TO PLACE BIDS CLICK HERE : AUCTION WEBSITE

TO PLACE BIDS CLICK HERE : AUCTION WEBSITE

L.H. Selman, Ltd. is pleased to announce our Winter 2019, 71st Glass Paperweight Auction, featuring 336 lots, antique and modern, as well as choice paperweight-related objects. Initial Bidding commences Monday, February 25th at 9:00 am CST. Initial bidding ends on Monday, March 11th at 5pm CST by phone and at 11:59pm CST by Internet. The auction is fully online, hosted on our AUCTION WEBSITE. A web friendly digital e-catalog can be viewed at E-CATALOG, while a printed copy of the catalog is for sale at PRINT-CATALOG. For those of you who have enjoyed watching spin videos of featured pieces, they can be accessed via our YouTube Channel. If you see something to your liking, please do not fail to place an initial bid in order to ensure that you have a position in the competitive bidding that follows in the second half of the auction. Competitive bidding begins on Tuesday, March 12th.

We recommend that you give the catalog’s Conditions of Sale a careful examination for a full understanding of the protocols, and please note that we have adjusted the language on our condition statements. A key can be found in the Conditions of Sale on page 62 of the catalog. Please call the gallery with any questions about these changes or the auction format, and don’t forget, we’re always happy to send additional images, videos or condition reports upon request.

You can also make an appointment to see every lot in person at our gallery in Chicago, 410 S. Michigan Ave., suite 207.  We would love to see you all in person! If you prefer to place any or all bids by phone, or have any questions, just give us a call at 1-800-538-0766.

WARNING:

IF NONE OF THIS MAKES SENSE WE’RE BLAMING IT ON SPRING FEVER, AFTER WIND CHILLS OF 52 BELOW HERE IN CHICAGO, OUR BRAINS ARE STILL FROZEN!

We’ve consulted the eminent Chicago law firm, Dewey, Cheatem & Howe (Get it?) and they’ve assured us that we’re not the responsible types. And while we’re discussing these critical issues we want to take this opportunity to crush a couple of nasty rumors that have been flooding the Internet:

No. 1 – We never park the paperweight-mobile in a lot so that we straddle the lines and take two spots.  Nope, that’s not us.

No. 2 – It is a bald-faced lie, that we ourselves secretly only collect Bakelite and bottle caps.  

Now that that’s done – On to the Hunt! Let’s start at the beginning, shall we…!

Gazing at the Sorcerer’s Dessert!

We just learned a new word last night just in time (on television no less) and it’s called for here. ‘Ensorcell’ is the word.  (Why it took so long to learn a word that came into being in the mid-16th century is embarrassing…)  But we are definitely ensorcelled, or enchanted by this work, filled with a magical cloud of tiny stars, whose shifting densities giving the appearance of quiet movement, gentle undulation.  The softly colored and exquisitely positioned trefoils resemble a line of delicate frosting on a cream topping off a decadent French dessert displayed on the Sun King’s table in Versailles. This work should be edible – it was certainly baked well enough!  Call for details of the recipe!

LOT 1. Extremely Rare Antique Baccarat Interlaced Millefiori Trefoil Garlands on Stardust Ground Paperweight

This Will Look Great Parked Next to Your Vintage Sports Car!

We move now from the quietest pastels to a riot of vibrant reddish orange canes absolutely carousing (there’s no other word for it!) around more than a dozen brightly attired and proudly posturing Gridel portraits.  There’s also a very interesting cane with an elegant white bird wearing the world’s tiniest shamrocks for footwear. No Blarney! Ask for a close-up! You may think you already have an antique Baccarat with Gridel silhouettes and a perfect red, white and blue “1848” in the waistband, but this weight could take pride of place in the category.  Even the canes below the sightline are perfectly poised with one another. This is an exciting weight. It’s a crime that the 19th century glass master didn’t get to sign this one!

