Heritage exhibition at the Galerie-Musée Baccarat (Paris), from 31 October 2012 to 30 March 2013
Just as Haute Couture adorns the human form by giving fabrics structure and volume, crystal cutting sculpts forms and décors. High fashion and the creation of outstanding crystal artefacts stand on the same plane of hand-crafted excellence. This exhibition, featuring some 300 historic and contemporary pieces from the House of Baccarat’s collections, will illustrate the legendary tours de force of its master glass-cutters and showcase the transmission of their unrivalled skills from one generation to the next, over close to 250 years.
“Taillé sur Mesure”, or The Art of the Cutter is a tribute to the outstanding work of Baccarat’s glass cutting workshops. From the initial sketches to finishing, each stage in the creation of a crystal object celebrates the perfect mastery of the craftsman, the nobility of the material he or she works, and every refined detail. Cut crystal motifs range from the simplest cut to the lushest ornament, from the purity of a line to the most delicate embroidery and lacework.
Baccarat’s signature flat cut glasswork, exemplified by the legendary Harcourt stemware service, is exhibited alongside a near infinite array of cut glass styles: hollow cut, beveled, square diamond, facetted diamond, rose, palm leaf, punty, olive, clover, rice grain or “taille riche”. These patterns constitute an ornamental repertoire used by the designers to create volumes and adorn a multiplicity of vases, bowls, flacons, luminaires, and jewellery.
From the limited editions designed by the likes of Ettore Sottsass, Marcel Wanders, and Patricia Urquiola, to “off-the-peg” collections such as Masséna or Flers, cutting enhances the material, magnifies its sparkle, and clothes it in light.
Useful information
Galerie-Musée Baccarat 11, Place des Etats-Unis, 75116 Paris
Tel: + 33 1 40 22 11 00 Open daily from 10am to 6pm.
Closed Tuesday, Sunday and public holidays.
Admission: €5, Concessions €3.50;
Guided tours by appointment.
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