History

Visit of the shah of Persia to the Baccarat boutique on the rue de Paradis in Paris, 1905. In 1905, the shah of Persia visited the Baccarat boutique on rue de Paradis, demonstrating the rich and enduring relationship between Baccarat and the Persian kingdom. These ties are evidenced by the numerous Persian commissions for services of glassware and lighting fixtures

“Uttu” vase from the Rencontre collection, Ettore Sottsass, 2002. The “Uttu” vase, a particularly massive piece, plays on geometric cuts that preserve the purity of the crystal and allows a highly unusual effect of transparency. It is surmounted by a red or green crystal neck

Universal Exposition, Paris, 1867. Constructed on the Champ de Mars, the second Universal Exposition in Paris was notable for the lavishness of the European pavilions and the participation of Asian and Far Eastern countries. The Baccarat manufactory presented its remarkable pieces in an ambitious setting. Set around a crystal fountain almost twenty-five feet high stood a pair of covered vases fashioned from clear crystal and lined with ruby red crystal. Majestic candelabra and chandeliers paid tribute to the genius of Baccarat’s master glassworkers. Baccarat mined the entire repertoire of the decorative arts to display its designs to best advantage. The manufactory received the Grand Prize, and its director, Émile Godard-Desmarest, was awarded the “Légion d’Honneur”

Universal Exposition, Paris, 1855. A successor to various national exhibitions of French industrial production and the 1851 Universal Exposition in London, the 1855 Universal Exposition in Paris was an opportunity for Baccarat to introduce an array of distinctive pieces to the public. Among the monumental creations displayed, these two towering vases of white agate “pâte-de-riz” glass with vegetal motifs in chrysoprase agate glass overwhelmed visitors just as much as they impressed Emperor Napoléon III. At the conclusion of this major exhibition, a jury awarded Baccarat the Grand Medal of Honor in the glassware and ceramics category

Table and Ship, 1889 and 1900. This table and ship ensemble is one of the late-nineteenth-century’s iconic creations. The table, made entirely of clear crystal, is exceptionally high, measuring almost three feet. Two copies of the ship were produced for the 1900 Universal Exposition. The vessel was based on a model by the sculptor Charles-Vital Cornu

In sky blue opaline crystal, furnished with thirty branches for candles in twisted clear crystal, from the Baccarat archives, c. 1858. This project corresponds to a sky blue opaline crystal chandelier crafted for the Dolmabahçe Palace, where it adorns an audience chamber

Pair of covered “Simon” vases, presented at the Universal Exposition in Paris, 1867. Designed for the 1867 Universal Exposition, “L’Allégorie de l’Eau” (The Allegory of Water) and “L’Allégorie de la Terre” (The Allegory of Earth) were twin vases of extraordinary dimensions (30 inches) whose decoration was inspired by the works of the painter Charles-Joseph Natoire (1700–1777). These works were universally admired and acclaimed. Each represented an entire year of painstaking labor, whose complexity and finesse earned the master engraver Jean-Baptiste Simon the singular privilege of signing his work

Study for “Coupe CDC 53” candelabrum, eighteen candles, triple-backed crystal (clear crystal, white opal, red crystal, and emerald crystal), c.1855

Service known as “The Czar’s,” 1906. Designed at the beginning of the twentieth century for Nicholas II, “The Czar’s” service in clear crystal lined with colored crystal is truly spectacular. The glasses feature long stems, scalloped bases, and a decoration of cut-glass “bezels” and palmettes. Offered in a choice of six colors, this remarkable ensemble won the admiration of many aristocratic patrons, as well as the imperial court. Crafted solely by the “Meilleurs Ouvriers de France”, this service remains in Baccarat’s current catalogue

Starting in 1832, Baccarat acquired and developed the site “30 bis, rue de Paradis”, near the “Gare de l’Est” train station. The House of Baccarat converted the premises into its company headquarters and into a sales space that included a large showroom for displaying its creations. A museum was founded there in the 1960s

Pair of covered “Simon” vases, presented at the Universal Exposition in Paris, 1867. Designed for the 1867 Universal Exposition, “L’Allégorie de l’Eau” (The Allegory of Water) and “L’Allégorie de la Terre” (The Allegory of Earth) were twin vases of extraordinary dimensions (30 inches) whose decoration was inspired by the works of the painter Charles-Joseph Natoire (1700–1777). These works were universally admired and acclaimed. Each represented an entire year of painstaking labor, whose complexity and finesse earned the master engraver Jean-Baptiste Simon the singular privilege of signing his work

