Topic: Strathearn paperweights - Herbert Dreier?

[SimonD]

I've had a couple of Strathearn paperweights for many years now. (Apologies for the quality of the photos.) They are both very heavy and tall, and have a series of bubbles that surround the internal design. One is an upright flower which emerges from a blue and latticinio 'pot' which is wonderfully executed. The second is an abstract 'coral'/'seaweed' design. They don't appear to be regular production items, and have often wondered if their age and maker could be ascribed.

In the Annual Bulletin of the Paperweight Collectors Association 2006 there is an excellent article entitled "Strathearns We Rarely See". The paperweight featured in Figure 30 on page 84 shows a weight with the same bubble design, but with a millefiori cane centre.

Figure 30: A superb self expression or experimental piece again made by Herbert Dreier using a three layer fountain design. A very rare paperweight made in 1979.

On the basis of this, would I be right in thinking same maker and year?

Simon

[KevinH]

Unless dated, I would say 1978-1980 for the "experimental" Strathearn weights. And although Herbert Dreier very likely made most of them, a few others may have made their share.

See also Richad More's page on "Experimental Millefiori Strathearns" which shows what appears to be the same weight as Fig 30 in the PCA Bulletin article.

And as an extra point, in the Bulletin article, the weights at Fig 36 and Fig 38 are of a type that I have seen several of and those that I have checked under uv do not match the usual Strathearn fluorescence but do match a range of "Unknown Scottish" weights.