Stylized Crystal Gorilla Sculpture by Loet Vanderveen for Baccarat

Loet Van Der Veen was a Dutch artist and sculptor, born in 1921, in Rotterdam, Netherlands, very close to a Victorian-era zoo, which he visited every day, until it was destroyed during World War II. He escaped from occupied Netherlands and served in the R.A.F., during the war. During the first 11 years following the war, he worked as a fashion designer in Zurich, London and New York. He studied Chinese glaze techniques for three years, with Fong Chow, then the curator of the Far Eastern Department of the Metropolitan Museum, in New York. Loet left New York and built a mountain-top house and studio, 1,600 feet above the Pacific Ocean, along California’s remote Big Sur coastline. Living in a remote area, where there was an abundance of wildlife, coupled with his love for animals, led him to create ceramic animal forms. Striving for more sophisticated and graceful images, he ventured into designing animals in bronze, enhanced by a rich palette of subtle patinas, offering uniquely stylized interpretations that have been appreciated by distinguished worldwide collectors. His works are in the permanent collections of museums throughout the world.

One of the world’s foremost crystal manufacturers, Baccarat has long been emblematic of luxury and exquisite craftsmanship. Starting in the early 19th century, objects produced by the French company — from stemware to chandeliers to brightly colored paperweights — became a staple of noble and wealthy households across Europe and as far afield as India. Along with the purity and quality of their glass, Baccarat crystal makers can boast a remarkable fluency with a range of design styles — from cut-glass neoclassical pieces to sinuously etched Art Nouveau designs.

Baccarat began as a kind of industrial development project. In 1764, the Bishop of Metz and other landowners in heavily forested northeastern France persuaded Louis XV to sanction a glassworks in the area — timber being a key resource required for the furnaces used in glass production.

In its early years the company produced humble products such as window panes and simple drinking glasses. In 1816 a new owner began making crystal, and seven years later Louis XVIII — who had taken the throne after the defeat of Napoleon — gave Baccarat its first royal commission, for tableware. In the ensuing years, an estimated one-third of the company’s workforce was dedicated to commissions to the Russian imperial court alone.

Spurred by the intense competition between global industries in the latter 19th century — fought in public view in the many world expositions of the era — Compagnie des Cristalleries de Baccarat, as it had finally become known, elevated its level of artistry by adopting new technologies and creating a rigorous training program. The firm broadened its stylistic range, embracing Asian influences and new engraving methods, and increasing production of its now iconic millefiori paperweights.

The designer Georges Chevalier, who worked for Baccarat for more than five decades beginning in 1916, ushered the company into the realm of modernist design. In recent years, Baccarat has employed such renowned contemporary designers as Philippe Starck and Marcel Wanders, ensuring that Baccarat crystal will continue to enjoy pride of place on up-to-date tables. But as you will see from the offerings on these pages, Baccarat has items to suit any taste.

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