1950 Houghton Salamander, Corning Museum of Glass, New York

Enter the glittering world of 19th-century French glass artistry with this striking vintage postcard featuring a legendary masterpiece known as the Houghton Salamander. Suspended within a clear crystal dome, a lifelike yellow-green salamander coils in delicate detail, its body carefully shaped and textured to resemble living scales. Encased in molten glass without distortion or fracture, the creature appears almost magically preserved in time. In the 19th century, salamanders were believed to survive fire, making them a fitting and poetic subject for an object born of flame. This image captures not only beauty, but the wonder and mystery that made fine paperweights treasured works of art.

The original paperweight was created between 1875 and 1880 at the Pantin factory in France and is widely regarded as one of the most technically accomplished glass paperweights ever produced. Often referred to as a magnum example due to its impressive size, it showcases advanced flameworking and wheel-cut detailing before being encased in crystal. The piece is now part of the permanent collection at The Corning Museum of Glass in Corning, New York, which is noted on the card as open Tuesday through Sunday.

This unused, uncirculated postcard preserves an image of a rare and celebrated 19th-century glass treasure, making it a desirable collectible for admirers of antique paperweights, French craftsmanship, and museum history.

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