Topic: Need advice & help with this old paperweight

[tropdevin]

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Hi.  Two and a half inches would be unusually small for a Bacchus, so I suspect it may be a bit bigger if measured exactly at its widest point.

I have the same problem as Nick - any box of bits and bobs I have (or acquire) usually contains nothing of any value or interest....but that is how it has to be: if everyone had a Bacchus (or anything considered rare) in their cupboard, or found one every time they went to a charity shop, they would not be rare, and we would not be talking about them. (I am sure there is a name for that concept - it is a bit like the 'weak anthropic principle' for the existence of life on earth, but applied to a narrow class of objects...any philosophers out there who can enlighten us?)

Alan

[Mabel]

I've just asked the Hubby to measure it ,it's definitely 2.5 inch at its widest point ? Does this put a spanner in the works with its identity ? Thanks in advance x

[tropdevin]

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Hi Mabel

No - it is definitely a Bacchus paperweight. Just a smaller than usual piece, so maybe not quite so attractive to collectors - but still very desirable.

Alan

[pooleandpaperweights]

Larger, but....

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/A-RARE-BACCHUS-CONCENTRIC-MILLEFIORI-PAPERWEIGHT-Circa-1850-/251241196806?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3a7f246d06&nma=true&si=kMX9%252BXIat80fQpQhbSkuKt%252FxXWo%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557

[tropdevin]

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Regarding the eBay item linked above, the way the basket canes are invisible from above suggests to me it has had significant repolishing, and may well have been 3 1/2 inch or bigger originally.

Alan

[RAY]

it says in the photos it's had a repolish but as you say Alan looks more than slightly

[paperweights]

We had an earlier discussion of Bacchus vs. Gillinder.  This weight resembles my paperweight in size and color.  See the earlier discussion:  http://www.glassmessages.com/index.php/topic,51498.msg292030.html#msg292030

Although the experts on this board rejected Gillinder, I'm still not convinced.  Mabel states that her paperweight was brought back from the US.  It may be American rather than UK.

[tropdevin]

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Hi Allan.

Interesting point, especially as it seems to be on the small side for classic Bacchus. That said, our first classic Bacchus came from Canada; our second from Australia; our third from the USA - these items have a habit of moving around!  And two of our Arculus door stops came from the USA too.

You may recall that John Hawley presented an analysis of 23 Gillinder paperweights in the 2006 Bulletin that split them into two clear categories: the beautiful facetted ones, with lead glass of SG around 2.81 to 2.89, and the unfacetted or less tidy ones made of glass of SG around 2.45 to 2.47 (ie soda lime glass).  Mabel's weight, were it Gillinder, would fall into the second group.  John Hawley and I between us have measured the SG of 21 'classic Bacchus' weights, and have found they all lie in the range 2.95 to 3.10.  So an SG measurement on her weight should show clearly to which group it belongs.

Alan

[johnphilip]

There is what looks like a Whitefriars" Bacchus " on ebay , what do the more knowledgeable think ?
The seller seems to be honest reasonable and ready to answer questions and says he has spoken to many weighties about this weight .

[tropdevin]

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Hi.  If you mean the 'Possible Bacchus' at £830.00, it is a fairly typical Walsh Walsh piece.  I have told the seller (who is a selling agent for others) in the past, but the owner - whoever that may be - insists it is a 'possible Bacchus'.

The moon is 'possibly made of cheese' too.....

Alan