This is a very rare and unusual vintage paperweight made at Caithness Glass.
It is not a standard ball-shaped one - but one rather like a "mock bottle", It takes the form of an Oriental Bottle - in the shape of a minaret. But please note that this is not an actual bottle with a stopper but a paperweight with a decorative fused top section.
The top section is a faceted dewdrop shape - and in the round, it looks like a crystal. It has a slender neck that sweeps out onto the bulbous base. The top is crystal clear and the main section is a satin finish.
Around the sides are five polished cushion-cut viewing windows that are circular in shape. Each window is perfectly clear with no scratching. Inside - you can see a scramble of tiny fused millefiori canes - which are raised into four fan shapes in the center perhaps a little like a Prince's Crown. The colours of rich reds and browns remind me a little of Oriental hot spices. The thin base or ground is aqua green.
Wow! it must have taken some skill in the making to produce this one - and perhaps it was a private commission - or a trial piece that was never taken forward to editions of it would have been too time-consuming and therefore expensive to produce in greater limited edition numbers.
Amazingly it is in perfect condition with no damages.
It is also not signed by the artist - but it might be by Helen MacDonald who specialized in this intricate and complex cutting. She also produced a limited range of 500 more traditional weights in 2002 which was also entitled Moroccan Nights.
My price for this piece reflects its rarity - you won't find another one.
It is the only one of this design ever made - so is a rare prototype. It is marked on the base that is No.1 out of only 1 made (as photographed).
It is inscribed on the base: Morrocan Nights 1/1 Caithness Glass
Overall height is 6 3/4 inches. The main body is 3 inches in height with a diameter of 3 3/4 inches.
Unpacked it is nearly 800 grams.
This is a very special Scottish paperweight and this is reflected in my asking price for it. I can be sent to America / Canada etc - but sadly not to EU countries.
It will be posted with Royal Mail Special Delivery in the UK - this will cost £10 and be applied at checkout.