Baccarat, Crystal Cup, France, 1860

An elegant gobleton an engraved glass stem showcasing a sumptuous amber-colored relief design.The central motif, exquisitely delicate and inspired byJapanese art, depicts a bird in flight (reminiscent of a crane or a phoenix) soaring amid asymmetrical branches and foliage. This botanical designextends harmoniously onto the central baluster. The rim of thegoblet is scalloped, enhanced by a beaded relief frieze. The entire piece restson a finely crafted gilded bronze four-legged base depictingJapanese cherry trees. This type of base is typical of Baccarat designs,which confirms its attribution.

Biography

Thefamous Baccarat crystal glassworks, whose origins date back to the 18th century, won its firstat the 1823 Industrial Products Exhibition, where it was praised for “the brilliance and finesse of the crystal” and became theleading crystal manufacturer in France. Baccarat was undoubtedly the only French companythat was consistently and masterfully represented at thevarious exhibitions in which it participated, thereby winninghonors and prestigious awards. A key phrase—“perfectionof the material and the cut,” recurs in all the reportsfrom the World’s Fairs between 1855 and 1867, where Baccarat crystaldominated thanks to the quality of its crystal, deemed superior to that of Bohemia andEngland.