Glass Sphere Paperweight
Italian Murano Art Glass Sphere Paperweight
By Fratelli Toso
Located in New York, NY
A beautiful vintage Italian Murano hand blown art glass paperweight, Midcentury Modern period
Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Paperweights
Materials
Art Glass, Murano Glass
Orange and Blue Art Glass Sphere Paperweight Decorative Object Signed
By Beranek Glass 1
Located in New York, NY
A very beautiful orange and blue art glass paperweight decorative object by Beránek Glassworks
Category
Mid-20th Century Czech Mid-Century Modern Paperweights
Materials
Art Glass
Murano Paperweight Blue Red Ribbons Italian Art Glass Egg Shape Circa 1960s
By Murano Glass Sommerso
Located in North Hollywood, CA
Art Glass Sphere Paperweight Decorative Object.
A very beautiful orange and blue ribbon art glass
Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Paperweights
Materials
Art Glass, Blown Glass, Murano Glass
Blue Art Glass Ball Sphere Paperweight Decorative Object Signed
Located in New York, NY
A substantial blue art glass ball sphere paperweight or decorative object with bubble design
Category
2010s American Modern Paperweights
Materials
Blown Glass, Art Glass
Emerald Green Art Glass Ball Sphere Paperweight Decorative Object
Located in New York, NY
A beautiful Emerald green art glass ball sphere, in the modern style, with a tropical grass or palm
Category
Late 20th Century Scandinavian Modern Paperweights
Materials
Art Glass, Blown Glass
Vintage Blown Art Glass Paperweight in Blue And Green Spiral 1960s
By Murano Glass Sommerso
Located in North Hollywood, CA
This vintage 1980's glass spiral paperweight or art glass object desk accessory.
Vintage crystal
Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Paperweights
Materials
Art Glass, Blown Glass, Murano Glass
Glass Sphere
Located in New York, NY
A transparent glass sphere on a square glass base decorative object or paperweight, in the Modern
Category
Late 20th Century Modern Paperweights
Materials
Glass
Daum France Blown Crystal Art Glass Paperweight Signed Egg Shape Red Blue White
By Murano Glass Sommerso, Daum
Located in North Hollywood, CA
Vintage Daum France Blown Art Glass Paperweight Signed Egg Shape in Red and Blue Flower Swirl
Category
Late 20th Century French Mid-Century Modern Paperweights
Materials
Crystal
Murano Vintage Heart Shape Art Glass Paperweight Cobalt Blue, Yellow and Murine
By Murano Glass Sommerso, Fratelli Toso
Located in North Hollywood, CA
Murano Vintage Yellow Heart Glass With Bubbles Paperweight Desk Accessory.
Beautiful Murano Art
Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Paperweights
Materials
Art Glass, Blown Glass, Murano Glass
H 1.5 in W 3.25 in D 4 in
Italian Murano Glass Paperweight
By Vintage Murano Gallery
Located in Los Angeles, CA
A very large Italian Murano Paperweight. A spectacular example of hand blown work combining, not
Category
20th Century Italian Paperweights
Materials
Murano Glass, Wood
Large Glass Bubble Paperweights bookends
Located in Los Angeles, CA
A Clear Glass Paperweight with bubbles. Very large sphere that measure 6 1/8"
Large and stunning
Category
20th Century Paperweights
Materials
Art Glass, Glass
Vintage Blown Art Glass Paperweight Blue and White Flower
By Fratelli Toso
Located in North Hollywood, CA
paperweight.
Gorgeous vintage studio hand blown crystal art glass paperweight with a cobalt blue base and a
Category
Late 20th Century Italian Post-Modern Paperweights
Materials
Art Glass, Blown Glass, Murano Glass
Italian Midcentury Murano Floral Glass Sphere on Glass Stand
Located in New York, NY
Italian Mid-Century Modern Murano art glass sphere with floral motif atop a glass Stand. The item
Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Paperweights
Materials
Murano Glass
Modernist Crystal Art Glass World Ball Healing Sphere
By Waterford Crystal
Located in Chula Vista, CA
Modernist Crystal World Ball Healing Sphere Art Glass
4 diameter
Preowned vintage condition
See all
Category
Late 20th Century Modern Paperweights
Materials
Crystal
Italy Clear Sphere Glass Minimalist Style Contemporary Decorative Object
Located in Brescia, IT
Italy clear sphere glass minimalist style contemporary decorative object.
