Chinese Paperweights for Sale
Chinese Paperweights for Sale
This group of paperweights is a representative sample of the Chinese Paperweights made in the late 1920s and throughout the 1930s as an attempt to duplicate 19th Century antique weights made in the United States and France. Because they are almost 100 years old, they are very collectible. Every collector should own a few of these as study pieces. I have also included some other Chinese paperweights that are newer or uniquely Chinese.
The history of the early Chinese paperweights is mostly anecdotal as no written records have been discovered. The story is that an American dealer sent examples of paperweights made by the New England Glass Company (NEGC), Boston & Sandwich Glass Company (B&S), Millville makers, and French factories to a Chinese factory and requested copies be made. The results are interesting and sometimes confused with the originals by inexperienced collectors. The earliest pictures of these paperweights appeared in the book American Glass Paperweights by Francis Edgar Smith published in 1939. Smith was aware that at least one of the paperweights shown in his book was Chinese. Since Smith was not an expert collector, this indicates that there was some general knowledge that these were Chinese prior to 1939.
In the United States, the Tariff Act of 1930 required that every imported item must be conspicuously and indelibly marked in English with its country of origin. As a result, many of these Chinese paperweights are scratch signed on the bottom "CHINA". Many are also not signed, suggesting that either they were imported prior to 1930 or the importer ignored the requirement. Most likely the earliest Chinese paperweights were made prior to 1930.
The Chinese makers often combined design features found in paperweights from different makers. For example they copied the latticinio grounds used by New England Glass Company and used them with copies of Baccarat Pansy weights. The original Baccarat pansy paperweights never had a latticinio ground. They copied the pedestal rose from Millville and then used the pedestal bottom with other weights. It is fun to collect all the variations.
Most have a light weight glass mixture that is high in soda and has a greenish tinge. The glass also has a soft almost oily feel. Frequently they have bubbles or debris in the glass. And because of their age, many of these have minor scratches or other surface defects.
For more information on Chinese paperweights, there is a great chapter on Chinese paperweights in the book World Paperweights: Millefiori and Lampwork by Robert Hall. The book includes a price guide. For this and other great references on paperweights, check out my list of paperweight books for sale.
If you are interested in
purchasing any of these paperweights, e-mail Allan Port at: aport@paperweights.com
| 3524 | Chinese Millefiori Red Peacock
Paperweight. circa 1945 -1970. This is
a uniquely Chinese invention. The paperweight is in the form
of an upright peacock with its brilliant red plumage (train) on
display. The feathers have yellow and blue feather
eyes. There is a molded neck and head on the lower
surface. There are three types of millefiori used in the
construction: red feather canes, yellow and blue eye canes,
and a single large mosaic cane for the body. We don't know
exactly when these first appeared but they were found in the US
during the 1960s, so I believe this is a post WWII product.
