Antique Paperweights

Baccarat, as well as many other factories, produced the egg-shaped pieces of glass which were known as "ladies hand-coolers." (Illustration 22.) According to tradition, these were originally devised for fair 1adic in the days when hand-kissing was in fashion. The lady simply held the glass in the palm of her hand until the time came for the ceremony, whereupon the gallant was pleasantly surprised to find the hand cool and comfort­able to the lips.  If products of this sort were offered for sale today, one can easily imagine what modern adver­tisers would make of them! The aura of romance which surround the "hand coolers" is at least partially dispelled, however, when we learn that they were made by most factories from cullets, and that they frequently served as stocking darners. _

_Glass paperweights served as base for a variety of articles useful in their day---many of them made by Baccarat a well as other factories. The wafer glass held the wax wafers used in sealing letters. Shot or sand glasses were used for holding long quill pens. Pedestals to hold wigs, ink bottles, vases, mantel ornaments, door knobs, door stops, and newel posts-all of these were frequently embellished after the manner of the old paper­weights, or weights were incorporated in them in one way or another.