Original Listing Description

eBay Baccarat Rare 1972 Experimental Design Blue & White Flower with Buds Paperweight Baccarat Rare 1972 Experimental Design Blue and White Flower with Buds Paperweight. dated 1972. This modern lampwork paperweight features a blue and white five petal flower with two buds, leaves, and stems. There is a nice complex millefiori cane in the center of the flower. The design is placed over an opaque white ground. This was one of the experimental paperweights Baccarat created in the 1970-1973 period. These designs were often one of a kind or very small editions. It is signed with a Baccarat's complex "B 1972" signature / date cane near the base of the flower. This paperweight is also signed on the base with an acid etched Baccarat mark along with the engraved year (1972) and sequence number (8). There is also a second acid etched Baccarat mark on the base. A fantastic paperweight Note: After extensive research in the Baccarat archives, Paul Dunlop concluded that from 1970 to 1973 Baccarat made over 50 experimental designs. All were made as one-offs or very small numbers. Technically they are not limited editions since they were never listed as production items. This paperweight is similar to one of the 1971 experimental paperweights illustrated in Dunlop's book (see page 179). The book shows a design with two different colored flowers, buds, leaves and stems on a yellow ground.Note on pictures: The white base and high dome made this paperweight difficult to photograph and resulted in shadows inside the paperweight. In proper light it displays beautifully Please Note: The stand shown in the pictures is not included with the paperweight. It is shown for illustration only.Note on white glare: Please ignore the white areas, they are glare from the light.Note for International buyers: If the final price is $400 or more, this paperweight must be shipped by USPS priority mail. If you are in Australia, please check with me on the cost of postage before bidding. The rules seem to change weekly and I may have to use the more expensive Priority Mail Express International. If you are outside the US and wish to buy this paperweight, please contact me first with your address and I will check the availability and cost of postage.Large size: Just under 3 3/16" diameter by 2 1/4" high. The base is polished flat.Signature: The paperweight is signed with Baccarat's complex signature cane "B 1972" signature / date cane near the base of the flower. This paperweight is also signed on the base with an acid etched Baccarat mark along with the engraved year (1972) and sequence number (8). There is also a second acid etched Baccarat mark on the base. Condition: Excellent condition. With the exception of light wear on the base, no cracks, chips, or scratches were found on inspection Baccarat was founded in 1776 in Alsace-Lorraine with the name of Verrerie de Sainte Anne. The original location was near the town of Baccarat. Today the firm is known as Compagnie des Cristalleries de Baccarat. Most collectors refer to three periods of Baccarat paperweight production 1845 1860 - Classic period1920-1934 - Dupont period1953-2002 - Modern periodThis classification is definitely an over simplification. The best millefiori and lampwork paperweights were made during the classic period (1845-1860). Baccarat continued to make paperweights after the classic period, but little is known about the extent of the product line or who made the paperweights. What is known is that by 1910, the offering in the catalog had dwindled to pansy paperweights, simple open concentric paperweights, and rock paperweights. Popular lore attributes 1920-1934 Baccarat paperweights to a Mr. Dupont, who supposedly was the last worker at Baccarat to know the secrets of paperweight making. These paperweights were sold at a Baccarat retail shop in Paris. No collector or scholar ever met Mr. Dupont although at least one visited the Baccarat factory and asked to meet with him. The weights stopped appearing in the shop in 1934.In 1952, Paul Jokelson approached Baccarat with the idea of making sulphide paperweights again. In 1953 Baccarat resumed paperweight production with a series of sulphide paperweights the first of which were the unsuccessful Eisenhower sulphide followed by the Queen Elizabeth coronation sulphide. Millefiori paperweight production was resumed in 1957 and lampwork paperweights were re-introduced in the early 1970s. Baccarat stopped making this type of fine glass paperweights in 2002. You can read more about the Baccarat paperweights in book Baccarat Paperweights - two centuries of beauty by Paul Dunlop or one of the older books on paperweights in general, such as The Encyclopedia of Glass Paperweights by Paul Hollister or World Paperweights by Robert Hall. Allan's Paperweights is owned by Allan Port. If you have any questions, please click the "paperweights" link under seller information and then contact seller. Please check out my other eBay auctions or visit my eBay Store. Free shipping in the US. If you are outside the US, please review the cost of postage. If in doubt, please check with me first. I ship to most countries. If you are blocked from bidding, please contact me and I will add your eBay user name to the allowed bidders list. If you would like a different shipping option, please contact me before paying the invoice. Full value will be declared for customs purposes. Please do not ask me to declare this a gift. The buyer is responsible for any customs fees, VAT fees, or handling charges imposed by your country's customs services. (Condition: Pre-Owned)

Note: This item has been sold and is no longer available. This page serves as a historical price reference for Baccarat collectors and appraisers.