Rick Ayotte (New Hampshire, USA). Rick Ayotte is another American paperweight master, one of the leading innovators in the field. He became an apprentice at a glass company as a teenager in the 1960s and has worked in the field ever since. His love of nature led him to create some of the most accurate glass wildlife and botanical figures ever produced. He is especially noted for his birds.
PW3054. Rick Ayotte 1989 Limited Edition of 75 MAGNUM Museum Piece. For a reason unknown to me, this weight does not appear in the book about Ayotte’s work, Songs Without Words, nor on the collector’s checklist in the book. It’s a fantastic weigh that was built with two main layers and fills the glass beautifully. Limited edition of 75 weights, signed “Ayotte 60/75 ‘89.” It is in pristine/perfect condition. 3 1/2 inch diameter; 2 3/16 inches tall; one pound and five ounces. $1250
PW2555. Rick Ayotte Limited Edition of 75 Magnum Museum Piece. White-throated Magpie Jay with Rhododendron Flowers. He really nailed this one. Perfect jay in beautiful blossoms. There are two layers of lampworking to this weight – the bottom layer comprises a branch with six blossoms and the top layer has the jay and three prominent blossoms. It is fabulous. This weight is from a limited edition of 75 weights and is signed “Ayotte 23/75 ‘86.” It is in excellent condition. It is extra magnum at 3 7/8 inches in diameter; 2 inches tall; one pound and nine ounces. $1250
PW1274. Rick Ayotte Limited Edition Magnum Museum Piece. In Songs without Words, this weight is listed under 1991 and has the designation “A-216.” It is from a limited edition of 35 weights and is signed “Ayotte Ed/ 35 ‘91.” It is in pristine/perfect condition. No one has ever put more hours into making tiny glass birds than Rick Ayotte, and no one has made them better. He captured the essence of this Gambel’s quail in his desert habitat. 4 inch diameter; 3 inches tall; two pounds and seven ounces. $1750
PW3204. Rick Ayotte 2006 Limited Edition of Five – MAGNUM Butterfly on Dahlia Museum Piece. Amazing butterfly shimmers as you gaze upon her beauty. Limited edition of 5 weights, signed “Rick Ayotte LE/5 2006.” It is in pristine/perfect condition. 4 inch diameter; 2 15/16 inches tall; two pounds and eight ounces. $1400