PW2591. Baccarat 1981 limited edition (#21 of only 150) figured Crocus piece. Three blue crocus flowers on snow. The dynamic blossoms, complete with orange stamen, rest on a carpet of fresh snow. Crocuses are among the first flowers to bloom in spring, often coming up through snow. This paperweight (this very one not just one of the other 149 made that year) is pictured in the most complete Baccarat book ever published, Baccarat Paperweights: Two Centuries of Beauty by Paul Dunlop). This piece is pictured on page 193. Etched with the Baccarat logo on the base and engraved “21/150” “1981”. 150 is a low edition number. 3 1/16 inch diameter; 2 3/16 inches tall; one pound and six ounces. Condition is perfection. I am certain none are in better condition. It went from Baccarat to a collector to me and was always protected as a valuable collectible. $550
PW2725. Rare Baccarat 1973 pears and leaves over white ground. This is possibly one-of-a-kind, or they may have made a few—it’s not one of the limited editions for that year. It is similar to an apple weight they made the following year. The pears are plump and attractive with a lot of color. Etched with the Baccarat logo on the base and engraved “28” “1973”. 3 inch diameter; 2 3/16 inches tall; one pound and five ounces. Condition is excellent/like new. $450
PW2751. Baccarat Modern Museum Piece 1971 experimental piece. Clematis on translucent aqua ground. Probably one-of-a-kind or just a few. It’s one of the finest Baccarat flowers I have seen. The gemlike translucent ground is stunning – a perfect backdrop for the blossom. Pictured in Baccarat Paperweights by Paul Dunlop on page 179. Numbered 31(31st weight made that year) along with 1971 and etched with the Baccarat logo. Condition is incredibly great – perfect dome, miniscule shelfwear. It went from Baccarat to a collector to me and was always protected as a valuable collectible. 3 1/16 inch diameter; 2 1/8 inches tall; one pound and four ounces. $750
PW2777 Baccarat Museum Piece Limited Edition 2001 38/100. Voyages Collection: Bananas on lime green ground. A small edition of 100 weights in the second to last year of production. A scrumptious bunch of bananas floats effortlessly above a fuzzy lime green ground, like key lime pie. This paperweight is pictured in Baccarat Paperweights by Paul Dunlop on page 250. Signature cane in the ground “B2001”. Base etched with Baccarat logo and engraved “2001 38/100. Condition is perfect. 2 13/16 inch diameter; 2 inches tall; one pound. $600
PW1464. Baccarat Coronation Museum Piece 1953. These were the first sulphides made by Baccarat in the 20th Century. Faceted with concave facets – one on top and six on the side with a beautiful fan cut into the base. Etched along the base “Baccarat 1953”. Condition is perfect. 2 3/4 inch diameter; 1 3/8 inches tall; eleven ounces. $65
After the close of the world wars, the great paperweight-producing glass companies of Baccarat and Saint Louis began to take a look at reviving glass paperweight production which had long been dormant. The inauguration of a new British Queen gave them a chance to ramp up their attempts at reviving the once popular glass paperweights. Queen Elizabeth II ascended to the throne on February 6, 1952 and the coronation was June 2, 1953, which allowed plenty of time for the glass houses to gear up production. Baccarat opted for a sulfide with the heads of both Elizabeth and her husband, prince Phillip. The two-headed Baccarat side-view cameo was made by Gilbert Poillerat and some are etched “Baccarat 1953”.
We can thank paperweight enthusiast Paul Jokelson for these coronation weights. In 1952 Mr. Jokelson approached the director of Saint Louis and said: “An extraordinary event is going to take place in 1953—the coronation of the Queen of England. Would you make a commemorative paperweight for me as you did for Queen Victoria’s coronation in the 19th Century.” Presumably he did likewise at Baccarat. Both companies went on to make some of the finest glass paperweights the world has seen.
PW1729. Baccarat Coronation Museum Piece 1953. These were the first sulphides made by Baccarat in the 20th Century. Faceted with concave facets – one on top and six on the side with a beautiful diamond grid cut into the base (sparkles like a diamond). Etched along the base “Baccarat 1953”. Condition is excellent. 2 3/4 inch diameter; 1 3/8 inches tall; eleven ounces. $100