Ref. : 3793-11-en
baccarat
"Dragon" Vase in Black "Onyx" Crystal.
Origine
France, ca 1882
H : 24,3 cm / 9.6 in.
Ø max : 15 cm / 5.9 in.
Description
"Dragon Vase".
Vase in solid black "onyx" crystal, blown and worked with the tools. Chinese style decor with dragons and bats painted with in relief white enamels and gold.
Signature
Signature : Original paper label under the vase.
References: Archives of the maison Baccarat; drawing of the project 3110 - 1882.
Notes
With its painted enamels in relief decor embellished with gold on a body made in black onyx crystal, this beautiful and extremely rare vase, is highly iconic of the Chinese influenced creations of Baccarat during the 1870-1900's period.
At the 1839's 'Exposition Nationale des Produits de l’Industrie Française' (National Exhibition of Products of French Industry) Baccarat received a gold medal for its colorful crystals imitating the black and red lava or the malachite. Technically very difficult to achieve black crystal also called "onyx" crystal can only be produced by the addition of five different oxides (cobalt, copper, chromium, iron and manganese).
An extraordinary model/
In 2011, considering the Dragon Vase as extraordinary and part of its iconic creations, Baccarat has re-edited it for its "Memory Collection", in a limited edition of 99.
However, this re-creation, only made with a mechanically printed gold decor, is far to reach the quality of the original vase.
Selective Biography
Compagnie des Cristalleries de BACCARAT ( from 1764 - to the present)
In 1764, King Louis XV issued a royal warrant to establish a glass-making factory in the village of Baccarat in Lorraine in eastern France.
In 1855, at the World Exhibition in Paris, Baccarat won its first award (Gold Medal).
It was not until the 1860’ that the Company started to sign its pieces by affixing a small paper label or a stamp on the bronze. This signature will last until 1936 (except for the chandeliers). It was also during this period that the production of the Company took its level and built a worldwide reputation.
At the end of the nineteenth century, Baccarat opened in Paris a depot/bronze workshop and shop at the 30-30bis rue de Paradis.
In the 1920’s Baccarat started to sign his perfume bottles with an acid (or by sandblasting) round engraved stamp but it was not until 1936 that this manufacturer has decided to mark each piece.
Selective Bibliography
Revue :
De Liesville, (A.-R.), « Les Industries d'Art au Champ de Mars, IV-2 Verrerie », dans L'Art Moderne à l'Exposition de 1878, Publication de la Gazette des Beaux-Arts, Paris, 1879, p. 434.
Exibition Catalogue :
Lerch , (M.), « Le Japonisme », dans Baccarat, la légende du Cristal, Petit Palais, Paris [exposition du 15 novembre 2014 - 04 janvier 2015], Paris, p. 55-56.
Books :
Cappa, (G.), Le Génie Verrier de l'Europe, Témoignages, De l'Historicisme à la Modernité (1840-1998), Sprimont-Belgique, 1998, p. 170 à 187, fig. 28, 291 et p. 370-377, fig. 647.
Ennès, (P.), Histoire du Verre, Au Carrefour de l'Art et de l'Industrie, Le XIXe siècle, Paris, 2006, p. 179 et 183.
Lambourne, (L.), Japonisme, Echanges culturels entre le Japon et l'Occident, Paris, 2007.
Olland, (P.), L'Art Verrier 1900, de l'Art Nouveau à l'Art Déco au travers des collections privées, Dijon, France, 2007, p. 14, fig. 1.
Sautot, (D.), Baccarat, une histoire, 1764..., Édition de Baccarat, France, 1993, p. 54-60, fig. p. 48-49.
Wichmann, (S.), Japonisme, Paris, 1982, p. 314-323.
