Carl Kraft Paperweight Gallery

BIOGRAPHY OF CARL KRAFT: Carl Kraft is a little known glass artist, whose paperweights are rather limited, of high quality, and a real find for collectors! He was a third generation glassblower; both his grandfather (in Sweden) and his father (in California) worked with glass their entire lives. At the age of five, Carl began to learn about glass from his father at his studio (the Kraft Glass Studio) in Bell Gardens, CA and eventually took over the studio from his father. In California, Carl primarily made high quality stemware that was sold throughout the country. In the late 1950s, the studio closed and he moved east and eventually settled in the Toledo, OH area where he was employed at the Owens-Illinois Technical Center of the Owens-Illinois Glass Company. There he worked essentially as an experienced glass technician, developing glass formulas for different uses. At that time, he became friends with other glassblowers in the area, including Joe St.Clair and Dominik Labino among others, and he began to do more creative glasswork at his small home studio. In the mid-1970s he suffered a heart attack and had to retire from Owens-Illinois Glass, but a few years later he opened a small shop in Toledo, called the "Glass Apple", where he sold mainly his own handblown glass paperweights, vases, and some decorative stemware pieces. Carl Kraft loved glass and this is apparent in the quality of his work. He continued to work in his glass studio until his death in 1995 and according to his daughter (who now lives in Ocala, FL and from whom this information was obtained), glassblowing was his true love throughout his life; she feels this helped extend his life many years after he first became ill. All the Kraft paperweights we have for sale came from his estate.

The paperweights in this gallery represents the various types of pieces Carl Kraft made through out his life and many are really historical pieces. They all came from his own collection and according to his family, many are one-of-a-kind pieces. Please visit our other Kraft Art Glass Gallery to view his other works.

Carl Kraft 1976:Crimped crocus faceted paperweight. A delicate crimped crocus paperweight with 5+1 faceting. The crocus, done in various shades of pink, rests on three green leaves. It displays a tripartite symmetry with its 3 stamens, 3 rows of inner petals and 3 rows of outer petals. Signed ("Kraft С76") on its polished base. Height: ~2╝"; diameter: ~2╛". $450. (#J083)

Carl Kraft 1978: Crimped crocus faceted paperweight. A crimped crocus paperweight with 5+1 faceting. The orange crocus rests on three green leaves and displays a tripartite symmetry; it has 3 stamens, 3 rows of inner petals and 3 rows of outer petals. Signed ("Kraft С78") on its polished base. Height:~2╝"; diameter: ~2╜". $450. (#J085)

Carl Kraft 1970: Horse sulphide paperweight. A white sulphide horse rests on a cobalt ground in this attractive footed and faceted paperweight. The paperweight has 6+1 faceting , its diameter is ~2╛" and is signed ("Kraft '70") on its polished base. Note that in the combination picture, the right picture was taken to reveal the faceting. $150. (#J079)

Carl Kraft 1975: Faceted floral paperweight. Attractive floral paperweight with a single top facet and 5 side windows. The 5-petaled lampwork flower overlies abstract green leaves that are encircled by 5 controlled bubbles. Diameter: ~3 inches. Signed: ("Kraft С75"). This is one of very few lampwork paperweights that he made. (Note: in the the top right petal, the outer white band "bleeds" into the blue band next to it). $225. (#ZL643)

Carl Kraft 1975: Flat millefiori paperweight. Flat glass paperweight with a well-centered medallion of a hard-to-describe pattern of millefiori canes. Three diamond shaped clusters of canes surround a single central cane. This paperweight has both a pressed pontil signature ("by Kraft Toledo Ohio") and is signed on its base ("Kraft С75"). Height: 1╝"; diameter: 3╜". $175. (#ZL629)

Carl Kraft 1975: Faceted millefiori paperweight. A faceted paperweight with 6+1 faceting and an interesting arrangement of rust-colored millefiori canes surrounding a central plaque of larger canes, done in yellow, black, rust and white. Diameter: ~2╛"; height: 1╛". Signed: ("Kraft С75"). $250. (#J098)

Carl Kraft 1971: Early flower paperweight. A hard-to-describe paperweight with 4 large flowers, each with a centrally placed large bubble. The outer layer of petals in each flower has blue and white petals and the petals in the inner layer are multi-colored (red, yellow, white and blue). Signed ("Kraft С71") near base. Height: ~3╜". $150. (#J094)

Carl Kraft 1975: Miniature apple paperweight. Glass apple paperweight with internal swirls of blue, orange and white. Signed ("Kraft СС75"). Height: ~2╜". SOLD. (#ZL615)

Carl Kraft 1975: Bicentennial commemorative paperweight (artist's proof). An attractive multi- faceted glass paperweight made in commemoration of the 1976 Bicentennial. The central white plaque, depicting the Liberty Bell and the dates 1776 and 1976, rests on a translucent dark pink/red base that is decorated with white droplets and 2 evenly spaced rows of controlled bubbles. In the second picture one can better see that the single top facet is surrounded by 2 rows of facets, each with 10 facets. The base has a pressed pontil signature ("by Kraft Toledo Ohio") and is also signed ("Kraft С75"). This is obviously an artist's proof since it is marked "sample". I have no idea how many of these were subsequently made. Diameter: 3". SOLD. (#J081)

