Millefiori Paperweights

Millefiori, or Millifiori, as it is sometimes spelled, is an Italian word meaning a "thousand flowers", which is a reference to the common floral pattern which is usually seen in each glass rod designed for beads, jewelry, and paperweights.

All these glass rods contain a floral pattern inside them. These rods are cut, prepared in an attractive, beautiful design and then attached inside a clear glass paperweight which can range in shape as well. Different shapes can range from being a globe shape to being an egg shape.

The Millefiori paperweight tradition began in ancient Rome where the glass rods or canes were blown and cut. They were then used in decorative glassware, especially in mosaics. In modern times, the Millefiori design can be seen in a variety of things such as pottery, decorative candles and paperweights. Millefiori paperweights are what you will read about further in the article.

The Millefiori paperweights have many different styles and makes. The different styles and makes of Millefiori paperweights range from being antique to modern. Some prices of these Millefiori paperweights make them affordable while others are more expensive than others. People who collect paperweights will probably prefer one specific type over the other. Many people collect Murano Millefiori paperweights. These along with Chinese paperweights are great to display on living room coffee tables.

Among the styles of Millefiori paperweights, the most common is the concentric style. Other styles of Millefiori paperweights include latticino. Latticino is a curved collection of ribbons made of glass with an alignment of Millefiori canes inside the paperweight. ‘Floating’ paperweight are such in which the canes are suspended in midair throughout the inside of the glass Millefiori paperweight. The concentric style of Millefiori paperweights has circles of canes at the bottom of the Millefiori paperweight. The concentric style of Millefiori paperweight comes in a variety of colors. These can vary from sporadic colors in one Millefiori paperweight to only the same color in one Millefiori paperweight. Most Millefiori paperweights normally have tiny air bubbles in them. This is quite common for the Millefiori paperweights as they are made from hand blown glass.

Common makes of Millefiori paperweights are: Baccarat, Clichy, Perthshire, and Caithness, the former two being French and the latter two, English. Baccarat is noted for alternating white canes among various colored. Perthshire paperweights are a kind of Millefiori paperweight. These Perthshire paperweights come in fluted shapes with their sides extending way past the top of the paperweight itself. This can be seen as creating a beautiful border for the paperweight. Chinese concentric Millefiori paperweights are antique paperweights usually collected by many paperweight collectors. They usually come in color combinations of red, blue, white and yellow. John Deacons is a Scottish company which makes both styles of Millefiori paperweights: the latticino as well as he concentric Millefiori paperweight. These have a range of color combinations.

If you ever decide on collecting Millefiori paperweights, make sure that there are no dents or scratches on the surface of the glass. If you would like to continue reading on Millefiori paperweights and looking at some photos, you would like the following books: Identifying Antique Paperweights by George N. Kulles and World Paperweights: Millefiori and Lampwork by Robert G.Hall. Have a happy time collecting various paperweights! Hope you enjoy!

Comments (0)