Glass paperweights have been made in China since the early 20th Century. Some of the earlier lampwork and millefiori paperweights were made as copies of antique French and American items - most probably at the request of importers in the USA - and are well made, though not well enough made to be confused with originals by experienced collectors. But less experienced collectors, auction houses, and antique dealers can make mistakes about these and the wide range of millefiori paperweights that have been produced throughout the 20th century. Some of the most recent production items are illustrated on the Modern Chinese Paperweights area of this website. There is widespread uncertainty about attributions, with some of the earlier millefiori paperweights identified as 'Bohemian' as well as antique French, and the recent trend for paperweights made in China to be sold in Murano - sometimes with Murano labels - confuses the matter further. Another challenge is to establish when particular designs were made.
What I would like to do is develop here a record of paperweights that bear 'Made in China' labels - or occasionally inserts bearing the word China - so that others can identify their Chinese paperweights with a reasonable degree of confidence. If you have a labelled weight, catalogue images, or other relevant material I would be very grateful for copies and permission to reproduce it.
