Offered by Tobogan Antiques
Beautiful set of four Louis XVI-inspired wall-lights, crafted in chased and gilded bronze with Baccarat crystal, each with five lights. They are symmetrically composed with five twisted arms highlighted by scrollwork and ending in acanthus leaves, arranged around a central quiver-shaped stem with fluted channels adorned with stylized acanthus leaves terminating in a seed motif. All these decorative elements reflect the neoclassical ornamentation fashionable during the reign of Louis XVI. The ensemble is further embellished with numerous drops, prisms, bead garlands, and small flowers in cut and faceted Baccarat crystal.
These sconces represent a synthesis of order, balance, and elegance, where ornamentation, though rich, remains subordinate to a harmonious compositional logic. Through their quality of execution and stylistic coherence, they constitute a significant example of the persistence and reinterpretation of neoclassical taste in French decorative arts.
Between 1764 and 1860, with rare exceptions, the crystal Manufacture of Baccarat doesn’t sign its works. The first paper labels appear in 1860 and represent inside a circle, a carafe surrounded by a goblet and a cup above which is marked BACCARAT. From 1875, the brand BACCARAT in stick letters and in relief is present on some blown models and on the bronze parts of the mounts. It’s from 1936 that the carafe, surrounded by a goblet and a cup with BACCARAT marked above, appears systematically on the production.
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. Reports of the Universal Exhibition, from 1855 to 1867, talk about the “perfection of the material and of its cut”, considered superior of those from Bohemia or England.
