The French firm L.J. Maës, better known as “Clichy” after the suburb of Paris where it was first located, made the portrait paperweight of the young Queen Victoria.
The portrait is in the “sulphide” technique. First, the image of Victoria was engraved into a hard metal mould. Next, a white “porcellaneous” mixture was poured in the mold. Once the mixture dried, it was taken out of the mould and encased on clear, hot glass. Moulds could be used over and over, and hundreds of copies produced.
Victoria’s paperweight also has “roses” surrounding her portrait. These are long thin strands of colored glass that have been laid out in the pink and green pattern, then cut cross-wise to make the multiple, duplicate roses.
|
The paperweight to the right celebrates the current queen, whose full title is: “Elizabeth the Second, by the Grace of God, of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and of Her other Realms and Territories Queen, Head of the Commonwealth.”
Her coronation, which took place at Westminster Abbey on June 2, 1953, was a spectacular event for the United Kingdom after the trauma of the Second World War (1939-1945). The ceremony was accompanied by many souvenirs and keepsakes, including glass paperweights, goblets, and coronation bowls.
The paperweight commemorates the twenty-fifth anniversary of the queen’s reign, celebrated in 1977. This paperweight, coincidentally, is like the Clichy Queen Victoria paperweight from one hundred and twenty years earlier in that both are sulphides, both have garlands with roses around the queen, and both are on purple colored glass.
|
The matching portraits of Victoria and Albert were made much more quickly and cheaply. The images were printed in color, set in the metal bases, and then the clear glass domes were fastened on top. Just like that, a quick, popular and colorful paperweight!
|
|
Paperweight, c. 1845-55
Glass with sulphide portrait of Queen Victoria and millefiori garland of “roses” on dark purple ground
L.J. Maës (Clichy), Paris, France
D. C. Smith Collection
|
Paperweight, 1977
Glass with sulphide portrait of Queen Elizabeth II
and millefiori garland of
“roses” on purple ground
Compagnie des Cristalleries de Baccarat,
Baccarat, France
D. C. Smith Collection
|
Two Paperweights, mid 19th century
Printed portraits of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert,
metal plates, clear glass domes
Unknown maker
D. C. Smith Collection
|
|
