Topic: Help identifying this Paperweight for uneducated new owner

[nadinemccarthy]

I got this paperweight recently at an auction and started looking around the internet to see just what it was and am totally confused.  I'm not even sure how to even describe it properly.  i.e.  Is it swirled ribbons, or swirled ribbons on "some term" base.  All the terms are quite confusing to a newbie.  Any help would be appreciated.  I couldn't find any markings to identify maker or age.  Here are three pics that hopefully show enough detail for you experts to help me.  Thanks

http://tinypic.com/e9sw8i.jpg

http://tinypic.com/e9swlk.jpg

http://tinypic.com/e9swo9.jpg

[Leni]

Sorry, Nadine, the experts seem to be 'out to lunch' at the moment, so I'll put in my two-penn'orth (and probably get it wrong, as usual  :oops:  :roll: )

Weights like yours are made in a lot of places and it's hard to say exactly who is doing them.  It might well be somebody in China, India, or Italy, but we don't know exactly who those people are.  

However, having seen someone making paperweights, I can say that IMHO these pretty twist weights are too easily dismissed as 'mass produced' and 'unimportant'.  It actually takes a degree of skill, talent and experience to manupulate glass into these clever twists and spirals.  

I'm sorry to say that I don't think you're going to be able to identify the origins of your weight, though   :?   Still, just enjoy it!    I have lots of 'unidentifyable' weights in my collection, and I guess we'll have to accept the fact that we'll probably never know who made them!    :roll:

Leni

[Anne]

Nadine, your weight design is very similar to some of the Chinese weights shown here: http://verredart.atspace.com/C.html, although as Leni says, you may never be able to pin it down 100%.