Chandelier, France circa 1880, attributed to Baccarat

18-light chandelier in gilded bronze and cut and faceted crystal and attributed to Baccarat. Composed of a central shaft in blown and molded crystal, ending in a gilded bronze sphere from which spring eighteen light arms arranged over three levels. The whole is embellished with garlands of octagons and numerous pendants creating a cascading effect, naturally guiding the eye towards the imposing blown crystal ball that completes the ensemble.

BIOGRAPHIE

The famous Baccarat crystal factory, whose origins date back to the 18th century, won its first gold medal at the Exhibition of Products of French Industry in 1823, where it was acclaimed for "the brilliance and finesse of the crystal" and became the leading crystal factory in France. Baccarat is undoubtedly the only French industry at the time to be consistently and masterfully represented during the various exhibitions in which it participated, thereby winning honors and prestigious awards. A key phrase, "the perfection of the material and the cut," recurs in all the Universal Exhibition reports between 1855 and 1867, where the Baccarat crystal factory dominated with the quality of its crystal, judged superior to those of Bohemia and England.