There is a single flat facet on the lower edge to allow the
paperweight to stand upright. A fun collectible. Chinese Paperweights were made in the late 1920s and throughout the 1930s as an attempt to duplicate 19th Century antique weights made in the United States and France. Because they are almost 100 years old, they are very collectible and every collector should own a few of these as study pieces. The history of the early Chinese paperweights is mostly anecdotal as no written records have been discovered. The story is that an American dealer sent examples of paperweights made by the New England Glass Company (NEGC), Boston & Sandwich Glass Company (B&S), Millville makers, and French factories to a Chinese factory and requested copies be made. The results are interesting and sometimes confused with the originals by inexperienced collectors. The earliest pictures of these paperweights appeared in the book American Glass Paperweights by Francis Edgar Smith published in 1939. Smith was aware that at least one of the paperweights shown in his book was Chinese. Since Smith was not an expert collector, this indicates that there was some general knowledge that these were Chinese prior to 1939. In the United States, the Tariff Act of 1930 required that every imported item must be conspicuously and indelibly marked in English with its country of origin. As a result, many of these Chinese paperweights are scratch signed on the bottom "CHINA". Many are also not signed, suggesting that either they were imported prior to 1930 or the importer ignored the requirement. Most likely the earliest Chinese paperweights were made prior to 1930. The Chinese makers often combined design features found in paperweights from different makers. For example they copied the latticinio grounds used by New England Glass Company and used them with copies of Baccarat Pansy weights. The original Baccarat pansy paperweights never had a latticinio ground. They copied the pedestal rose from Millville and then used the pedestal bottom with other weights. It is fun to collect all the variations. In general, Chinese paperweights from the
1930s have a light weight glass mixture that is high in soda
and has a greenish tinge. The glass also has a soft almost
oily feel. Frequently they have bubbles or debris in the
glass. And because of their age, many of these have
minor scratches or other surface defects. Chinese
paperweights made in the 1970s and later usually have better
quality glass and are free of debris. Large Size: 3 3/16" at the widest by 3" high by 1
3/8" thick. The base is ground flat. The lower edge
has been ground flat to allow the peacock to rest upright. For extra pictures, click on the picture at the right and the following links: Large picture of the paperweightSOLD. Click on the picture to see a larger image. |
Click
on the picture to see a larger image |
| 1772 | Rare Chinese Scramble Paperweight with
"MADE IN CHINA" Signature Canes. circa 1930. A
humorous addition from China. Since this style was intended
to be a copy of a French scramble or end of day weight from
1845-1860 (probably St. Louis or Clichy), it leaves you wondering
why they chose to add the "MADE IN CHINA" canes at the
bottom. Perhaps it was a response to the US customs
requirement that goods be marked with the country of origin in
English starting about 1930. Some importers complied by
scratch signing the word CHINA on the bottom. In any event,
this is a rare and welcome addition to any collection of Chinese
paperweights. As with most Chinese
paperweights, this paperweight has a light weight glass mixture
that is high in soda and has a greenish tinge. The glass has a
soft oily feel and there are some
light scratches and small nicks. This example is
especially colorful. Special thanks to another collector who
pointed out that the words are actually word canes rather than
painted plaques. The lettering goes all the way through
the white background from top to bottom. You can see the
letters in reverse from the bottom. This is in contrast
to a painted plaque where the letters would be visible on only
the top surface. Chinese Paperweights were made in the late 1920s and throughout the 1930s as an attempt to duplicate 19th Century antique weights made in the United States and France. Because they are almost 100 years old, they are very collectible and every collector should own a few of these as study pieces. The history of the early Chinese paperweights is mostly anecdotal as no written records have been discovered. The story is that an American dealer sent examples of paperweights made by the New England Glass Company (NEGC), Boston & Sandwich Glass Company (B&S), Millville makers, and French factories to a Chinese factory and requested copies be made. The results are interesting and sometimes confused with the originals by inexperienced collectors. The earliest pictures of these paperweights appeared in the book American Glass Paperweights by Francis Edgar Smith published in 1939. Smith was aware that at least one of the paperweights shown in his book was Chinese. Since Smith was not an expert collector, this indicates that there was some general knowledge that these were Chinese prior to 1939. In the United States, the Tariff Act of 1930 required that every imported item must be conspicuously and indelibly marked in English with its country of origin. As a result, many of these Chinese paperweights are scratch signed on the bottom "CHINA". Many are also not signed, suggesting that either they were imported prior to 1930 or the importer ignored the requirement. Most likely the earliest Chinese paperweights were made prior to 1930. The Chinese makers often combined design features found in paperweights from different makers. For example they copied the latticinio grounds used by New England Glass Company and used them with copies of Baccarat Pansy weights. The original Baccarat pansy paperweights never had a latticinio ground. They copied the pedestal rose from Millville and then used the pedestal bottom with other weights. It is fun to collect all the variations. In general, Chinese paperweights from the 1930s have a light weight glass mixture that is high in soda and has a greenish tinge. The glass also has a soft almost oily feel. Frequently they have bubbles or debris in the glass. And because of their age, many of these have minor scratches or other surface defects. Chinese paperweights made in the 1970s and later usually have better quality glass and are free of debris.