LOT 2. Antique Baccarat 1848 Scattered Millefiori and Gridel Silhouettes
on Red Carpet Ground Paperweight.

Before the Palme d’Or at Cannes or the Souvenir Henri Desgrange at the Tour de France There Was …

… THE GOLD MEDAL at the Exposition Universelle, Paris!  That is what was awarded Pantin in 1878 for its magnificent glass on display. Glass creations such as this pink dahlia just may have had something to do with that.  Each petal of this gorgeous dahlia seems filled with a little breath of air and has an abundantly lifelike quality. The dark green stem and variegated leaves (and nascent bud) are also very natural in their hues. This also has an extra heavy lead crystal and a generous dome.  Don’t think you can wait for this impressive tour de force (French, get it?) to ever come around again.  Try for it in earnest now or be content with cutting out the picture you see here.

LOT 3. Extremely Rare Antique Pantin Pink Dahlia Paperweight.

A Cabbage for Car Buffs!

This very rare Baccarat is a compact classic.  Fully loaded with a gleaming finish and custom (star-cut) detailing.  No, not a ’57 Thunderbird…better- maybe a ’57 Baccarat.  Under 10% of antique Baccarat roses sport this kind of ruffle trim and red linen interior.  And this beauty has the original “4 on the floor” shift stem system with 4 vibrantly lush leaf groupings.  As the Beach Boys used to sing – you want the pink slip on this baby!  (Okay – that’s just the receipt of ownership).  One other thing – this has an incredible sunroof; serious light magnification.  Just get used to catching everyone’s eyes when you’re seen with this one! Cool sunglasses required.

LOT 4. Very Rare Antique Baccarat Cabbage Rose Paperweight.

♪♪…Nobody Does it Better…♫♫

Even the English, with their sometime incomprehensible reserve, would have to admit that this  “Is a bit of all right!”  Stateside we have to say that this is simply one of the most visually pleasing weights the glass masters at Baachus have ever produced.  Gentle as a fresh pillow, the weight contains a wonderful variety of canes both large and small that jostle comfortably in a pastel sea dotted with deeper color accents.  The interplay serves to both define a satisfying pattern as well as to create a dynamic visual, and all in a very subtle framework. The center complex cane, dominated by pinks is a gossamer wonder with its outer circle of canes partially translucent and looking as if they might just float away.  And a tip of the English hat to Her Majesty comes in the form of the allusive hollow oak leaves. Even James Bond, when confronted about a romance with a beautiful foreign spy, snapped back, “What I did, I did for Queen and Country!” Loyalty! Nobody does it like the English.

LOT 6. Very Rare Antique Baachus Close Packed Millefiori Paperweight.

Just Recovered From a Major Museum Robbery!

This large gem, fresh from a daring 1995 New Year’s heist at the New York Historical Society is here offered …Excuse me – what?  It was de-accessioned legally and sold at Sotheby’s that year?  Okay…well, at least that makes an interstate sale a bit easier for our bookkeeping.  So anyway, this beautifully disciplined concentric millefiori with a range of lively and sophisticated colors, and dominated by various lush shades of green is quite extraordinary.  The contrasts are a delight to eye. If you need a weight to go with your tux and top hat you might consider this on your favorite table at the Stork Club. And it has a white spaced stave basket below embracing transparent blue within as a finishing touch. The perfect table setting. 13 crisp Clichy roses at no extra charge!

LOT 12. Antique Clichy Concentric Millefiori in a Stave Basket Paperweight.

Sometimes, Beauty Really Is Everything!

We heard of a rumor going around that we’re pre-disposed to say nice things about paperweights.  Fact is, it’s easy to do when you’re staring at the quality and variety we’ve assembled for this time at bat!  Lot 14 is an exceptionally well thought-out work with the sizes of the canes increasing very, very gradually as they radiate from the center.  While technically a close pack, this comes close to also being a concentric in its formation. The careful suffusion of different reds, greens, blues and whites achieves a harmony, a balance that bespeaks very careful consideration taken in the aggregation of canes in the initial design.  (What, you didn’t think we could also talk seriously?!)  A stave basket of white and blue separated by thin soft dark spaces provides an almost contemporary flair to the finish.