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Minimalist Paperweights
Materials
Glass
Vintage Crystal Art Glass Paperweight in Red and White Swirl Hungary 1960s
By Vintage Murano Gallery
Located in North Hollywood, CA
Vintage Crystal Art Glass Paperweight in Red and White Swirl.
Handcrafted in Hungary still retained
Category
Mid-20th Century Hungarian Mid-Century Modern Paperweights
Materials
Art Glass, Blown Glass, Murano Glass
Midcentury Murano Glass and Gold Dust Spherical Paperweight with Bubbles, 1970s
By Alfredo Barbini
Located in Roma, IT
Beautiful midcentury Murano glass and gold dust spherical paperweight. It was produced in Italy
Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Paperweights
Materials
Glass, Art Glass, Murano Glass
Italian modern paperweight by V. Nason & C. in transparent Murano glass, 1990s
Located in MIlano, IT
glass sphere-shaped paperweight. Inside the structure you can see a variation in the color of the glass
Category
1990s Italian Paperweights
Materials
Murano Glass, Paper
H 3.15 in W 3.15 in D 3.15 in
Paperweight in Murano Glass with Inner Bubbles and Gold Dust, Sculpture, Italy
By Alfredo Barbini
Located in Roma, IT
Beautiful sphere in Murano glass. Game of air rising from a golden dust.
Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Paperweights
Materials
Glass, Art Glass, Murano Glass
Free Shipping
H 2.64 in Dm 2.76 in
Mounted Iridescent Opaline Sphere Paper Weight
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Mounted Iridescent Opaline Sphere paper weight - similar to a tigers eye, yet white, opaque and
Category
20th Century Mid-Century Modern Paperweights
Materials
Opaline Glass
Paperweight with a Nice Sleek Finish and a Beautiful Orange Colour
Located in Oostrum-Venray, NL
:
Dimensions: 6.5 W x 6.5 D x 7 H cm
This sphere has damage and a number G04029 engraved.
A paperweight is
Category
Mid-20th Century Dutch Mid-Century Modern Paperweights
Materials
Art Glass
Venini 24 Karat Gold Inclused Sphere Glass Egg Paperweight
By Venini
Located in New York, NY
Italian handblown glass egg paperweight sculpture with 24-karat gold orb inclusion at center
Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Glass
Materials
Art Glass
Murano Art Glass Paperweight Yellow Modern Desk Accessory
By Vintage Murano Gallery
Located in Miami, FL
A Touch of Venetian Sunshine: Mid-Century Modern Murano Art Glass Paperweight
This captivating
Category
20th Century French Mid-Century Modern Porcelain
Materials
Art Glass, Blown Glass, Murano Glass
Vintage Purple Murano Glass Sculpture/Paperweight, Ball with Included Bubbles
Located in Milano, IT
Vintage Murano paperweight in the shape of a sphere with a flat bottom to make it stand still. Made
Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Space Age Glass
Materials
Glass, Art Glass, Murano Glass
Large Art Glass Sculpture by Robert L. Hamon
Located in South Charleston, WV
5.5" diameter. USA, 1980s large sphere glass tabletop or mantel or shelf sculpture by studio artist
Category
Vintage 1980s American Post-Modern Abstract Sculptures
Materials
Art Glass
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1950s Italian Flavio Poli Seguso Murano Sommerso Organic Glass Vase
By Murano Glass Sommerso, Flavio Poli, Seguso Vetri d'Arte
Located in San Diego, CA
Beautiful and rare vase by Flavio Poli for Seguso, Murano, Sommerso organic glass vase. Vibrant colors no chips or cracks.
Category
20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Glass
Materials
Blown Glass
Loetz Glass Art Nouveau
By Loetz Glass
Located in Buenos Aires, Argentina
Loetz Glass Art Nouveau
Origin Austria Circa 1920
Blue leaves and flowers motif with white background
perfect condition.
Art nouveau, modernist art or modernism was an international ...
Category
Vintage 1920s Austrian Art Nouveau Glass
Materials
Art Glass
Archimede Seguso Signed Bowl, Green Glass with Iridescence, Serenella 18 Green
By Archimede Seguso
Located in Tavarnelle val di Pesa, Florence
Massif rigadin technique, green with deep iridescence. Hand opened. Typical Archimede Seguso Serenella 18 green. Hard to find, part of a beautiful collection listed in his quaderni.
