Topic: Pink Millefiori on Trellis

[BobKegeles]

In my 11 months of dedicated buying and selling of W8s, I've probably seen 4 or 5 of these, most pink, one yellow.

What are the things I should be looking at to figure out rough age, country of origin, (I assume either US or China early 20th century), and whether it is an important, (valuable, or very collectible) piece, or simply a common pretty piece without significant value.

I see pieces that to my untrained eye, look very similar, and are very valuable. Yet these pop up very cheaply. This one cost me $6.00.

I had one basically identical, not in as good condition, (this one is pristine), I listed on eBay at $19.95 opening bid. Stating in the listing that I had no clue of it's value, that it could be a piece of junk (as far as collectability goes), or it could be a valuable antique, but that I didn't have a clue. It sold for $200ish with3 active bidders bidding it up.

This is 3-1/4" wide, 2" high, 1 pound 4 oz.

Bottom is highly polished, and the piece is crystal clear, with the "trellis" just perfect.

I'd love to know what these are. Any and all help will be very appreciated.

Bob

[RescoCCC]

Want to double your money? 

[BobKegeles]

lol

[tropdevin]

***

Hi.  I have seen a few of these - I have always assumed they were Murano.  The millefiori canes look like early - mid 20th C Murano ones.

Regarding your broader question on what to look out for, there is no simple answer I'm afraid.   You need to read books, visit fairs and auctions and handle paperweights, talk to fellow collectors and dealers, join paperweight clubs, and build your expertise.  And don't believe everything you read, especially on the internet - there are some dire sites that purport to help you identify paperweights, such as Hobbizine (full of misleading quotes from 80 year old books and catalogues, and very few images - it does more harm than good).

Alan

[RescoCCC]

Here's my favorite site for reliable paperweight info.

http://www.pwts.co.uk