Featured Two Paperweights - Questions and Signature

The first paperweight is a dandelion seed head captured in lucite? It has an interesting optical illusion in that the sides appear to be yellow, but in actually, the straight on view is clear on all sides. It is a 1 3/4" square with a felt bottom. I've seen this weight on line, but does anyone recognize the source of this one?



The second isn't my usual taste, because of that I thought I would add it to my collection. It is signed ?? 83. Does anyone want to venture a guess about the signature or have any thoughts about the style?

 

I have a couple of Lucite eggs from the late 60s/early 70s, one with thistles in it, the other with a single dandelion seed. The plastic was colorless when new; they have both yellowed now. The yellow of your dandelion head may be an effect of age.

 

That makes sense. I couldn't figure out why they would make a clear plastic item and then make the sides yellow. 60s/70s seem like the right time frame. Thank you.

 

Amazes the hell out of me how thet captured that dandelion seed pod - they are so delicate

 

Me too!

 

Found something similar to the glass paperweight - no information

STUNNING Vintage American Hand Painted Flowers on a APPLE Art Glass Paperweight | eBay

of course, this one says Murano.

Murano Art Glass Apple Paperweight Apple Blossom End of Day | Surplus Network

 

Check out these Gumps pieces.

https://www.google.com/search?q=gum...mg&ei=xWnNYJzID4SMzQKSo72QAQ&bih=937&biw=1920

 

Great. That's it! A Gumps piece. One of these says midcentury, which was @Bronwen time for her pieces.

 

Not quite as amazing but I recently saw where someone (their grandfather actually) just put a Swedish meatball in a lucite block like 40 years ago. It still looks like a meatball, just a little grosser. It was on Reddit but I don’t know how to find it again otherwise I would have linked to it. For the paperweight collector that has everything!

 

Don't you love the creativity of people! I wondered if he got some lucite and formed it or did he just have a blob and stuck the meatball in it? Was it a special meatball or from a special occasion like a frozen piece of wedding cake, or was it symbolic of many happy meatball events throughout his life?

 

When I saw your piece last night I knew there was a specific company that did this type of paperweight because I had a similar one a while back. I actually learned that there were 2 different ones although if I am not mistaken Gumps was a store & not a company.

The one I had was a Haford Grange piece & they are/were located somewhere in England. Their paperweights are usually round.

Anway while doing Google searches trying to remember the name I came across some listings that allow you to make your own paperweight like this one.



This one actually shows them doing a Dandelion bloom.

https://resincraftsblog.com/diy-clear-casting-resin-paperweights/

 

You’ve gotta love it! The man worked at a Swedish meatball “factory” of whatever scope. It wasn’t a special ball I don’t think. Just a random act if I recall correctly.

 

Love it! Love it! Love it! Makes me want to find a dandelion to make magic with.
I very much appreciate you tracking down the various companies that made these back in the day. I looked Gumps up, because all I was familiar with was Bubba Gumps because of the movie, Forest Gump.

 

Just a "random act," you say. I almost fell off my chair laughing. I wonder why he picked that particular ball to memorialize?

 

Oy vey.

Hand painted flowers, my.... word beginning with A. Likewise, end of day.

The signature almost looks like Adam Jablonski, but he's too young for '83.

 

You never had a thought like that huh? . I’m pretty picky about my meatballs. There are some I’d rather put in lucite than in my mouth. I think the world will always wonder, “why that particular meatball?”.

 

I found a pretty Jablonski bowl at a thrift store once. Under $10. Gave it to my mother but she has it in a dark curio that doesn’t show off it’s beauty.

 

7th picture down, from the Reddit site that @J Dagger mentioned:

https://www.reddit.com/r/mildlyinteresting/comments/7tm9bs/my_grandfathers_100_paperweight/

 

Thanks for chiming in. Edit: I hadn't read further down on the link, so I though 1983, not 1883. I will have to research if they signed dates on paperweights in the 19th century.

 

I'm glad to see it from your point of view. Frankly, I have never considered putting a meatball in lucite - I am clearly deficient in imagination. I will have to ponder what foods I would I would preserve in this way. I have scads of mementos, but no comestibles in lucite. I do have my first effort at bread making, which I shellacked and made into a bookend, though. Too bad he didn't add a label to share his selection process.