Chaumet Glass and Ormolu mounted Eagle, Circa: 1950

Unique sculpture of an Eagle, created and executed in silver gilt by Chaumet on a block of rough Baccarat Crystal.

Chaumet created a small series of silver gilt and Baccarat Crystal animals entitled “Le Bestiaire Fabuleux” of which this unique piece of an eagle entitled ‘Aconcagua”’ was one.    “Le Bestiaire” is an amazing relationship between blocks of pure crystal in uncut form, and vermeil (silver plated with gold) which through the creative skill of the artist, instils the crystal with a highly original and irrepressible form of animal life.  In this case this magnificent eagle.

When Baccarat, the suppliers of the crystal, gave the blocks to Chaumet, the Jewellers, as a source of inspiration, the initial creation was that of a lion’s head, which was the first in a line of objects which became known as “Le Bestiaire Fabuleux”.   It was followed by the giraffe, the panther, the bull and this eagle.

The brilliance of the vermeil and the transparency of the crystal, bestows upon these sculptures, a radiance of almost magic proportions.   Baccarat & Chaumet, two truly great names in the history of art, are living proof of the existence of a natural alliance between great craftsmen, whose sole calling is the creation of beauty.

Baccarat and Chaumet, two prestigious names in their own respective and equally delicate arts, were founded in the 18th century – the former in 1764 and the latter in 1780.   The Baccarat factory had scaled the highest peaks of glass perfection, through the adoption of highly sophisticated continuous fusion tank ovens, which incorporated platinum and rhodium, giving crystal an incomparable brightness and brilliance.   This allowed for the production of absolutely pure coloured or colourless blocks of crystal.   These blocks, created from the magic of fire and the genius of man, and each with its own, often unexpected shapes, were at the outset, offered to Chaumet as a source of inspiration.  Chaumet immediately realized that here lay immense potential for beauty and harmony by marrying the crystal with precious metal, and in this case, vermeil.   With much highly skilled assembling and boundless imagination from the sculptor, the crystal block was transformed into this magnificent head – one of the first in the line of animal heads.

The head was then perfected with the setting of stones (in this case, the eye) and the silver gilt mounts (beak, eye and base), resulting in a masterpiece unique in its richness and power of expression.  The crystal, attracting and radiating the light with a dazzling brilliance, and the precious vermeil sculpted with an excitement of movement, makes this a truly exceptional piece.

Signed Certificate and Seal of the double signature of Baccarat and Chaumet attached.