Small Size: Just over 2” diameter by 1
5/16" high. The base is fire finished flat. For extra pictures, click on the picture at the right and the following links: Large picture of the paperweight$95 postage paid in the US. Click on the picture to see a larger image. |
Click
on the picture to see a larger image |
| 1234 | Chinese Cube Aquarium 1930s Paperweight
with Sitting Buddha Figure. circa 1930.
This is a Chinese invention. It is intended to be
placed in an aquarium along with the rocks and plants.
This cube shaped paperweight features a painted sitting Buddha
figure sitting on a mound of green grass or moss. The cube
has beveled edges. Approximately cube shaped, but it is
higher than it is deep or wide. Novelty items like this
started appearing in the US in the 1930s and some were sold at the
1939 World's Fair. A fun collectible. Chinese Paperweights were made in the late 1920s and throughout the 1930s as an attempt to duplicate 19th Century antique weights made in the United States and France. Because they are almost 100 years old, they are very collectible and every collector should own a few of these as study pieces. The history of the early Chinese paperweights is mostly anecdotal as no written records have been discovered. The story is that an American dealer sent examples of paperweights made by the New England Glass Company (NEGC), Boston &Sandwich Glass Company (B&S), Millville makers, and French factories to a Chinese factory and requested copies be made. The results are interesting and sometimes confused with the originals by inexperienced collectors. The earliest pictures of these paperweights appeared in the book American Glass Paperweights by Francis Edgar Smith published in 1939. Smith was aware that at least one of the paperweights shown in his book was Chinese. Since Smith was not an expert collector, this indicates that there was some general knowledge that these were Chinese prior to 1939. In the United States, the Tariff Act of 1930 required that every imported item must be conspicuously and indelibly marked in English with its country of origin. As a result, many of these Chinese paperweights are scratch signed on the bottom "CHINA". Many are also not signed, suggesting that either they were imported prior to 1930 or the importer ignored the requirement. Most likely the earliest Chinese paperweights were made prior to 1930. The Chinese makers often combined design features found in paperweights from different makers. For example they copied the latticinio grounds used by New England Glass Company and used them with copies of Baccarat Pansy weights. The original Baccarat pansy paperweights never had a latticinio ground. They copied the pedestal rose from Millville and then used the pedestal bottom with other weights. It is fun to collect all the variations. In general, Chinese paperweights from the
1930s have a light weight glass mixture that is high in soda
and has a greenish tinge. The glass also has a soft almost
oily feel. Frequently they have bubbles or debris in the
glass. And because of their age, many of these have
minor scratches or other surface defects. Chinese
paperweights made in the 1970s and later usually have better
quality glass and are free of debris. Size: Just under 1 5/16" wide by 1 1/4" deep by
just under 1 1/2" high. For extra pictures, click on the picture at the right and the following links: Large picture of the paperweightSOLD. Click on the picture to see a larger image. |
Click
on the picture to see a larger image  |
| 1035 | Old Chinese Two Color Fantasy Flower
Paperweight with Leaves and Bud - Copy of Baccarat Antique.
Circa
1930. This is a copy of a French Baccarat 12 petal
fantasy flower paperweight with bud made in the classic period
from 1845-1860. The two color flower has a complex
millefiori center cane, five leaves, and a stem. The ground
is clear. The style dates from the 1920s or 1930s and is
almost an antique.