...
Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Vases
Materials
Murano Glass
Skyscraper Series, FiDi Skyline, Set of six Modern Handmade Glass Objects
By Furthur Design
Located in New York, NY
The Skyscraper Series blown glass vessels feature vibrant colors layered atop a mirrored interior that is meant to mimic the various steel and glass structures they are inspired by. ...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Vases
Materials
Mirror, Blown Glass
Seguso Murano Pink Purple Sommerso Art Glass Centerpiece Bowl
By Archimede Seguso
Located in Barcelona, ES
Large hand blown pink Murano glass flower centerpiece bowl. Attributed to Archimede Seguso, Italy, 1950s.
This eye-catching bowl is made of hand blown pink purple glass with scallope...
Category
20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Decorative Bowls
Materials
Glass, Art Glass, Blown Glass, Murano Glass
Fratelli Toso Murano Colorful Millefiori Ribbon Italian Art Glass Paperweights
By Fratelli Toso
Located in Kissimmee, FL
Priced per item - Only 2 Left! Beautiful and colorful vintage Murano hand blown Italian art glass paperweights. Documented to the Fratelli Toso company. Each has their own unique des...
Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Paperweights
Materials
Glass, Art Glass, Blown Glass, Murano Glass, Sommerso, Murrine
Free Shipping
H 2.75 in Dm 3 in
Gilded Decorative Sphere
Located in New York, NY
Gilded Decorative Sphere, apparently unsigned.
Dealer: S138XX
Category
20th Century Unknown Art Deco Abstract Sculptures
Materials
Wood
Blue Glass Hobnail Box
By Fenton Art Glass Company 1
Located in New York, NY
A beautiful blue opaline ombre hobnail art glass vanity box, circa 20th century. Box with hobnail design, blue opaline and ombre hue, finished with a knob lid; a great piece for a va...
Category
20th Century Victorian Decorative Boxes
Materials
Art Glass, Glass
Iridescent Art Glass Paperweight by Steven Correia
By Steven Correia
Located in San Diego, CA
Spectacular iridescent art glass paperweight by Steven Correia, circa 1990s. The piece is in very good vintage condition and measures 3.25"D x 2.5"H; it is signed on the underside. ...
Category
Late 20th Century American Paperweights
Materials
Art Glass
Murano Gambaro Poggi Black Silver Flecks Italian Art Glass Snoopy Dog Sculpture
By Archimede Seguso, Gambaro & Poggi
Located in Kissimmee, FL
Beautiful vintage Murano hand blown black and silver flecks Italian art glass Snoopy puppy dog sculpture / figure. Attributed to the Gambaro & Poggi workshops. The piece is super cut...
Category
Late 20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Animal Sculptures
Materials
Silver Leaf
H 5.5 in W 3.75 in D 4 in
Sommerso jewelry box engraved by Mandruzzato, Murano glass, Italy, 1960
By Alessandro Mandruzzato
Located in BARCELONA, ES
Superb and rare pink sommerso box designed and manufactured by alessandro mandruzzato in murano in the 1960s. Exceptional glass craftsmanship according to the sommerso technique (sup...
Category
Vintage 1960s Italian Hollywood Regency Jewelry Boxes
Materials
Crystal
H 3.55 in W 5.12 in D 3.55 in
Baccarat French Art Glass Zodiac Paperweight Aries Ram Sulfide on Cobalt Blue
By Baccarat
Located in Philadelphia, PA
A fine, faceted French art glass paperweight.
From the Zodiac series.
By Baccarat.
With a white sulphide depicting Aries, Chrysomallus the ram (from whom the Golden Fleece was sh...
Category
20th Century French Paperweights
Materials
Glass
Vintage Murano Glass Aquarium Paperweight
Located in Niederdorfelden, Hessen
Vintage Murano glass aquarium with nine multicolored fishes.
Category
20th Century Italian Animal Sculptures
Materials
Murano Glass
Barbini Murano 1950s Blue Gold Flecks Bubble Italian Art Glass Vanity Powder Box
By Alfredo Barbini
Located in Kissimmee, FL
Beautiful vintage Murano hand blown blue, gold flecks and controlled bubbles Italian art glass powder / jewelry box. Documented to designer Alfredo Barbini, circa 1950s. The piece ha...
Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Jewelry Boxes
Materials
Gold Leaf
H 7.13 in Dm 4.75 in
Sommerso Art Glass Seal Sculpture by Murano
By Murano 5
Located in San Diego, CA
A very nice sommerso art glass seal sculpture by Murano, circa 1970s. The outline of the sculpture is clear blown glass with a bright white and dark black inner core. Has vintage Mur...
Category
Late 20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Animal Sculptures
Materials
Art Glass
Rare Orange Space Age "Carousel" Sofa by Elsie Crawford for Sintoform, 1969
By Elsie Crawford
Located in Media, PA
The "Carousel" fiberglass sofa was designed by Elsie Crawford in 1969 for Sintoform's "Architectural Fiberglass" line. At least three sizes were made, including a 4, 6, and 8-seater ...
Category
Mid-20th Century Unknown Space Age Chairs
Materials
Fiberglass
Recent Sales
1970s Couple Murano Paperweight
Located in Palermo, Italia
Beautiful sphere-shaped Murano glass paperweight with gold inclined spiral details.
Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Paperweights
Materials
Art Glass
1970s Large Murano Paperweight
By Murano 5
Located in London, GB
A beautiful large sphere shaped Murano paperweight with gold inclusion swirl detail and good pontil
Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Paperweights
Materials
Glass
Vintage Purple Murano Glass Sculpture/Paperweight, Ball with Included Bubbles
Located in Milan, IT
Vintage Murano paperweight in the shape of a sphere with a flat bottom to make it stand still. Made
Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Space Age Glass
Materials
Glass, Art Glass, Murano Glass
Cartier Silver and Blue Crystal Glass Panther Desk Set Paperweight Ornaments
By Cartier
Located in Miami, FL
, attached to a blue transparent glass sphere, sphere diameter 3.0 cm
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Spanish Desk Accessories
Materials
Crystal, Sterling Silver
Large Murano Glass Sphere Paperweight with Internal Bubbles, 1970s, Italy
Located in Rome, IT
Large decorative Murano glass sphere with a lovely random pattern of controlled bubbles in sizes
Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Paperweights
Materials
Murano Glass
Modern Large Art Glass Sphere Paperweight Sculpture
Located in New York, NY
Modern large art glass studio paperweight sculpture, with encased glass in pink swirls with gold
Category
Late 20th Century North American Post-Modern Abstract Sculptures
Materials
Art Glass
French Mid-Century Modern Glass Controlled Bubble Paperweight by Schneider
By Schneider Glass
Located in Englewood, NJ
A very cool French, Mid-Century Modern blown glass "Controlled Bubble" paperweight by, Schneider in
Category
Mid-20th Century French Mid-Century Modern Paperweights
Materials
Blown Glass
Modern Art Glass Paperweight
Located in New York, NY
Modern art glass paperweight sphere with controlled bubble rings surrounding a larger central
Category
Late 20th Century North American Modern Paperweights
Materials
Art Glass
Murano Clear Glass Paperweight Air Bubbles Included 1960s
Located in Florence, IT
Murano Clear Glass Paperweight Air Bubbles Included, it could be also a desk accessory. The glass
Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Paperweights
Materials
Murano Glass
Pair of Purple Murano Glass Paperweights with Air Bubble Included 1960
Located in Florence, IT
Pair of Purple Murano Glass Paperweights with air bubble included.
The glass sculture is solid and
Category
Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Paperweights
Materials
Murano Glass
Pair of 2 Vintage Spheres Paper Weight 1980s
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Pair of 2 vintage Italian paper weight
Each piece is in a way unique and handcrafted in Italy. Slight variations in shape, color and size are to be considered a guarantee of a handc...
Category
Vintage 1980s Italian Mid-Century Modern Paperweights
Materials
Chrome
19TH Century " Crystal Ball " On Stand
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
The sphere is supported by a silvered metal " dolphin " appointed base.
Category
Antique 19th Century European Paperweights
Materials
Silver Plate
LOUIS VUITTON Paperweight Monogram Clear Crystal Paper Weight
By Louis Vuitton
Located in North Hollywood, CA
1999.
Acid etched sphere paperweight with the monogram LV of the brand and the flowers.
