Released in October 2013 by Laurence Benaïm and Murray Moss, the book Histoire de Baccarat intimately whispers the most beautiful of the brand’s secrets through over 300 photographs and brand new drawings issued from the brand’s archives. Following this glossy paper marvel is an exhibit that goes back on close to 250 masterpieces at Baccarat’s Galerie Musée in Paris, situated in the former residence of Marie-Laure de Noailles, thus infinitely celebrating the luxurious spirit of 20th century balls. Since 1764, Baccarat has given us the rich patrimony of their savoir-faire. The manufacturer, authorized to open by King Louis XV, would be responsible for the most beautiful settings on royal and noble tables the world over. Louis XVIII himself put them in the spotlight during one of his dinners that boasted 160 glassware pieces, among them the very first champagne flutes. Baccarat became the “crystal of Kings” and continued to grace the tables of Charles X and Louis-Philippe.
The opening of a shop in 1832 on rue de Paradis in Paris gave them an international aura, notably through numerous orders from Russian czars Alexander II and Nicolas II on a visit to the City of Lights. The latter, seeking to bring his country into an era of modernity, ordered a candelabra with 79 electric lights, the first great technological challenge that crystal making would be confronted with. Russian demand was so strong that for a time, one of the manufacturer’s three crystal ovens, located in the town of Baccarat in Lorraine, was entirely dedicated to Slavic production, since tradition dictated that vodka glasses should be smashed after consuming their contents in a single gulp. These perfectionist virtuosos also left an impression on the first sultan to travel to Europe, Abdulaziz, who lit up his Dolmabahçe palace in Istanbul with Baccarat chandeliers, candlesticks, and tableware. Georges Chevalier, designer for the brand, enraptured Josephine Baker, Lenny Kravitz, and our contemporary Karl Lagerfeld, who swears he only drinks his Diet Coke out of a Baccarat glass. The subtle ostentation of daily pleasures is magnified.
Resistant to wars, revolutions, and industrializations, among the most famous pieces today is the Harcourt glass, from the famed family, created in 1841. Reinterpreted throughout the years, it has crossed royal and papal tables of several nations, instilling the art of entertaining à la française in the four corners of the Earth. The “Simon” vases created for the Universal Exposition of 1867 in Paris brought their ruby jeweled color into the palette of the day. Baccarat incarnates the luster of the years linked to the modernity of a time that never ceases to advance and experiment with novelty. Another example of a revelation from the brand during the exposition are their colored crystal pieces. This explosion of shades revived creations that were originally made transparent or in a princely red. Conferring the material all of its light and sonority, the 22 artisans and maître d’art still perpetuate the tradition of a powerful silhouette, even incarnating the breaths of man, with their dexterity and ability to touch the infinite beauty of exceptionalism with the tip of their finger.
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