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Baccarat

Crystal Manufacture

Exceptional Chandelier and its ten Wall-lights

France
Circa 1860

Chandelier- Height : 255 cm (100,4 in.) ; Diam. : 170 cm (66,9 in.)
Wall-lights –  Height : 102 cm (40,1 in.) ; Width : 58 cm (22,8 in.) ; Depth : 64 cm (25,1 in.) 

Provenance : Private Palace, Italy

Exceptional chandelier with 90 lights accompanied with ten sconces. The central shaft is formed by a succession of balusters, cups and spheres in cut and faceted crystal from which emerge two rows of ten and twenty sconces formed by bouquets of two and three lights surmounted by a dagger, and fourteen egrets ending in bells.

Below, fifty-four beveled-sided knives form a star, from which descends a faceted sphere. The chandelier is richly adorned with pendants, drops, octagons and bells.

It comes with ten matching wall-lights with nine lights each, with a baluster-shaped central shaft, embellished with a crown from which emerge two rows of lights and a cup with six egrets ending in bells, surmounted by a faceted sphere and a dagger. The whole is adorned with numerous pendants, drops and octagons.

Dessin préparatoire pour un lustre à 140 verrines, 1858. Baccarat, archives of the manufacture, reproduced page 25 of the exhibition catalogue « Baccarat, la légende du cristal » exposed at the Petit Palais from October 15th 2014 to January 4th 2015.

This preparatory drawing probably served as a model for the chandelier presented here. Indeed, Baccarat offered several variants of the same model to its customers who could thus adapt their order by choosing the number of lights, the height of the chandelier or the shape of the shaft according to their taste and their interiors.

Between 1764 and 1860, with rare exceptions, the Cristallerie de Baccarat never signed his work. The first paper labels appear in 1860 and represent inside a circle a carafe surrounded by a stemmed glass and a goblet above which is marked Baccarat.

From 1875, the Mark « Baccarat » in stick letters and in relief is present on certain blown models and on the bronze parts of the frames.

It is from 1936 that the carafe surrounded by a stemmed glass and a goblet, with « Baccarat » marked above, systematically appeared on the entire production.

Since 1990, a laser signature complete the engraved mark.

Biography

The famous crystal manufacture of Baccarat, that dates back to the 18th century, was awarded its first medal in 1823, during the “Exposition des Produits de l’Industrie” for the “brilliance and the sharpness of its crystal” and became then the most renowned French “cristallerie”. Baccarat was undoubtedly the only French manufacture that exhibited steadily and magnificently its products at the various Universal Exhibitions, and especially between 1855 and 1867.  In all reports one can read about the « perfection of the material and of its cut ». To keep its wealthy clientele, among which the Royal family, Baccarat must discover new styles and decors as well as new material.