was formerly part of the collection of the New-York Historical Society. Painted in red enamel with museum accession number. "Clichy captured the imagination of the Victorian people with its millefiori rose cane, utilized here to form the bloom of a flower. This delicate cane, highly sought-after, embodies all the mystique and beauty of the real flower. In this rendition, the flower rests on a bed of delicate swirling latticinio, a rose in a spider web."–The Art of the Paperweight–Challenging Tradition. "It is interesting to note that the modeling of this flower is quite different from most flowers of the major French factories of the nineteenth century. The perspective is from the side of the flower rather than the front. In addition, the flower is formed with a single cane instead of the lampwork technique."–Sotheby's, January 18, 1995. (See Glass Paperweights of The New-York Historical Society, p. 61; One Hundred of the Most Important Paperweights, p. 85) See opposite view p. 21. Diameter 3". $12,000—14,000

5. Nice Baccarat bicolored clematis weight, the flower, with a layer of pointed ruby petals cupped inside a layer of ridged white petals, around a red and white stardust/bull's-eye cane center, on a stalk with a closed bud and fifteen green leaves. (See Baccarat: Paperweights and Related Glass, 1820—1860, No. 21; Paperweights [Reilly], p. 7) See detail p. 64. Diameter 3 1/16". $3500—4500

6. Rare Baccarat butterfly garland weight, the insect, with flattened millefiori wings, marbled in shades of orange, green, blue, yellow, purple and red, attached to an eggplant-purple body, with a black head and antennae, and turquoise eyes. The insect floats over a star-cut ground inside a garland of emerald, ruby and white cog/stardust canes alternating with salmon, white and emerald cog/star canes. "These insects dazzle the viewer, the delicate archetypes of a vibrant imagination."–The Art of the Paperweight–Challenging Tradition. "The Baccarat butterfly is basic to any advanced collection."–Paperweights for Collectors. (See Antique Glass Paperweights from France, pp. 1—2, plate 15, ills. 2a, 2c; Glass Paperweights of The Bergstrom Art Center, p. 42, plate 6, ill. 273) See detail p. 29. Diameter 2 3/4". $3250—4500