Topic: Old English Paperweight ID

[mhgcgolfclub]

Help to ID this Old English paperweight please.

Diameter 3.25" or 8cm, height 2.5", rough snapped pontil

Thanks Roy

[keith]

Out of my comfort zone but the colour reminds me of Bacchus,beautiful weight whatever it is,
                                                                                                          Keith.

[alexander]

A beautiful weight! May we see a profile pic please.
Thanks.

[mhgcgolfclub]

Thank you

Another picture of the weight

Roy

[tropdevin]

Hi Roy

A very neat weight - that, the design, the colours, and some of the canes strongly suggest Richardson to me. I don't think it is a Bacchus: the short sections of cane and way the base is finished are wrong for that maker.

Alan

[mhgcgolfclub]

Thank you very much Alan

If it were Richardson as you believe what would the approx date be

Thanks Roy

[keith]

Going on Alans response I think it would be early 20th century for a Richardson pwt,best I can do,if you ever get fed up of it let me know I'll give it a good home :thup:
               Keith.

[tropdevin]

Hi All

Dating Richardson pieces is not straightforward, especially paperweights. Various incarnations of 'Richardson' family groups ran glass factories from pre-1845 to post 1900.  The only documented Richardson paperweight designs are, I believe, early 1900s - but then, there are no documented Bacchus paperweight designs (or Clichy, as far as I know!).  One cannot rule out Richardson making paperweights in the 1845 - 1860 period, and IMHO, it would be very odd if they had not produced some at that time.  They were a competent business, and would have seen the success others were having with paperweights.  I have measured the density of a lot of Richardson paperweights and ink wells, and also some pieces in Broadfield House museum that date to the 1840s. Unfortunately, they are all very similar in density - which suggests that Richardson used much the same glass recipe throughout.

I cannot say with any confidence when this particular weight was made, but my suspicion is that it is earlier than the documented designs - ie 19th century.

Alan

[keith]

 :pb: :pb:

[KevinH]

Don't worry, Keith. Alan is one of the very few folk who have made a comprehensive study of Old English weights and it is only recently that his findings have been published in collector literature. So most of us are in the same stage of learning.