Note: In this example the flower separated slightly from the stem during the stem during encasement. Chinese Paperweights were made in the late 1920s and throughout the 1930s as an attempt to duplicate 19th Century antique weights made in the United States and France. Because they are almost 100 years old, they are very collectible and every collector should own a few of these as study pieces. The history of the early Chinese paperweights is mostly anecdotal as no written records have been discovered. The story is that an American dealer sent examples of paperweights made by the New England Glass Company (NEGC), Boston & Sandwich Glass Company (B&S), Millville makers, and French factories to a Chinese factory and requested copies be made. The results are interesting and sometimes confused with the originals by inexperienced collectors. The earliest pictures of these paperweights appeared in the book American Glass Paperweights by Francis Edgar Smith published in 1939. Smith was aware that at least one of the paperweights shown in his book was Chinese. Since Smith was not an expert collector, this indicates that there was some general knowledge that these were Chinese prior to 1939. In the United States, the Tariff Act of 1930 required that every imported item must be conspicuously and indelibly marked in English with its country of origin. As a result, many of these Chinese paperweights are scratch signed on the bottom "CHINA". Many are also not signed, suggesting that either they were imported prior to 1930 or the importer ignored the requirement. Most likely the earliest Chinese paperweights were made prior to 1930. The Chinese makers often combined design features found in paperweights from different makers. For example they copied the latticinio grounds used by New England Glass Company and used them with copies of Baccarat Pansy weights. The original Baccarat pansy paperweights never had a latticinio ground. They copied the pedestal rose from Millville and then used the pedestal bottom with other weights. It is fun to collect all the variations. In general, Chinese paperweights from this period have a light weight glass mixture that is high in soda and has a greenish tinge. The glass also has a soft almost oily feel. Frequently they have bubbles or debris in the glass. And because of their age, many of these have minor scratches or other surface defects. Size: 2 11/16" diameter by 2"
high. The bottom is ground flat. For extra pictures, click on the picture at the right and the following links: Large picture of the paperweight$39 postage paid in the US. Click on the picture to see a larger image. |
Click on the picture
to see a larger image |
|
|
Signed 1930s Chinese Closepack
Millefiori Paperweight. c.1930. This is a copy of a French
antique paperweight from 1845-1860. Most likely it was based
on a Clichy closepack design. Clear ground. A nice
example with great color.
Please ignore the white areas, they are glare from the lights. Large Size: 2 7/8” diameter by just under 1
1/2" high. For extra pictures, click on the picture at the right and the following links: Large picture of the paperweight$55 postage paid in the US. Click on the picture to see a larger image. |
 |
|
|
Chinese Aquarium Type Brush
Holder Paperweight with Wing On Label. circa 1940 or
later. This is a uniquely Chinese invention. The form
is intended to be a brush rest or brush holder or even a chopstick
holder. This version has two fish swimming around orange
foliage, a motif mimicking a design used in aquarium
displays. This example, although it has some damage, is
interesting because of the partial red paper label, which reads
"THE WING ON CO., (SHANGHAI?) MADE IN CHINA". A large
building is also depicted on the label. The label identifies
the seller (or distributor), not the manufacturer. The Wing
On Co. was one of the four largest department stores in Shanghai
from 1918 until it was nationalized in 1966. The company
started out as the Wing On fruit store in Australia in 1897.
A fun collectible. Note: This paperweight has one large chip (7/16") on a corner of the base plus two other tiny chips on the base. Chinese Paperweights were made in the late 1920s and throughout the 1930s as an attempt to duplicate 19th Century antique weights made in the United States and France. In general, Chinese paperweights from the 1930s have a light weight glass mixture that is high in soda and has a greenish tinge. The glass also has a soft almost oily feel. Frequently they have bubbles or debris in the glass. And because of their age, many of these have minor scratches or other surface defects. Chinese paperweights made later usually have better quality glass and are free of debris. This paperweight probably dates from the 1940s or later. Size: Just over 2 7/8” long by just under 1 3/16"
deep by just over 1 1/16" high. For extra pictures, click on the picture at the right and the following links: Large picture of the paperweight$45 postage paid in the US. Click on the picture to see a larger image. |
 |
| 2454 | Chinese Concentric Millefiori
Paperweight. c.1930. This is a copy of a Clichy paperweight
from France made in the classic period from 1845-1860. Clear
ground. A nice example although there is quite a bit
of dirt in the glass.