Collector's
Category
Late 20th Century French Decorative Objects
Large Art Glass Sculpture by Robert L. Hamon
Located in South Charleston, WV
USA, 1980s large sphere glass tabletop or mantel (fireplace) sculpture by studio artist Robert L
Category
Vintage 1980s American Post-Modern Abstract Sculptures
Materials
Art Glass
Irish Art Glass Paperweight Sphere Decorative Object
Located in New York, NY
A very beautiful Irish art glass paperweight sphere or decorative object in several shades of green
Category
Late 20th Century Irish Organic Modern Paperweights
Materials
Art Glass, Blown Glass
Large Glass Bubble Paperweight
Located in Los Angeles, CA
A Clear Glass Paperweight with bubbles. Very large sphere that measure 5 7/8"
Large and stunning
Category
20th Century Mid-Century Modern Paperweights
Materials
Glass, Art Glass
Blue Murano Flower Paperweight
By Murano 5
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Blue Murano flower paperweight - a lovely sphere with a blue blown flower on a blue field. A
Category
20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Paperweights
Materials
Blown Glass
Murano Paperweight with Ribbon Detailing
By Murano 5
Located in Los Angeles, CA
An intricate and lovely multi-ribbon detailed glass sphere. A wonderful decorative paperweight
Category
20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Paperweights
Materials
Blown Glass
Murano Paperweight with Yellow Flower
By Murano 5
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Murano paperweight with yellow flower - the flower sits on a blue field, floating in a clear sphere
Category
20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Paperweights
Materials
Blown Glass
Round Glass Sphere Paper Weight with White Stripes on a Black Field
Located in Los Angeles, CA
A unique and 6" large sphere of glass with white stripes on a black field. The piece is a wonderful
Category
20th Century Paperweights
Materials
Art Glass, Blown Glass
LOUIS VUITTON Paperweight Monogram Clear Crystal Paper Weight
By Louis Vuitton
Located in North Hollywood, CA
1999.
Acid etched sphere paperweight with the monogram LV of the brand and the flowers.
Collector's
Category
Late 20th Century French Modern Paperweights
Materials
Crystal
Italian Art Deco Modern Dark Green Marble Sphere's, circa 1970s, Set of 3
Located in New York, NY
A great set of three (3) 1970s Art Deco Modern dark green marble decorative sphere's. The two
Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Art Deco Paperweights
Materials
Marble
Murano Glass Paper Weight with Wave of Blue
By Vintage Murano Gallery
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Paper weight for the sophisticated desk - Italian blue wave inside Murano art glass sphere. A
Category
20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Paperweights
Materials
Art Glass
Crystal Ball on Brass Stand
Located in Los Angeles, CA
A crystal or glass sphere sitting on a uniquely designed four prong brass stand. This piece is a
Category
20th Century Modern Paperweights
Materials
Brass
Steuben Figurative Crystal Sculpture Love, Intertwined Horns Paperweight, Signed
By Steuben Glass
Located in Big Flats, NY
art glass in form of intertwined horns surmounted by central sphere, Corning Museum of Glass, New York
Category
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Abstract Sculptures
Materials
Crystal
H 4.5 in W 2.5 in D 4.5 in
Paolo Venini Murano Rainbow Filigrana Ribbons Italian Art Glass Paperweight
By Venini
Located in Kissimmee, FL
Filigrana Ribbons Sphere on Cobalt Blue Octagonal Base Paperweight. Documented to Paolo Venini, and signed
Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Desk Accessories
Materials
Blown Glass
Free Shipping
H 5.25 in Dm 2.5 in
Heavy Art Deco Cut Crystal Paper Weight, Numbered Limited Edition
Located in Chillerton, Isle of Wight
French paper weight, probably St Louis Number 229/500
The paperweight has a stepped base in the odeon
Category
Early 20th Century Art Deco Glass
Materials
Crystal
Gilt Bronze and Baccarat Glass Chandelier, France, 19th Century
Located in Madrid, ES
or flower, teardrop and vase. From the bottom hangs a faceted sphere of transparent, hollow glass
Category
Antique 19th Century French Louis XVI Chandeliers and Pendants
Materials
Bronze
Melissa Ayotte Floralsphere Paperweight
By Melissa Ayotte
Located in New York, NY
A Melissa Ayotte floralsphere paperweight with a bouquet of pink and white flowers within a sphere
Category
20th Century American Glass
Materials
Glass
Mlissa Ayotte Floralsphere Paperweight
By Melissa Ayotte
Located in New York, NY
A Melissa Ayotte floralsphere paperweight with a bouquet or orange geraniums within a sphere
Category
Late 20th Century American Glass
Materials
Glass
