Glass Paperweights—
The Heritage Of The 19th Century Riesenbirge
And Isergebirge Glassworks
by: Marek Kordasiewicz
2002, Amkor, Poland
120 pages, $47.50 hardback
flyleaf: “Fine glass paperweights are one of the most exciting examples of glass art. First were made over 150 years ago and the methods applied to produce them were among the most closely guarded secrets of the trade. In course of time the old masters had been gone taking their secrets with them for ever, which led to a decline of the art after a relatively short period of its rapid development in the mid-19th century.
The output of 19th-century French, English and American glassworks is nowadays relatively well known and reported. However, still a new so far unheard of glass paperweights are found and frequently attributed to “Bohemia”. Most probably this is a result of the glass art tradition which has been building up in this part of Europe for several hundred years now.
In light of research conducted it seems that such attribution of a majority of “Bohemian” paperweights is incorrect or at least inaccurate.
This publication is aimed to shed new light on the history of glass paperweights production and the role of 19th-century Lower Silesian glassworks in the development of this unique art.”