LOT 14. Antique Clichy Close Packed Millefiori, Roses and Signature Cane Paperweight.

No Jokes for This One.

A classically well done antique with a rare assemblage of elements on a handsome blue jasper ground. Very heavy crystal.  (Did you see where it said “possibly unique,” below?) A commanding, almost noble artwork. A fine addition to your family coat of arms!

LOT 18. Extremely Rare, Possibly Unique, Antique Saint Louis Clematis Bouquet
on Jasper Ground Paperweight.

This Could Replace the MGM Studio Lion.

Honestly, (okay so we’re wildly exaggerating).  But remember the massive lion’s roaring cameo that began every MGM major motion picture?  That’s the initial impact this delicately detailed but very impactful and beautiful salmon-colored Baccarat pompon had on us due in large part to the incredible dramatic play of light provided by the generous, even sumptuous melon cut base. The deep and curved grooves in the crystal provide a remarkable contrast of light lines radiating outward from this classic motif. This could make a fine replacement – how do we know they took good care of the lion anyway, he never sounded too happy?  And while we’re on subject of nature what’s with the salmon; how did one fish inspire the color palettes of so many glass artists?

LOT 20. Antique Baccarat Pink Pompon and Millefiori Garland Faceted Paperweight.

If You Knew How Many Forest Floors We Hunted Through to Find This Magnificent Specimen!

For about the same price as a couple of Champignon (mushroom) appetizers (which you pay for after they’re already gone!) at Manhattan’s Per Se French Restaurant on Columbus Circle, you can instead have this magnificent specimen to enjoy.  And then enjoy it again tomorrow, and tomorrow! You get the pitch! This lot presents a brilliant example of the art form, an absolutely gorgeous and delicately hued mushroom heralded by a spirited pink torsade, host to a twisting white ribbon dancing through it, and a mercury ring (mercury not included) all showcasing the finest in French art du verre.  (Yeah, we’re using Google.) Elegantly signed by the chef on the stem of this champignon au naturel. There’s a lot more to say but we don’t know the language (and Penelope’s off in a meeting)… except “au revoir pour le moment!

LOT 22. Antique Saint Louis 1848 Close Concentric Millefiori Mushroom and Torsade Paperweight.

Seriously, Who Knew Early Americans Were This Happy?

This delicate effusion of happy and lush pastel canes stacked like a weightless dessert is an unusually joyous piece of American art glass.  The paperweight has a generous top facet and six egg-shaped, gently scalloped facets that sensually accentuate the height of the work and effectively magnify the delightful ruffled and lacy canes to where they expand upward to fill the space.  White and baby blue cog canes form a low stave basket and jettison from the center of the base in a wonderful design that looks like a dramatic explosion frozen.

LOT 66. Antique Gillinder Close Concentric Millefiori Faceted paperweight.

More Than Just Another Pretty Odd-Looking Face!

This is seriously depressing to write.  Really, this man accomplished more in his sleep than the rest of us here have while awake!  With a young adulthood that included being beaten regularly by his brother while assisting said brother with his printing press, then fleeing Boston penniless and later being cheated out of several months wages by the governor of Pennsylvania, Benjamin Franklin of course then went on to help birth the country while discovering (in his spare time), electricity and also inventing the forerunners of half the things you use and depend on today.  That’s frankly (yes, intentional pun) too impressive to comprehend and likely the reason we don’t celebrate this genius the way we should. The comparison hurts too much. Obviously the man needs a Broadway Musical. But in the meantime you can redeem yourself by acquiring this very finely rendered likeness of the man whom many scholars think of as one of the two greatest Americans. (No, the other is not Tom Brady.) Yes, it was made in France but after all, we modeled our own revolution after theirs.  And not long after we won independence the French sold us the rest of our future country for a song. It’s just too bad they didn’t own it. And “odd looking” – well some sources claim that it was Ben’s first wife’s first reaction upon seeing him. Thankfully he wasn’t perfect. The weight is, though.

