Collectable glass

Press, 12 August 1980, Page 12

Collectable glass

heated until they stuck together but usually, for the finer work, a rod of each colour would be dipped successively into molten glass of other colours. A cross-section ’ of the completed,. multi-coloured rod resembles, in ■ min--iature, a stick of candy of, tlie Brighton Rock type. The : flowers were then made from these rods. Each particular design was mounted on a glass platform which was -placed in a mould filled with clear, molten glass. The half-completed paper-weight was then put in yet another mould, and its shape finalised. Three famous glassworks in France — the Compagnie des. Crjstal-’ leries de Baccarat; the Compagnie des Verrieres et Cristalleries de St: Louis and the Clichy Glassworks produced quantities of similar paperweights. However,-jt,;: is -possible for an expert to discover the place of manufacture of anj’ particular example, by reference .to samples placed by the makers' in French museums at the time of manufacture. The products of -the French glassworks proved so popular.iywhen they were exported to England 'and’- ‘'-America-' that -both these countries were soon

making their own versions, the American ones being particularly successful. . American glassworks also :■ introduced original designs of .their own. Millefiore paperweights are sometimes offered at auctions' in Christchurch, but I have not found any in local shops. I have seen them in private collections though, so if you really want to own one it pays to watch advertisements and keep an eye open for any which may become available. It is possible to gather together an interesting and attractive collection of other types both ancient and modem while you are waiting for that special A few months ago at the gallery of the Canterbury Society of Arts the America n-born artist, Tony Kuepfer, now living at Inglewood, Tarankaki, exhibited a collection of his ■ work. There were many lovely , glass pieces andamong them, some fine paper-weights. Others had obviously found the work, pleasing because it was nearly all sold by the time I saw it.

...Attractive glass paperweights ‘ Containing .natur-al-looking flower arrangements were also shown io me at Ann-Tigues Gallery in Gloucester . • street. These wire made ixi

Christchurch, but 4 understand that due to some difficulties in the manufacture it is doubtful it there tvill be a continuing supply. At least tw6 stores in town have contemporary paper-weights of various kinds on sale. At Ballantynes there are delight-" ful glass animals • from. Austria, and ; sOtne; very eleg a n t silver-crystal examples from France. ■. ;

One is a deep, glittering purple like polished amethyst; others 'are clear and some have just a tingle of the amethyst colour, any of these would bring distinction to a collection. At Minsons I found what I thought to be the loveliest of all the modern versions. They are 'Hol- . mgaard’ products from Denmark. In smoothlyrounded crystal with glorious colours, they are beautiful to the eye, wonderful to handle, and ■ heavy enough to really hold down paper. This store also has some clear crystal weights, I think from England. .No collection today seems to be complete without something from that rather odd period, the 19205. This era too had its paper-weights. I found some of thern at Village By-gones in Papahui Road. They were solid glas, rectangular in shape and contained black and white advertisements.

One publicises a famous “White Horse" product: another, a particular kind of cornflour and a third, in' competition with the television, advises us to drink Schweppes. : My own desk is so untidy that I am afraid the advertiser’s message would be lost, but I shall continue to look forward to the day when its appearance justifies an elegart paper-weight.