#0016 Vintage Murano millefiori art glass paperweight with pink latticinio base.

1.5” x 1” Polished base Great quality

Skilled glassblowers on the island of Murano, near Venice in Italy, created decorative paperweights using traditional techniques passed down through generations. These pieces were made throughout the mid-to-late twentieth century as ornamental desk accessories for export and tourist markets around the world. Artisans formed them by bundling thin coloured glass rods together, fusing them with heat, and slicing them into flowered shapes known as millefiori canes before encasing them in clear glass domes.

People placed these colourful glass spheres on office desks and writing tables to hold down loose letters and papers in drafty rooms. They were also displayed on mantelpieces and bookshelves simply to catch and reflect the light in domestic interiors. Over time, as central heating reduced the need to weigh down loose sheets, their use shifted from functional stationery holders purely to decorative display.