Antique Paperweights

The simple but brilliant attraction of the popular PBS series is that deep down inside, everyone wonders if that family heirloom or flea-market antique in the corner of the living room has any real value. Antiques Roadshow Primer can help you answer that question. Carol Prisant, who writes about antiques and collectibles for Martha Stewart Living, House Beautiful, and New York, quickly notes in her introduction, however, that this is a primer--an introduction to the basics of antiques--and does not presume to make the reader an instant expert.

In that vein, the focus is on the bread and butter of the antique world: silver, glass, pottery, porcelain, books, paintings, jewelry, rugs, clocks, and furniture. These are the items that are not trendy (Barbie dolls, 1920s beaded bags) and subject to massive fluctuations in price and value. Instead, Prisant points out, they are the types of items that are good for the long haul and, she notes, the front hall. So how do you determine if an heirloom is worth something? The following tips are offered when inspecting furniture: run your fingers underneath or over the back of the piece--very sharp edges and corners indicate recent manufacture. Remove one screw in some inconspicuous spot. An old, handmade screw will have irregular widths between the spirals, running the whole length of the shaft. The slot in the head may be off-center. Look for the distinctive curved pattern left in sawn wood by the teeth of a circular saw--it is one important sign of manufacture after 1840.

Prisant also reveals tricks of the trade for inspecting diamonds: place the gem against your upper lip, she advises. If it's glass--the oldest imitator of a diamond--it will not feel cold at all, while a real diamond will. Definitions are also offered for "antique furniture" (any object 100 years old or older, according to the U.S. government), "used furniture" (secondhand furniture less than 100 years old), and "period furniture" (made when its design was first popular and new; generally the most valuable of antique furniture). At its best, Antiques Roadshow Primer instills a sense of genuine interest and enthusiasm, much like the PBS show, by making the antiques and collectibles world less of a stuffy discussion about an untouchable item behind lock and key and more about drawing connections to the heirloom in the corner. --John Russell

Text: English, French (translation)

John Simmonds has studied and collected paperweights for twenty-five years and built up a fine and varied collection of antique and modern examples. A retired technical executive in the chemical industry, he is also a qualified pianist and organist living in the South of England.

Monika Flemming and Peter Pommerencke have both collected paperweights for more than twenty-five years. Since 1976, they have run Germany's first, and for some time, only paperweight dealership. Their worldwide contact with all the manufacturers and artists and their intensive exchange of experience with fellow dealers on an international level have made them experts whose advice is valued by beginner and connoisseur alike. --This text refers to an alternate Hardcover edition.

Collectors new to the field of paperweights will find a wealth of information in this title on identifying 19th- and 20th-century paperweights. In discussing the various types, the author guides readers through paperweight styles, clearly defining terms like upset muslin, piedouche, lampwork, and marbries. He goes on to point out the striking differences between inexpensive "gift" paperweights-most of which come from China or Venice-and the finer, more costly, usually one-of-a-kind paperweights. Also included are some history of paperweights, a glossary, a list of manufacturers and paperweight societies, and advice on their presentation and preservation. Although there are plenty of other books on this popular subject, this one stands out because of its clarity, good color photographs, and affordable price. Recommended for specialized art libraries and all public libraries.
Margarete Gross, Chicago P.L.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.