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
5280 | Chinese Concentric Millefiori
Paperweight with 1856 Date Cane. circa 1960 -
1990. This paperweight is a large two ring concentric
millefiori paperweight with an unusual large "1856" date
cane. The ground is clear glass. It is intended to
replicate antique American and French millefiori paperweights with
date canes, although none of the real antiques used the date
1856. Earlier 1930s Chinese paperweights sometimes had dates
but they were painted in black on white plaques, not canes.
In this case, the 1856 date is a real cane - the number goes all
the way through the glass and can be see in reverse from the
base. A fun collectible. Note: The condition is rated fair because of many light scratches, pinpricks, and abrasions on the surface. In spite of this, it displays well. Please review the pictures. 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 1960s or later. Size: Just under 2 5/8” diameter by 2 1/4"
high. The base is ground flat with a matte finish.
As is typical of modern Chinese paperweights, the base is not a
perfect circle. For extra pictures, click on the picture at the right and the following links: Large picture$69 postage paid in the US. Click on the picture to see a larger image. |
Click
on the picture to see a larger image![]() |
1585 | Very Rare Chinese Quatrefoil Faceted
Blue Flower with Bud on Double Latticinio Paperweight - copy of
NEGC. circa 1930. This is an almost antique
Chinese copy of a New England Glass Company (NEGC) Blue Flower
with Bud Paperweight made circa 1860. It has the fancy NEGC
quatrefoil faceting and double latticinio ground. There is a
blue flower with five petals and a millefiori center and also a
large blue bud and two large green leaves and a stem. The
design is set on a great double latticinio ground. The
paperweight is faceted with a four part top facet and eight side
facets (four large and four smaller). 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 often have large bubbles or other
defects in the latticinio.
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 2 5/8" diameter by 1
7/82" high. The bottom is ground concave. For extra pictures, click on the picture at the right and the following links: Large picture$295 postage paid in the US. Click on the picture to see a larger image. |
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on the picture to see a larger image![]() |
4744 | Large 1930s Chinese Close Packed
Patterned Millefiori Paperweight. circa 1930.
This is a large colorful Chinese close packed patterned millefiori
paperweight with a complex design made in the 1930s. It was
intended to be a copy of a French antique concentric paperweight
from 1845-1860 (probably Baccarat or Clichy). The pattern
mimics the typical Baccarat pattern with a mix of concentric
designs and roundels forming a garland. This paperweight is
unsigned. 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. There are bubbles or debris in the
glass. A welcome addition to any collection of
Chinese paperweights.
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. Very large size: Just under 3 1/16” diameter by 1
9/16" high. The base is fire finished and the center
of the base is ground. The profile is relatively low, as
is typical of Chinese paperweights from this period. For extra pictures, click on the picture at the right and the following links: Large picture$95 postage paid in the US. Click on the picture to see a larger image. |
Click
on the picture to see a larger image![]() |
842 | Magnum 1930s Chinese Scrambled Millefiori
Paperweight. circa 1930. This is an extra large
example of a 1930s scrambled millefiori paperweight from China
filled with a nice assortment of millefiori canes and twist
canes. 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), but it will not fool today's collectors. This
example is scratch signed "CHINA" on the base. As
with most Chinese paperweights of this period, 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 many light scratches and scuff
marks. There are also striations (sugaring) in the
glass. An unusually large example worthy of any collection
of Chinese paperweights. 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.
Very large size: Just under 3 7/16” diameter
by 2 7/16" high. The base is rough, fire finished,
and ground concave in the center. A remnant of the pontil
scar remains in the center. For extra pictures, click on the picture at the right and the following links: Large picture$125 postage paid in the US. 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![]() |
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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. |
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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. |
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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. |
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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. |
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on the picture to see a larger image![]() |
Revised 3/10/2021 IE