Baccarat Paperweights

To literally 'round' off my recent blogs on glass I thought I'd feature some Baccarat paperweights. Baccarat glassware is produced by an important glass works founded in 1765 at Baccarat, France. Originally a producer of soda glass for windows, tableware, and industrial uses, Baccarat was acquired by a Belgian manufacturer of lead crystal in 1817 and since then has specialized in producing this type of glass. In 1823 the firm won its first gold medal in an international exposition for glass, and a showing of its works at the 1925 Exposition des Arts Decoratifs helped shape the Art Deco style. Among the many artistically significant works it has produced are the pieces by Émile Gallé.
The mainly C19th Millefiori paperweights pictured here require a great degree of skill in their manufacture and are highly collectable.