Hi All,
I am having a clear out to create much need space for new paperweights and, before they go, I thought I would post pictures of two American weights containing ceramic figures which are unusual and we don't often see these in the UK.
The first weight is a Fawn set inside an elongated bubble which is surrounded by a design of yellow leaves. This is a magnum of 3.5" diameter made by Joe Zimmerman of Corydon, Indiana and is signed with a letter Z impressed in the base. It is very similar to the hollow weights made by Perthshire but Joe's bubble weights precede these as, although he rarely dated any of his work, he opened his studio in 1963, some five years before Perthshire opened, and worked there until his untimely death in 1983.
The second weight is of Betsy Ross, an American folklore legend, as she sewed the first stars and stripes flag and it can be seen on her lap. This weight is 3" in diameter and height and was made by Joe Rice in Elwood, Indiana. The name Joe Rice and date of 1999 are impressed in the base.
These weights with ceramic figures were made by several American makers, other than these two, such as the St Clair family, Gibson, Gentile and Prestige Art Glass. I have several examples in my collection and they have a certain charm and novelty value.
Dave