Paperweight c. 19th century

This paperweight was created by the Clichy Glasshouse sometime between 1837 and 1885. Encased within clear glass, a delicate white flower takes centre stage, surrounded by lush green foliage, all suspended in a deep blue. Consider how the spherical form of the paperweight distorts our perception. The flower, meticulously crafted from layers of glass, is both magnified and flattened, its three-dimensionality lost. The arrangement, frozen in time, challenges traditional still life. The composition within the orb is a self-contained universe, a micro-cosmos of colour and form. The paperweight subverts the traditional hierarchy of art objects. It questions our understanding of value and representation, suggesting a playful engagement with perception and materiality. How does this object challenge our conventional notions of art?