Carl Kraft: Bicentennial commemorative paperweight. Another attractive multi- faceted glass paperweight made in commemoration of the 1976 Bicentennial. A central white plaque, which depicts the Liberty Bell and the dates 1776 and 1976, rests on an opaque ruby and white mottled base that has a row of evenly spaced controlled bubbles. A single top facet is surrounded by 2 rows of facets (10 facets in each). The base has a clear pontil stamp in the shape of an apple ("by Kraft Toledo Ohio"). It is also signed ("Kraft #179"). This was obviously made in a limited edition, but I do not know how many of these were ever produced. Diameter: 3". $195. (#J082)

Carl Kraft 1975: paperweight pen holder. An interesting shaped paperweight pen (or pencil) holder, that also could be used for flowers! Heavy clear glass piece with 3 large red and white flowers encircled by controlled bubbles at their base. Height: 4". The first picture is a side-view and the next is a top-view. It is very similar in style to pieces made by Joe St. Clair and others at that time. Signed and dated on base with both a pontil stamp ("by Kraft Toledo Ohio") and signature ("Kraft '75"). $140. (#J093)

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	Carl Kraft 1976:Crimped crocus faceted paperweight. A delicate crimped crocus paperweight with 5+1 faceting. The crocus, done in various shades of pink, rests on three green leaves. It displays a tripartite symmetry with its 3 stamens, 3 rows of inner petals and 3 rows of outer petals. Signed ("Kraft С76") on its polished base. Height: ~2╝"; diameter: ~2╛". $450. (#J083)
	Carl Kraft 1978: Crimped crocus faceted paperweight. A crimped crocus paperweight with 5+1 faceting. The orange crocus rests on three green leaves and displays a tripartite symmetry; it has 3 stamens, 3 rows of inner petals and 3 rows of outer petals. Signed ("Kraft С78") on its polished base. Height:~2╝"; diameter: ~2╜". $450. (#J085)
	Carl Kraft 1970: Horse sulphide paperweight. A white sulphide horse rests on a cobalt ground in this attractive footed and faceted paperweight. The paperweight has 6+1 faceting , its diameter is ~2╛" and is signed ("Kraft '70") on its polished base. Note that in the combination picture, the right picture was taken to reveal the faceting. $150. (#J079)
	Carl Kraft 1975: Faceted floral paperweight. Attractive floral paperweight with a single top facet and 5 side windows. The 5-petaled lampwork flower overlies abstract green leaves that are encircled by 5 controlled bubbles. Diameter: ~3 inches. Signed: ("Kraft С75"). This is one of very few lampwork paperweights that he made. (Note: in the the top right petal, the outer white band "bleeds" into the blue band next to it). $225. (#ZL643)
	Carl Kraft 1975: Flat millefiori paperweight. Flat glass paperweight with a well-centered medallion of a hard-to-describe pattern of millefiori canes. Three diamond shaped clusters of canes surround a single central cane. This paperweight has both a pressed pontil signature ("by Kraft Toledo Ohio") and is signed on its base ("Kraft С75"). Height: 1╝"; diameter: 3╜". $175. (#ZL629)
	Carl Kraft 1975: Faceted millefiori paperweight. A faceted paperweight with 6+1 faceting and an interesting arrangement of rust-colored millefiori canes surrounding a central plaque of larger canes, done in yellow, black, rust and white. Diameter: ~2╛"; height: 1╛". Signed: ("Kraft С75"). $250. (#J098)
	Carl Kraft 1971: Early flower paperweight. A hard-to-describe paperweight with 4 large flowers, each with a centrally placed large bubble. The outer layer of petals in each flower has blue and white petals and the petals in the inner layer are multi-colored (red, yellow, white and blue). Signed ("Kraft С71") near base. Height: ~3╜". $150. (#J094)
	Carl Kraft 1975: Miniature apple paperweight. Glass apple paperweight with internal swirls of blue, orange and white. Signed ("Kraft СС75"). Height: ~2╜". SOLD. (#ZL615)
	Carl Kraft 1975: Bicentennial commemorative paperweight (artist's proof). An attractive multi- faceted glass paperweight made in commemoration of the 1976 Bicentennial. The central white plaque, depicting the Liberty Bell and the dates 1776 and 1976, rests on a translucent dark pink/red base that is decorated with white droplets and 2 evenly spaced rows of controlled bubbles. In the second picture one can better see that the single top facet is surrounded by 2 rows of facets, each with 10 facets. The base has a pressed pontil signature ("by Kraft Toledo Ohio") and is also signed ("Kraft С75"). This is obviously an artist's proof since it is marked "sample". I have no idea how many of these were subsequently made. Diameter: 3". SOLD. (#J081)
	Carl Kraft: Bicentennial commemorative paperweight. Another attractive multi- faceted glass paperweight made in commemoration of the 1976 Bicentennial. A central white plaque, which depicts the Liberty Bell and the dates 1776 and 1976, rests on an opaque ruby and white mottled base that has a row of evenly spaced controlled bubbles. A single top facet is surrounded by 2 rows of facets (10 facets in each). The base has a clear pontil stamp in the shape of an apple ("by Kraft Toledo Ohio"). It is also signed ("Kraft #179"). This was obviously made in a limited edition, but I do not know how many of these were ever produced. Diameter: 3". $195. (#J082)
	Carl Kraft 1975: paperweight pen holder. An interesting shaped paperweight pen (or pencil) holder, that also could be used for flowers! Heavy clear glass piece with 3 large red and white flowers encircled by controlled bubbles at their base. Height: 4". The first picture is a side-view and the next is a top-view. It is very similar in style to pieces made by Joe St. Clair and others at that time. Signed and dated on base with both a pontil stamp ("by Kraft Toledo Ohio") and signature ("Kraft '75"). $140. (#J093)