Our most popular book! This compact and informative guide provides all the basic information one needs to enter the world of paperweights. It includes histories of the great French glasshouses during the classic period, as well as the revival period of the 1950's, and the current paperweight renaissance. The latest biographies of prominent paperweight artists are provided, with sections about collecting and making paperweights. The insightful 120-page text is generously illustrated with over 200 full-color photographs. All About Paperweights will increase your knowledge and appreciation of this specialized art form. Buy it for your own reference and enjoyment, or as an introductory gift for a friend. Full color.

The purpose of this book is to introduce paperweight collecting to those people who may be interested in these fascinating and mysterious small glass objects, but are not quite ready to start a collection without some basic knowledge. Back in 1969, when my husband and I first became interested in paperweights, information was at a premium. The limited number of books about paperweights were often hard to come by. Occasionally, articles were published in magazines, and once in a while, an article appeared in a newspaper. You were lucky if you heard about the article and luckier still to find a copy! Some wonderful books were published as far back as 1940 when paperweight collector Evangeline Bergstrom’s book Old Glass Paperweights first appeared.* In fact, many old books, paperweight journals, newspaper and magazine articles have become valuable in their own right, now sought after as collectors’ items. The positive side about this paucity of literature was that you read everything you could get your hands on, good, poor or terrific. Today, even the very best of these publications, many still considered top notch, contain at least some information that could be updated and corrected as a result of recent findings. Still, many of these books and articles remain as valuable resources. Since the “Paperweight Renaissance” in the mid twentieth century, the number of available books about paperweights has increased explosively. To consider acquiring and/or reading all of them creates a heavy burden on reader, purse and bookshelf. Some are wonderful, containing well documented information; some are even extraordinary, the result of careful research; and a few are mediocre and will probably end up on the back shelf, the pages barely worn. Before a potential paperweight aficionado becomes confused or overwhelmed by the vast number of books, it seemed there was an opportunity to provide a general view of the topic that could be easily read and referred to at just the right time. It was to meet this perceived need that “Glass Paperweights 101” was written. As the title suggests, this book about glass paperweights is intended as an introduction to and overview of the subject. Should this book inspire readers to delve into these more scholarly works, I will personally consider this introductory volume to have been a great success. After digesting the contents of this purposely limited volume, I hope readers who are new to this area of collecting or perhaps just thinking about it, will be inspired to become impassioned paperweight collectors who will develop a discriminating eye. Great adventures are in store for the new paperweight collector. *This was one of the earliest books published a about paperweights. Although the Bergstrom book contains many inaccuracies, considering the scarcity of available information about paperweights at the time, it is amazing that so much that was written is correct.

Hundreds of beautiful old and new paperweights are displayed in over 450 color photographs. This meticulously researched book presents an historical view of international examples and their talented makers.

New York Times Bestseller Named one of the Best Gift Books of the Year by Entertainment Weekly, InStyle, House Beautiful, T: The New York Times Style Magazine, Better Homes & Gardens, Luxe Interiors + Design, People StyleWatch, Garden & Gun, The Los Angeles Times, The Chicago Tribune, New York Magazine, and more John Derian’s home goods empire reaches far and wide—in addition to the four John Derian stores he owns in New York and Massachussetts, his products are sold by more than 600 retailers worldwide, including Neiman Marcus, ABC, and Gump’s in the United States; Conran and Liberty in the UK; and Astier de Villatte in Paris. It all started with his now-iconic collectible plates decoupaged with 19th-century artwork sourced from old and rare books, a process that credited him with elevating the decoupage technique into fine art. Over the past 25 years, the brand has expanded greatly to include home and general design gifts and products. Now, for the first time ever, comes the book John Derian fans have been waiting for. Culled from the thousands of images that have appeared in his biannual collections, here is an astoundingly beautiful assortment of nearly 300 full-bleed images in their original form. From intensely colored flowers and birds to curious portraits, hand-drawn letters, and breathtaking landscapes, the best of John Derian is here. The result is an oversized object of desire, a work of art in and of itself, that brilliantly walks the line between commerce and art, and that is destined to become the gift book of the season.