LOT 68. Antique French, Probably Clichy, Benjamin Franklin Sulphide Paperweight.

The Breath of Life Itself…Held Forever!

This looks natural and effortless, a look all artists aspire to accomplish. Feel the elements, flowing around in the glass almost casually – it breathes; nothing is forced or too stylized; we’re especially taken with the graceful line work on both the leaves and the blueberries.  The bee is stunning of course, and here also the single human figure (or spirit person if you meditate) integrated quietly and effectively.  Pleasing and harmonious colors.  The magnification in this dome is unusually strong and illusionistic. Playfully lyrical and perfectly executed.

LOT 79. Paul Stankard 2008 Cornflower Lilac and Blueberry Bouquet with Spirit Person and Honeybee Paperweight.

No Need for Panic!

Well, weren’t we pleased to discover that an Agoseris is such a strikingly beautiful multi-tiered flower, and not something dragging its armored tail around in Jurassic Park!  The nascent flower as well as the one in full bloom displays a gossamer delicacy that needs to be seen to be appreciated. With this graceful offering this artist proves again how less can be more.  In art works the spaces between are also part of a successful, intentional design, just as the spaces between the words you speak carry their own import. Positive needs Negative to be whole and Chris Buzzini imbues most of his fine work with this simple but profound message.

LOT 100. Chris Buzzini 1990 “Orange Agoseris” Paperweight

Okay, Forget Everything We Just Told You!

From the sublimely spare to the strikingly sumptuous; in just two lots!  Yes, there is also much to be said for the feeling that this carefully designed celebration (a tired word, we’ll only use it once) of a garden in renaissance brings to your sensibilities.  The sensuous curling and folds of the petals combined with a soft spring palette bespeak a limitless fecundity. The six green leaves hosting the design are so deeply rich in hue as to make one think they’ve been recently watered.  Here is your garden in a glass. “Enchantment” is a perfect name for this, since “ensorcelled” was claimed by lot 1. And there has been no more dedicated an artist that Rick Ayotte, who spent so much time studying nature firsthand, that the family filed a missing persons report each morning to get him home for supper.  

LOT 103. Rick Ayotte 2005 “Enchantment” Carnation and Lily Bouquet Paperweight

Think of It As a Visual Vitamin for the Soul.

Not only do good things come in small packages—some of the best things do also.  Such is the case at hand. This modest at a glance little offering, half-hidden in our display, nonetheless catches our eyes every time we walk past. A compact ode to life that punches above its weight, as they say.  Meticulous variegation in the lifelike leaves embracing incredibly subtle gradations on the berries. This is so well and lovingly done we should be allowed to sell each berry separately, but management says no, if you win the lot, you get the entire cluster!

LOT 119. Melissa Ayotte 2002 Red Berries and Flower Bouquet Miniature Paperweight

“Who can turn the world on with her smile…?”

10 points if you caught that.  That’s right. If you peer closely into this joyful tale of a young woman coming into her own as she’s coming into the big city, you can almost imagine the hint of a smile on her face while she strides triumphantly through her new home.  You can see the auction catalogue for an explanation of the biblical labor that brought this uplifting little biographical profile into being. We’ll say here though, that the trees in spring flush and the light-catching crystal ground rising to meet her all serve well to create a sense of fine storytelling supported additionally by the stylish painting of the happy-to-see-her city.  She’s got this hands down. After you scan left on the lot 120 to see the extra photos, feel free to ask for even more details; this work offers a multitude of different visuals. And with this work of glass art (7 layers) behind you, “You might just make it after all…!”