Size: 2 1/2" diameter by 1 1/3" high. Not signed. One small chip on the side plus some pitting in the glass. $35 postage paid in the US. Click on the picture to see a larger image. |
Click on the picture to see a larger image |
| 2496 | Rare Chinese Copy of a NEGC Faceted
Millefiori Nosegay Paperweight. circa 1930. This
is an almost antique Chinese copy of a New England Glass Company
(NEGC) Posy Paperweight made circa 1860. It has the fancy
NEGC quatrefoil faceting and setup. The millefiori nosegay
consists of three red, white, and yellow complex millefiori canes
with four green leaves and a stem. All this surrounded by
two garlands of complex millefiori, one made up pink and blue
flowers, the other made pink and white flowers with green
centers. This great setup is on top of a latticinio swirl
ground. There are twelve side facets (four large and eight
smaller) plus the four part top facet with a notch between
each. This is a fantastic addition to any collection of
antique paperweights. In some ways, the execution of this
example is better than the original NEGC, since NEGC examples
usual have tipped or cracked canes and the posy is often
smudged.
Chinese Paperweights were made in the late 1920s and throughout the 1930s as an attempt to duplicate 19th Century antique weights made in the United States and France. Because they are almost 100 years old, they are very collectible and every collector should own a few of these as study pieces. The history of the early Chinese paperweights is mostly anecdotal as no written records have been discovered. The story is that an American dealer sent examples of paperweights made by the New England Glass Company (NEGC), Boston & Sandwich Glass Company (B&S), Millville makers, and French factories to a Chinese factory and requested copies be made. The results are interesting and sometimes confused with the originals by inexperienced collectors. The earliest pictures of these paperweights appeared in the book American Glass Paperweights by Francis Edgar Smith published in 1939. Smith was aware that at least one of the paperweights shown in his book was Chinese. Since Smith was not an expert collector, this indicates that there was some general knowledge that these were Chinese prior to 1939. In the United States, the Tariff Act of 1930 required that every imported item must be conspicuously and indelibly marked in English with its country of origin. As a result, many of these Chinese paperweights are scratch signed on the bottom "CHINA". Many are also not signed, suggesting that either they were imported prior to 1930 or the importer ignored the requirement. Most likely the earliest Chinese paperweights were made prior to 1930. The Chinese makers often combined design features found in paperweights from different makers. For example they copied the latticinio grounds used by New England Glass Company and used them with copies of Baccarat Pansy weights. The original Baccarat pansy paperweights never had a latticinio ground. They copied the pedestal rose from Millville and then used the pedestal bottom with other weights. It is fun to collect all the variations. In general, Chinese paperweights from this period have a light weight glass mixture that is high in soda and has a greenish tinge. The glass also has a soft almost oily feel. Frequently they have bubbles or debris in the glass. And because of their age, many of these have minor scratches or other surface defects. Large Size: Just under 3" diameter by 2" high. The
bottom is ground concave. For extra pictures, click on the picture at the right and the following links: Large picture of the paperweight$225 postage paid in the US. Click on the picture to see a larger image. |
 |
| 1447 | Chinese Concentric Millefiori
Paperweight. circa 1930. This is a copy of a Clichy
paperweight from France made in the classic period from
1845-1860. Clear ground. This type is not as common as the
other patterned millefiori weights, nor is it as intricate.
The millefiori canes are simple canes. Perhaps it was made
later or perhaps by a different factory.
Small Size: 2 3/8” diameter by just under 1 7/8”
high. For extra pictures, click on the picture at the right and the following links: Large picture of the paperweight$35 postage paid in the US. Click on the picture to see a larger image. |
 |
| 2238 | Chinese Millefiori Perfume Bottle or
Inkwell. c.1930. Matching concentric millefiori
pattern in the base and the stopper. Each has four rings of
millefiori around a central floral cane. The base is
footed. I would call this bottle a scent or perfume bottle
because of the long stopper that reaches almost to the bottom of
the well. A very desirable Chinese paperweight collectible.
