French crystal house Baccarat is celebrating its 250th anniversary with a retrospective exhibition at Maison Baccarat’s Museum-Gallery in Paris, showcasing 250 of the brand’s masterpieces over the centuries. “Baccarat: Les 250 ans” takes place in the brand’s Museum-Gallery space and the exhibit will be split into five main themes telling the story of the group’s heritage.
The themes include the story of the famous ‘Harcourt’ stem glass, born in 1841 when King Louis Philippe ordered a ceremonial chalice engraved with his monogram. Revisited over the years, the Harcourt collections are still manufactured today.
‘Le Rouge à l’Or’ focuses on the vivid golden red colour that has become Baccarat’s trademark, a fusion of clear crystal and 24-carat gold. The trend is illustrated by the pair of ‘Simon’ vases designed for the Paris Universal Exhibition in 1867.
The ‘Myriad Colours’ section of the show focuses on a series of coloured pieces first released in 1839 and expanded over the years to create kaleidoscopic bursts of crystal. The technique marked a turning point in the history of the brand’s designs.
The final division of the exhibit concentrates on the craftsmanship and expertise the brand has accumulated since its beginning and explores techniques such as cutting, glassblowing, engraving and gilding.
Baccarat was founded in 1764 by permission of King Louis XV; the world’s most famous crystalworks has, over the ages, become a symbol of superb craftsmanship and French art de vivre. “Baccarat: Les 250 ans” runs through January 24, 2015.