LOT 120. Alison Ruzsa 2001 “Big City Girl” Buildings and Trees Compound Sand-blasted Super Magnum Paperweight

Overwhelmed Yet By All This Happiness?

Clearly spring is coming.  This bulbous beauty is another weight that needs to be seen in order to be seen.  We mean the leaves on the pansies alone are worth the price of admission. And as nice as our catalogues can be, we can’t always control the look of the final printing. So if you fancy this, please check the online catalogue or call us for extra images that feature the almost iridescent velvet glow of the pansies.  Gorgeous. Here Bob has created a design that is stately in its balance and formalism but one that also delights with playful swirls encircling unopened buds and petals on other stems that look to be open almost in laughter! The clear strawberry cut ground brings a sense of movement to perfectly complement the arrangement. This is a mature and confident work.

LOT 133. Bob Banford Pansy and Pink Flower Bouquet Magnum Paperweight.

Too Amazingly Unusual Not to Mention!

Here is another design that begs for multiple images.  This twisting, turning, flowering, frightening, incantatory glass artwork that would be at home in the wizard’s chamber in Game of Thrones is somehow also playful.  In certain angles with its head bowed and its paws/talons perched like a puppy’s it looks to be waiting for you to throw the ball, or a skull? So there’s something for everyone here, created by a masterful hand. The balance, the harmony between the elements is perfect.  Where else will you ever find the most beautifully wrought bell Flowers flowing into the abdomen of a magnificent miniature dragon?

LOT 145. Jim D’Onofrio 1994 “Dragonroot” Purple Flower Paperweight

A Classy Piece by a Classic Artist

Ysart’s lively crown cushion also grabbed our attention with its airy flowing ease of motion and direction, as it features a lovely arrangement of delicate flowers with what looks like brushwork from a tiny oil painting palette. There is a lot of motion for the eye to follow, from brushy flowers and delineated stems into the radiating rivers of latticinio.  Hey, that’s why it caught our eye; we thought we saw it move!

LOT 175. Paul Ysart Pink Clematis in a Stave Basket Paperweight

“We’re Off to See The Wonderful Lizard of OZ!”

Okay, so Kansas isn’t in the UK!  This is still a splendid work by Scotland’s own Michael Hunter.  We won’t claim this as a piece for the men, but the subject matter, a lizard confidently sitting astride the world in his victorious grasp together with the semi precious silver and gold treasure (captured from the enemy?) enveloping a royal marine blue (or cobalt?) core safely in his clutches resembles more than a few graduation portraits we’ve seen from some of the military academies and business colleges!  A perfect graduation gift!

LOT 185. Twists Glass Studio 2010”Lizard” Blue Paperweight

Simply too Wonderful Not to Bring to Your Attention!

We happy to have 18 lovely contemporary Saint Louis weights this time around but since we can’t show them all, this stunning piece won the coin toss.  As beautiful as the discipline of mathematics itself, with the most reassuring blue that was ever to infuse a paperweight, this work, just sitting there is the very embodiment of contentment.  Let the oceans rise. Let Netflix fail. None of it matters if you have this paperweight at home.

LOT 213. Saint Louis 1981 “Tapis de Millefiori Bleus et Rouges” Close Concentric Millefiori Paperweight

WOW – We lost track of Your Time!!

Okay, you may go home now but we hope you’re excited about just a few of the highlights awaiting your investigation as Auction catalogue 71 begins to wing its way to you.  You can also view the auction on our LH Selman site.

As Johnny Carson used to say, “We’re sorry we ran long and couldn’t have Zambor the Magician on tonight, we’ll reschedule…”  In our case we’re sorry we didn’t get to pay homage to our Trabuccos, Tarsitanos, Kaziuns, Whitefriars, Lundbergs, Perthshires and a host of other talented performers starring in our upcoming extravaganza, L.H. Selman Auction #71!

Thank you, Goodbye for Now and Drive safely!   


