"This book presents 10 paperweights from the more than 1,000 examples in the collection of The Corning Museum of Glass. The 'pals' inside these weights offer young children an opportunity to explore shapes, colors, and numbers. The popularity of letter writing in the mid-19th century prompted glassmakers in France and Italy to produce paperweights. These small but heavy domed objects were designed to hold down loose papers. The weights were brightly colored and intricately made, and their glass domes enlarged the interior decoration. The attractiveness of paperweights led to their manufacture across Europe and in America. The selection presented here focuses on various small creatures, but many other weights in the Museum's collection depict people, places, and flowers. Learn more about this collection by visiting www.cmog.org"--P. [4] of cover.