Topic: Help with Perthshire Year / PP number

[Tony G]

Hi All,
          does anyone know in what year or in what PP number design, Perthshire used a large centre cane showing a 3 leaf clover or shamrock? The rest of the weight is fairly ordinary early style with a row of cog canes around the centre cane then 11 short twists separated by 1-1-2-2 cog canes. The paperweight is a medium size of about 2 1/2 inches diameter.

Thanks,

Tony

[Wuff]

There is a picture of the cane in "The Complete Guide ..." - but I do not find an image of a weight using it: would be nice to see an image here .

[w84it]

Hi Wuff.   Best I can find is this ...

http://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/vintage-signed-perthshire-paperweight-152514417

[Wuff]

Thanks for the link!
The closest to that seems to be a PP108 (made from 1989 onwards). The one in the book has a butterfly as central cane and 2 (not just 1) concentric rings (possibly because the picture cane was slightly smaller?).  Whilst not mentioned in the book: could it be that occasionally other picture canes were used in the centre?

[Tony G]

Thanks Guys,
                     the PP 108 looks to be the best bet. M & M were obviously aware of the cane as it is shown in a photo on page 163 of their book but they don't give it any other reference. Odd that, as they claim to have every weight made. Just an oversight I think.  Do you think that Perthshire could have made a special version using the shamrock cane for a store in Ireland ?

Cheers,

Tony

PS Thanks also for the photo

[Wuff]

... Odd that, as they claim to have every weight made.  ...

At the end of the image section the Guide shows a few one-offs, just a few examples, which are surely not the only ones. I would be pretty sure they also produced commissioned weights (not only for Selman, for whom there are several), not showing up in Perthshire sales catalogues. Also I have collected over the years images of more than a dozen weights, not showing in the Guide nor (for 1997ff) in sales catalogues, with signature canes and looking like Perthshire ... surely not all of them being fakes.
Conclusion: "every weight made" likely means every production design shown in catalogues, or similar.

[tropdevin]

***

Hi Tony

Ken King wrote an article about some of the commissioned Perthshire weights in PCC Newsletter Issue 96.  The weight with the green shamrock centre cane is thought to have been produced for a mail order company, but no one has found out which one.  They made small editions of various designs for various companies, including: Union Bank of Switzerland, Adams Bank, Scottish Gas, Glenside Organics, Moritex Corporation, Avita Corporation.  As noted various designs for Selman; a Teddy Bear for Harrods; a closepack for Stone Gallery... the list goes on.  They also made a good number of one-off designs, either to order or as designs that never went into production.  Specialist Perthshire collectors are always on the lookout for these.

Below is an image of what I think is a one-off from 2000, with a black and aventurine ground.

Alan

[Tony G]

Hi Alan,
              thanks for that info. It is really interesting and useful to know that so many short runs were made.

Now for a WOW !! That's a great looking paperweight and so precisely made. Fantastic photo, thanks.

Cheers,

Tony