YasudaCollector Posted October 11 Report Share Posted October 11 I've been doing some internet sleuthing today about my growing Chinese paperweight collection (maybe I've fallen down a rabbit hole 😆), and thought i'd share this even thought its only kind of marble related. I think it might be of interest to anybody who has any really old, handmade marbles from China i.e transitionals and millefiori marbles. Apparently, there's this big huge glass museum in Boshan, China (now called Zibo). Among other things, the museum, called the "Boshan Colored Glaze Museum", has a boatload of very old glass artifacts from China (including a ton of paperweights that look exactly like the ones in American antique stores). On the museum website, it says that Boshan has been producing colored glass crafts since the Yuan dynasty (1300s). Apparently, "colored glaze flower balls" were produced since the Ming dynasty (1368 to 1644). "Colored glaze flower balls" are what the website refers to as a paperweight. (Glass is called glaze for some reason). I think this information is pretty incredible since it corroborates what Robert Block found, that Chinese marbles could have been produced in Shandong. I feel like this would make sense (at least with the millefiori and painted sulphide marbles) since they are the exact same glass as the Boshan paperweights. Also, the website said that until very modern times, Boshan was really the only town in China producing colored glass (because of acess to a bunch of minerals for glassmaking). 2 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YasudaCollector Posted October 11 Author Report Share Posted October 11 Here are some photos from the museum's collection: 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YasudaCollector Posted October 11 Author Report Share Posted October 11 Here are some other photos (of a nearby glass factory in operation): 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YasudaCollector Posted October 11 Author Report Share Posted October 11 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steph Posted October 11 Report Share Posted October 11 Interesting subject. Thanks for sharing. I have enjoyed my own brief forays into paperweight history in search of marble insights. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
akroorka Posted October 11 Report Share Posted October 11 16 hours ago, YasudaCollector said: maybe I've fallen down a rabbit hole 😆 You may have fallen but this is what collecting is about--- I just love this stuff!! Marble--On!! 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tommy Posted October 11 Report Share Posted October 11 I love a good paperweight...but they take up way to much marble space lol.... 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YasudaCollector Posted October 13 Author Report Share Posted October 13 On 10/11/2024 at 12:56 PM, akroorka said: You may have fallen but this is what collecting is about--- I just love this stuff!! Marble--On!! I couldn't agree more! 😆 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YasudaCollector Posted October 21 Author Report Share Posted October 21 Here are some others I just found today (a little north of Seattle): 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Nickel Guy Posted October 29 Report Share Posted October 29 I am pretty sure you helped me identify this one I have as Chinese. It sure looks a lot like your yellow and blue one. Thanks 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YasudaCollector Posted October 29 Author Report Share Posted October 29 Awesome!!! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chad G. Posted October 29 Report Share Posted October 29 ..... You know I had to do it Aidan !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YasudaCollector Posted October 30 Author Report Share Posted October 30 🤣🤣🤣 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YasudaCollector Posted November 11 Author Report Share Posted November 11 Here's my whole collection (so far). Already I'm kinda running out of room on my shelves 🤣. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YasudaCollector Posted November 11 Author Report Share Posted November 11 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YasudaCollector Posted November 11 Author Report Share Posted November 11 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YasudaCollector Posted November 11 Author Report Share Posted November 11 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
schmoozer Posted November 13 Report Share Posted November 13 You are definitely expanding everyone’s knowledge! thank you! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YasudaCollector Posted November 15 Author Report Share Posted November 15 You're more than welcome! 🙂 I love sharing all the cool things/info about those things that I find here and there. 🧐 I think the extra cool part about the paperweights is that all of us have some or have probably seen them at least. Little did we know that they came from such a small area in the middle of China. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YasudaCollector Posted November 19 Author Report Share Posted November 19 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YasudaCollector Posted November 19 Author Report Share Posted November 19 Here's one I just picked up (I love the rich blue in it). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
akroorka Posted November 19 Report Share Posted November 19 16 hours ago, YasudaCollector said: I love the rich blue in it Lets get this right--no one here will be bored looking at glass--in any form. There may be a few marble "purists" in the world but we all have collected other things imho. Thanks for sharing one of your passions--luv it! Marble--On!! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YasudaCollector Posted November 26 Author Report Share Posted November 26 Thank you so much! 🙂 I agree, I love to dabble in other glass collectibles (especially if they are handmade or marble related). That's what initially got me started on Chinese paperweights --- that the makers also made marbles. 🤓 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now