Where to begin?  We are over the moon with the results of the Glass for Life / Project FIRE Auction, which finds the auctioned artworks en route to new homes as far flung as Japan and England.  Over $3700 was raised to support one of the most deserving causes we’ve come across, a cause that has allowed you to combine your love of glass art with a giving heart.  In addition to the auction itself, additional monies were sent in simply as checks made out to the effort.  We also thank the under-bidders in this auction as well those who purchased works directly from the young artists at the studio during our visit this past September’s “Celebrate the Paperweight!”

 Pearl Dick, the glass artist heading Project Fire wrote this in thanks to share with you, “There are no greater gifts you can give a young person who is overcoming adversity in his or her life than self-worth and opportunity.  Your generous support promotes healing through art and the possibility of a limitless future.  I am so grateful to be a part of this amazing and inspiring community.  Please come see us in action in our studio.”  

 And to cap things off (for now) there is also a sizable donation to Project Fire in the works by an anonymous donor on behalf of the Glass Paperweight Foundation to support a special project helmed by glass artist David Graeber. With this donation Dave will construct a much-needed, permanent flame-working station in their studio, and he will teach the first class using the new equipment this upcoming April!  Stay tuned for more details. And thank you again as you make art make a difference!

Lot 1: Damon MacNaught and Project Fire collaborative close concentric millefiori base with stave tazza. Signed/dated “Damon MacNaught 2018 Chicago”. Diameter 2 7/8", height 4 15/16". Donated by Damon MacNaught.

Lot 1: Damon MacNaught, Andrew Najarian and Project Fire collaborative close concentric millefiori base with stave tazza. Signed/dated “Damon MacNaught 2018 Chicago”. Diameter 2 7/8″, height 4 15/16″. Donated by Damon MacNaught and Andrew Najarian. Created at the Project FIRE Studio during Celebrate the Paperweight 2018.

Lot 2: Project Fire, red, black and white abstract paperweight, by Joseph Smith. Signature stamp.Diameter 3 1/4″. Donated by Project FIRE.

Lot 3: Andrew Byers 2001 braided bouquet with berries paperweight. Signed/dated. Diameter 3 1/4″. Donated by Gena Whitten.

Lot 4: Project Fire collaborative angel wings stamp on clear dome paperweight. Signature stamp. Diameter 4 1/2″. Donated by Project FIRE.

Lot 5: Project Fire dark purple swirl with air bubble paperweight, by Erick Bedolla. Signature stamp. Diameter 4”. Donated by Project FIRE.

Lot 6: Mayauel Ward and David Graeber collaborative hummingbird silhouette with poppies and blue sky vase. Height 10”. Donated by Mayauel Ward and David Graeber. Created at the Project FIRE Studio during Celebrate the Paperweight 2018.

Lot 7: Project Fire mottled red figurine with white hand over heart paperweight, by Deshon Hannah. Height 4”. Donated by Project FIRE.

Lot 8: Project Fire multi-colored mottled swirl paperweight, by Erick Bedolla. Signature stamp. Diameter 3 3/4″. Donated by Project FIRE.

Lot 9: Baccarat 1969 “Church Weight” zodiac millefiori paperweight. Acid-etched Baccarat insignia on the underside. Date cane. Extremely fine condition. Diameter 3 1/4″. Donated by L.H. Selman.

Lot 10: Project Fire pink and orange mottled rising layer with inner pink swirl paperweight, by Raymond Gordon. Signature stamp. Height 4 1/2″. Donated by Project FIRE.

Lot 11: Project Fire speckled and crackled white and gray surface design paperweight, by Latee Smith. Signature stamp. Height 3 1/4”. Donated by Project FIRE.

Lot 12: Lundberg Studios 1990 two water lilies compound paperweight, by Steven Lundberg. Signature/date cane. Signed/dated. Diameter 3 3/16″. Donated by L.H. Selman.