Tiffany Glass Paperweight

The Tiffany & Co. “Globe Crystal Paperweight,” 4” diameter, first

appeared in a sales catalog for corporate customers in 1990. It cost

$550 to purchase.

Global trade became increasingly important in the late 20th century but can result in problems if not handled well. This chipped and scratched paperweight is an icon of globalism gone wrong. It was recovered from the debris of the World Trade Center following the attacks on September 11, 2001. While the terrorists sought to destroy the Trade Center as a symbolic attack on American Capitalism, in fact the glass paper weight survived. Chipped and damaged, the paperweight, like American business, rose from the ashes of September 11 to carry on.