Woman Blowing a Glass Pearl

A woman is seen from the side sitting at a work table and blowing a glass imitation pearl by the flame of a gas burner, assisted by a cat diligently napping on a nearby stool.

The author informs us that a skilled worker could make up to 300 pearls in a day. She would have been paid 2.50 francs a hundred, that is, as of the early 2020s, very approximately the equivalent of $3.90, or €3.50.

The caption reads in the original French: Ouvrière parisienne soufflant une fausse perle.