Door handle

About this artwork

This paperweight uses a traditional glass-making technique called millefiori to great effect. Italian for “one thousand flowers,” millefiori was first developed in fifteenth-century Venice. In the nineteenth century, French glassmakers revived the technique with a cultural twist. Arranged to evoke traditional French gardens such as the Tuileries in Paris, paperweights like this example brought a little of this landscaping magic indoors. From the late 1840s to early 1860s, French manufacturers o...

Art Historical Context

This charming glass door handle, crafted by the renowned Clichy Glasshouse around 1845–60, exemplifies the pinnacle of 19th-century French glassmaking ingenuity. Though classified as a paperweight its whimsical form mimics a functional door pull, blending utility with decorative flair. Measuring just 12.4 × 5.4 cm, this diminutive object from the Art Institute of Chicago Applied Arts of Europe collection the era's fascination with intricate, desk-bound novelties. Clichy near Paris, was a leading producer of paperweights during the mid-0s, a time when these weighted glass domes surged in popularity to anchor correspondence against office drafts. The house specialized in sophisticated techniques like millefiori—bundles of tiny, colorful glass canes sliced to reveal floral patterns—and lampworked motifs, though this piece's precise design evokes everyday elegance. Its clear, vibrant glass underscores the technical mastery required to achieve clarity and depth without modern tools. As a testament to the Industrial Revolution's democratizing effect on luxury goods, this paperweight bridges art and functionality, inviting collectors to appreciate how Victorian households elevated the mundane. A delightful survivor of Clichy's brief but brilliant output, it reminds us of glass's enduring magic in capturing light and whimsy.

About the Artist

Clichy Glasshouse · 1837–1885

The Verrerie de Clichy, also known as the Clichy Glasshouse or Cristalleries de Clichy, was established in 1837 through the merger of local glassworks at Billancourt near Paris, under the direction of Rouyer and Maes. The firm relocated to Clichy-la-Garenne in 1839, where it initially produced utilitarian items like bottles and tableware before pivoting to luxury glass objects amid France's burgeo...