Collection gains inspiration from history
The extraordinary sparkle and beauty of Baccarat's latest crystal objet d'art collection are at their most alluring when displayed against the floor-to-ceiling windows at the luxurious residences of Forfar, with Hong Kong's breathtaking skyline as the backdrop.
Baccarat unveiled its autumn/winter collection of expertly crafted re-edition pieces of collectors' items and objet d'art created in collaboration with renowned designers Jaime Hayon, Philippe Starck and Marcel Wanders in Kowloon Tong.
Many pieces were shown in Hong Kong for the first time, such as Starck's 'Marie Coquine' crystal chandelier incorporated into an umbrella suspended in mid-air.
The art deco-style blown black crystal Vesques Vase in the Memoire 2011 Collection is among the most admired pieces at the Baccarat Museum in Paris. The vase is embellished with floral designs produced with a sanding technique and hand-painted polychromatic powder enamels. A master craftsman spent 10 hours on the intricate enamelling of each vase. Ninety-nine copies of this limited edition vase are available worldwide.
Established in 1764, France's premier crystal glassware brand often draws on important design collections archived in its factory over hundreds of years. The Memoire collection features limited re-edition pieces of Baccarat's collector's items. The Vesques Vase was unveiled at the international exposition of modern industrial decorative arts in Paris in 1925. 'These limited edition pieces are handmade by 'Meilleurs Ouvriers de France' (MOF), only the best craftsmen of France,' says Roraine Tang, marketing manager at Baccarat Far East.
MOF is the most prestigious title in France awarded for professional excellence to workmen who have chosen to devote their lives and talent to their respective crafts.
The other highlights in the collection include 'Japonisme' vases in blown clear crystal which are the limited re-edition of the brand's 1878 collection. Some of the best craftsmen in France spent 40 hours engraving each vase by hand. Twenty-nine copies of each vase are available worldwide.
New designs include Zodiac - Fractal Dragon 2012 designed by Nicolas Triboulot crafted to mark the coming Year of the Dragon. Numbered and limited to 75 pieces worldwide, the Fractal Dragon features soft-touch (silicone coating) lacquer with gold d?cor for the scales and is topped with a clear crystal head in fractal facets maximising the glitter of the material.
Baccarat believes there is no limit to creativity and design innovation. The brand leverages its crystal-making expertise in collaboration with celebrated designers, which often results in spectacular collections, Tang says.
In view of the growing demand for top-end crystal decorative lights in Hong Kong, the brand opened its first lighting showroom in the city in May. 'To select suitable chandeliers for their homes, the consumers should take into account the ceiling height and size of areas where the chandeliers are installed,' she notes. 'A chandelier should also complement the overall ambience of a home.'
Baccarat will open its lifestyle showroom in the fashionable Sanlitun district in Beijing next year. 'The showroom will feature lighting designs, our designer objet d'art collections and accessories,' Tang says. 'Because the capital city has become a design hub in China, the Baccarat showroom will double as a gathering and idea exchange venue for international and domestic designers in the country.'