Attributed to Baguès French Pair of Silver Plate and Cut Crystal Chandeliers

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.

Find antique Compagnie des Cristalleries de Baccarat furniture and decorative objects for sale on 1stDibs.

Since its establishment in 1860, the Maison Baguès has been an emblem of French sophistication in luxury lighting design. Each piece the firm makes is hand-assembled using traditional techniques in order to emphasize the elegance and excellence of their detailed artisanal work. Still the epitome of savoir-faire, Maison Baguès’ luxurious chandeliers, floor lamps and other lighting fixtures are prized for their craftsmanship, beauty and harmony.

The master metalsmith Noël Baguès founded the company as specialists in liturgical bronzes, but by 1880 the company had expanded into the production of bronze light fixtures in response to the development of electrical lighting. Carried on by Noël’s son Eugène and grandsons Victor and Robert, Maison Baguès continued to progress, adding intricately detailed iron lighting collections in the 1920s as well as stair banisters, gates and accessory tables. 

Baguès began selling internationally in the interwar period, expanding the company’s operation to New York, Rome and Cairo. Noted for their high-end handcrafted work, such as complex carved sconces and hand-strung crystal chandeliers, Maison Baguès appealed to an elite clientele.

While Baguès’ Art Deco crystal lighting fixtures drew the most attention, the company was also known for bespoke metalwork that drew commissions from important interior designers and decorating firms such as Maison Jansen and Raymond Subes. The idiosyncratic genius Armand-Albert Rateau used Maison Baguès accessories to decorate the interiors of Jeanne Lanvin’s town home in 1928. Maison Baguès products have also been featured in luxury hotels like Paris's George V and the Savoy in London.

Today, Maison Baguès continues its history of delicate, detailed work and devotes much of its enterprise to preserving the company’s heritage through restoration. Their efforts are worth it.

As you will see on 1stDibs, Maison Baguès remains the last word in classic French lighting and metalwork.