Paperweight c. 1845 - 1860

This paperweight was made by Baccarat Glassworks. What stories might be held within this seemingly simple object? Paperweights like this one were luxury items, often adorning the desks of the rising middle class, who sought to display their newfound status through ornate, decorative objects. But let’s think about the hands that shaped the molten glass, embedding each delicate bloom and leaf. Laborers, often anonymous, their skill and artistry rendered invisible beneath the gleaming surface of the final product. What were their lives like? What were their aspirations, their dreams? The beauty of the object belies the complex social structures that produced it, where the few profited from the labor of the many. Consider, too, the gendered dimensions of craftsmanship. How were roles divided within the glassworks? And how did these objects, once placed in domestic spaces, reinforce or challenge the conventional roles of women in the home? As you gaze into this small, contained world, consider the human stories it holds, the intricate dance of power, labor, and identity that shaped its creation.