A Set of 3 Glass Paperweights
Located in New York, NY
In rounded cube form with finely ribbed sides and smooth ends, containing polychrome spheres. In
Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Desk Accessories
Materials
Glass
Signed Vintage Robert Stephan Art Glass Paperweight
By Robert W. Stephan
Located in Los Angeles, CA
A signed vintage art glass paperweight by American glass artist, Robert W. Stephan dating to 1987
Category
20th Century American Modern Paperweights
Materials
Art Glass, Glass
Pair of Large Murano Clear Glass Bookends Decorative Objects
Located in Chicago, IL
Highly unusual large egg shaped Murano spheres with elongated controlled bubble inclusions. These
Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Paperweights
Materials
Glass
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Glass Sphere Paperweight For Sale on 1stDibs
With a vast inventory of beautiful furniture at 1stDibs, we’ve got just the glass sphere paperweight you’re looking for. Each glass sphere paperweight for sale was constructed with extraordinary care, often using glass, art glass and blown glass. There are 9 variations of the antique or vintage glass sphere paperweight you’re looking for, while we also have 1 modern editions of this piece to choose from as well. There are many kinds of the glass sphere paperweight you’re looking for, from those produced as long ago as the 20th Century to those made as recently as the 21st Century. Each glass sphere paperweight bearing Mid-Century Modern hallmarks is very popular. A well-made glass sphere paperweight has long been a part of the offerings for many furniture designers and manufacturers, but those produced by Venini are consistently popular.
How Much is a Glass Sphere Paperweight?
The average selling price for a glass sphere paperweight at 1stDibs is $498, while they’re typically $150 on the low end and $2,200 for the highest priced.
Finding the Right desk-accessories for You
Whether you’ve carved out a space for a nifty home office or you prefer the morning commute, why not dress up your desk with antique and vintage desk accessories? To best tiptoe the line between desk efficiency and desk enjoyment, we suggest adding a touch of the past to your modern-day space.
Desks are a funny thing. Their basic premise has remained the same for quite literally centuries: a flat surface, oftentimes a drawer, and potentially a shelf or two. However, the contents that lay upon the desk? Well, the evolution has been drastic to say the least.
Thank the Victorians for the initial popularity of the paperweight. The Industrial Revolution offered the novel concept of leisure-time to Europeans, giving them more time to take part in the then crucial activity of letter writing. Decorative glass paperweight designs were all the rage, and during the mid-19th-century some of the most popular makers included the French companies of Baccarat, St. Louis and Clichy.
As paper was exceedingly expensive in the early to mid-19th-century, every effort was made to utilize a full sheet of it. Paper knives, which gave way to the modern letter opener, were helpful for cutting paper down to an appropriate size.
Books — those bound volumes of paper, you may recall — used to be common occurrences on desks of yore and where there were books there needed to be bookends. As a luxury item, bookend designs have run the gamut from incorporating ultra-luxurious materials (think marble and Murano glass) to being whimsical desk accompaniments (animal figurines were highly popular choices).
Though the inkwell’s extinction was ushered in by the advent of the ballpoint pen (itself quasi-obsolete at this point), there is still significant charm to be had from placing one of these bauble-like objets in a central spot on one’s desk. You may be surprised to discover the mood-boosting powers an antique — and purposefully empty — inkwell can provide.
The clamor for desk clocks arose as the Industrial Revolution transitioned labor from outdoors to indoors, and allowed for the mass-production of clock parts in factories. Naturally, elaborate designs soon followed and clocks could be found made by artisans and luxury houses like Cartier.
Find antique and vintage desk accessories today on 1stDibs.
Questions About Glass Sphere Paperweight
- What is a glass paperweight?1 Answer1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022A glass paperweight is a small glass object, containing colorful complex designs depicting florals, animals and more. They are paperweights in name only, and are often displayed as prized art pieces. You’ll find a variety of glass paperweights from some of the world’s top sellers on 1stDibs.
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