Pair of flasks from the “Malmaison” service made for HSH Prince Rainier and HSH Princess Grace of Monaco, 1956. In honor of the marriage of His Serene Highness Prince Rainier III, the manufactory reissued this pair of flasks in 1956. They were originally from the “Malmaison” service, created in 1913. These Empirestyle flasks are gilded with fine gold and decorated with the newlyweds’ monograms

Vase known as “du Negus,” presented,at the International Exhibition of Eastern France, Nancy, 1909. The body of this monumental vase, 5 1/2 feet high, is fashioned from pieces of cut crystal, framed and held together by carved gilt-bronze elements. Baccarat designed this model and produced two versions of it for the International Exhibition of Eastern France. Awed by the magnificence of these creations, Menelik II, the negus (ruler) of Abyssinia, bought one of the vases for himself

This narghile, with its complex design, was probably made for the Ottoman court. The creation is representative of an era during which Baccarat maintained close ties with the Ottoman Empire

Baccarat manufactory, 1907

Baccarat manufactory, 1828

Candelabrum known as “The Czar’s,” 1896

Craftsmen, Baccarat manufactory, interior view of the furnace room, 1887. As early as the 1830s, Baccarat’s managers took initiatives that reflected a sense of industrial paternalism and Christian obligation. They instituted enlightened social policies and health measures that later earned the firm a Grand Prize at the 1889 Universal Exposition in Paris. From father to son, generations of elite artisans succeeded one another in the manufactory’s furnace rooms. Women were employed in increasing numbers beginning in the 1860s; they most frequently exercised their skills in the cool rooms

Cover of the Baccarat catalogue showing the “Temple of Mercury,” Universal Exposition in Paris, 1878

At the conclusion of Charles X’s visit to Lorraine in 1828, Baccarat presented this clear crystal cut-glass pitcher to the dauphin, Louis de Bourbon. It is decorated with the arms of France and Navarre, rendered in gold and polychrome enamel. The shields display the three fleurs-de-lis of France, the chains of Navarre, and the collars of the Orders of Saint-Michel and the Saint-Esprit, as well as the interlaced double “L” emblem and the royal crown.

“Caliph’s Staircase” monumental chandelier, Dolmabahçe Palace, Istanbul, c. 1870. In the mid-nineteenth century, Sultan Abdülmecid began the construction of the Dolmabahçe Palace in Constantinople in order to showcase the modernity and wealth of his Ottoman Empire. Sultan Abdülaziz commissioned from Baccarat a large number of monumental chandeliers in clear and red crystal enhanced with gold, which are particularly remarkable for their bobèches in the form of stylized tulips, the symbol of the Turkish Empire. The chandeliers were intended to furnish the Dolmabahçe Palace from the entry hall to the Blue Hall, passing by the “Caliph’s Staircase” to arrive at the Red Chamber, the ceremonial room of the Harem.

Candelabra cut in triple-thick crystal with opaline, emerald green, or red with gold crystal, Beylerbeyi Palace, Istanbul, around 1850

“Seule la perfection peut se permettre toutes les audaces” (“Only perfection can dare to be audacious”) advertisement, 1979

Service known as “The Czar’s” ordered for the Czar Nicolas II in 1909

State glass for King Louis-Philippe, 1840

Glass from the “François Villon” collection, commissioned in 1936 for the president Fran¬klin Delano Roosevelt

Pair of covered “Simon” vases – “L’Allégorie de l’Eau” et “L’Allégorie de la Terre”, engraved by Jean-Baptiste Simon. Presented at the Universal Exhibition in Paris, 1867

Table and Ship, 1889 Universal Exhibition in Paris (for the table) and 1900 Universal Exhibition in Paris (for the Ship)

“Juvisy” collection, created in 1867 for the Universal Exhibition in Paris and commissioned for the President of French Republic Emile Loubet for the Elysée Palace

“Harcourt” collection, 1841

“Paraison” service, commissioned for the maha¬rajah of Indore for his art déco Manik Bagh Palace, 1933

Wine glass from the “Jean Bart” collection, created by Georges Chevalier for the Internatio¬nal Exhibition of the Art Décortaifs of 1925 and commissioned for the Prince of Wales in 1930

Wine glass from the “Beauvais” collection, dreated in 1878 for the Universal Exhibition in Paris and commissioned in 1909 for the impe¬rial family of Japan

Covered Chalices and glass painted with gold in relief, International Exhibition of East of France, Nancy, 1909

Water glass of the “Harcourt” collection, commissioned around 1860 for Napoléon III