Baccarat (signed) Eighteen Lights Chandelier in Chiseled and Gilded Bronze Circa 1880

Description:

A splendid Louis XVI style chandelier in chiseled and gilded bronze, adorned with rich Baccarat crystal decor. It illuminates with eighteen light arms over two tiers, featuring branch and leaf motifs.

Characteristics:

Style: Louis XVI.

Materials: Chiseled and gilded bronze, Baccarat crystal signed.

Period: Circa 1880.

Decor: Pressed and molded crystal, motifs of octagons, stars, mirza, plaques, and basins. Center: A string of cut and crystal.

Center: A string of cut and crystal.

Base: A large crystal ball.

Dimensions:

Height: 47.25 inches.

Diameter: 31.5 inches

Condition:

In very good condition, original gilding, electrified to European standards. Possibility of conversion to American standards upon request.

Origin:

Magnificent French chandelier from the Napoleonic III period, crystal decor signed by the Baccarat Crystal Works.

History of Baccarat:

In 1764, French King Louis XV granted Louis-Joseph de Montmorency-Laval, Bishop of Metz, permission to establish a glassworks in the Lorraine village of Baccarat.

In 1824, Ismaël Robinet, a Baccarat glassmaker, invented an air-piston pump that facilitated glassblowing. The following year, Baccarat developed the press-molded technique.

In 1855, Baccarat took part in the first Paris Universal Exhibition, exhibiting two monumental candelabras and a chandelier.

In 1860, on October 29, Baccarat registered its trademark with the Paris Commercial Court: a carafe, a stemmed glass and a beaker inscribed in a circle. Initially printed on a paper label, the stamp was later engraved directly onto the piece.

Baccarat crystal is of the highest quality, containing no less than 31.7% lead, with no defaults and the highest standards. Cristallerie de Baccarat has been passed down through the generations and remains a symbol of French art de vivre.