Of the three
great French glass factories that made
paperweights in the last century, Baccarat
produced the greatest in number as well as the
largest variety of designs. Millefiori were used
in random and set patterns and as part of lampwork
designs, such as the center cane of flowers.
Sometimes millefiori became the wings of a
beautiful butterfly. Lampwork designs included
floral motifs, fruit and snakes. Backgrounds were
clear glass, upset muslin and occasionally,
colored glass. Further embellishments included
overlays plus fancy faceting done on both dome and
base.
Perhaps most extraordinary were the
millefiori canes. By compounding a basic
repertoire of about 20 simple elements, an almost
infinite variety of complex cane designs was
created. Added on to that were several 'flower'
canes and the renown 'Gridel' silhouette canes
featuring animals, birds, and other figures.
It is often hard to conceive that these
beautiful, intricate art objects were the
creations of glass workers - probably with little
or no artistic training - working in a factory
located in a small village in the Alsace-Lorraine
district of France.
