Newman (1977, p.96) provides a detailed description of this type of paperweight or doorstop, sometimes called a "dump", that was made in both England and the United States from the late nineteenth century through the early part of the twentieth. As a result, determining the origin and date of a particular weight is usually difficult or impossible.
These globular or ovoid-shaped weights typically range in height from about 3" (7.5 cm) to 6" (15 cm) and can weigh up to 6 lb (2.75 kg). They always have pontil marks that are unground and unpolished. Modern imitations have their bases ground flat. An interior grouping of air bubbles, as shown here, is the most commonly found decoration; more rarely encountered are sulphide-like models of flowers, pots and figures (Wilkinson 1968, p. 42).
A bottle-glass weight can be spotted in the 2006 film The Queen. It appears in several shots of the set that reproduces the staff's office at Balmoral Castle. The weight is remarkably similar to the following example:
A bottle-glass paperweight found in New England. H = 6" (15.1 cm), wt = 3.5 lb (1.6 kg). Sold for $100 in 1992. Weights of this type and size were priced as much as $800 at the 1999 Winter Antiques Show, NYC.
Updated 1 May 2007