Topic: HBS?

[frnkvdw]

Hi there,

A faceted Bohemian magnum paperweight i found a while back.
It is flawless, with hardly any shelfwear, but the label on top suggest it is at least before 1993
(after ’93 Czechoslovakia became Czech Republic).

diameter 9,7 cm x height 9 cm (3,81 x 3,54 inch) and a weight of 842 gr.

The label is probably an import label, which I can’t trace back.
Can somebody help me please? Thanks.

H = Harrachov, Harmanova ?
B = Bohemia
S = Sklo (glass)

[tropdevin]

**
I think you may know all that there is to be known about this,  Not Bohemian, but from Czechoslovakia, as you say: I doubt the B is for Bohemia, but who knows what marketing people get up to!  Probably dates to the mid - late 20th century.  Harrachov..maybe: they had a number of cheap and cheerful paperweights for sale when we there a few weeks ago.

Alan

[frnkvdw]

Thanks for your reply Alan.

the region of Bohemia is part of Czechoslovakia, isn’t it? So, why not Bohemia?
I agree this paperweight isn’t that old, somewhere late 20th century, but although i don’t know about it’s worth,
it doesn’t look cheap.
It looks flawless and well made. The facets on the side of the dome look slightly concave, and must have been
sanded and polished on a ‘cabochon’ machine to get this effect. This certainly
requires skill and craftmanship.

[tropdevin]

***

Hi.  The word ' Bohemia' gets used in various ways with paperweights.  You are correct that part of Czechoslovakia (the Czech Republic since 1993) is referred to as Bohemia, and Harrachov is in the Bohemia area, but I think that when paperweight collectors talk about 'Bohemian' or 'Silesian' paperweights they usually think of pieces made in the mid 19th century.  We went into the Harrachov grinding shop when we visited, and there were a lot of different machines, huge numbers of wheels, but just one man working!

Alan

[frnkvdw]

Hi Alan,

Grinding ‘wheels’ are usually cabochon-grinders, to create smooth rounded gems. Only a real craftsman would be able to make facets on such a machine, as it is done
completely freehand. The facets would be concave, just like the facets on this paperweight.

Normal facets, like in gemstones, are made on a rotating flat grinding table, in predefined fixed angles. This results in razor sharp flat facets, like a brilliant-cut used
for diamonds.

...But, i’m happy Harrachov could be a candidate as a maker for this paperweight.

Thanks again for your feedback,
Frank