This is a copy of a Whitefriars inkwell from about 1920. You can see the Whitefriars version by clicking this link. Note the similarity right down to the footed base. Size: 3 1/8" diameter by 5 1/2" high. Excellent condition with only minor wear consistent with age. As is typical of Chinese paperweights from this period, there is some debris in the glass and it has a greenish hue. For comparable pricing, check lot 288 in Selman's Fall 2002 auction, in which a similar sized bottle brought $303 against an estimate of $275-$400. For extra pictures, click on the picture at the right and the following links: Large picture of the paperweight$150 postage paid in the US. Price reduced (was $195) Click on the picture to see a larger image. |
Click on the picture
to see a larger image |
| 1247 | Rare Chinese Copy of a NEGC Faceted
Millefiori Nosegay Paperweight (Excellent condition).
circa 1930. This is an almost antique Chinese copy of a New
England Glass Company (NEGC) Posy Paperweight made circa
1860. It has the fancy NEGC quatrefoil faceting and
setup. The millefiori nosegay consists of three red, white,
and yellow complex millefiori canes with four green leaves and a
stem. All this surrounded by two garlands of complex
millefiori, one made up pink and blue flowers, the other made pink
and white flowers with green centers. This great setup is on
top of a latticinio swirl ground. There are twelve side
facets (four large and eight smaller) plus the four part top facet
with a notch between each. This particular example is
unusually large and is in exceptional condition. A fantastic
addition to any collection of antique paperweights. In some
ways, the execution of this example is better than the original
NEGC, since NEGC examples usual have tipped or cracked canes and
the posy is often smudged.
Chinese Paperweights were made in the late 1920s and throughout the 1930s as an attempt to duplicate 19th Century antique weights made in the United States and France. Because they are almost 100 years old, they are very collectible and every collector should own a few of these as study pieces. The history of the early Chinese paperweights is mostly anecdotal as no written records have been discovered. The story is that an American dealer sent examples of paperweights made by the New England Glass Company (NEGC), Boston & Sandwich Glass Company (B&S), Millville makers, and French factories to a Chinese factory and requested copies be made. The results are interesting and sometimes confused with the originals by inexperienced collectors. The earliest pictures of these paperweights appeared in the book American Glass Paperweights by Francis Edgar Smith published in 1939. Smith was aware that at least one of the paperweights shown in his book was Chinese. Since Smith was not an expert collector, this indicates that there was some general knowledge that these were Chinese prior to 1939. In the United States, the Tariff Act of 1930 required that every imported item must be conspicuously and indelibly marked in English with its country of origin. As a result, many of these Chinese paperweights are scratch signed on the bottom "CHINA". Many are also not signed, suggesting that either they were imported prior to 1930 or the importer ignored the requirement. Most likely the earliest Chinese paperweights were made prior to 1930. The Chinese makers often combined design features found in paperweights from different makers. For example they copied the latticinio grounds used by New England Glass Company and used them with copies of Baccarat Pansy weights. The original Baccarat pansy paperweights never had a latticinio ground. They copied the pedestal rose from Millville and then used the pedestal bottom with other weights. It is fun to collect all the variations. In general, Chinese paperweights from this period have a light weight glass mixture that is high in soda and has a greenish tinge. The glass also has a soft almost oily feel. Frequently they have bubbles or debris in the glass. And because of their age, many of these have minor scratches or other surface defects. Large Size: Just under 3" diameter by 2 1/8" high.
The bottom is ground concave. For extra pictures, click on the picture at the right and the following links: Large picture of the paperweight$295 postage paid in the US. Click on the picture to see a larger image. |
Click on the picture
to see a larger image  |
| 1568 | 1930s Chinese Millefiori Brushholder
Paperweight. circa 1930-1940. This is another
uniquely Chinese invention. This has also been described as
a chopstick holder. Novelty items like this started
appearing in the US in the 1930s and some were sold at the 1939
World's Fair. I call this shape the lotus flower
shape. It has a floral shape with applied petals around the
outside.
Size: 2 1/8" diameter by 1 1/3" high. For extra pictures, click on the picture at the right and the followinglinks: Large picture of the paperweight$39 postage paid in the US. Click on the picture to see a larger image. |
Click
on the picture to see a larger image |
Revised 3/28/2020 IE
