Baccarat, the Crystal of the King and the King of the Crystal. The French brand is celebrating its 250th anniversary by throwing a big exhibition at the Heng Fu Art Center with nearly 400 pieces from its heritage collection. First time they’ve been outside France!

Baccarat was a little village in Lorraine in eastern France, where in 1764 King Louis XV decided to establish a glass-making factory. It has been hand-making sculptures and champagne flutes since. In 1823, the factory got its first royal commission: to make crystal glass for Louis XVIII. Today Baccarat’s pieces are exported all around the world, and especially favored by royalty, heads of state, celebrities and the like. This month, it partnered up with Heng Fu Art Center, a two-story, century-old historic mansion recently converted into an art museum. This is the center’s first exhibition since its opening in July. Adorned with hundreds of lavish pieces by Baccarat, the interior has been set up to recreate a collector’s home in late 1920s Shanghai. The spatial arrangement, as well as the display shelves, pedestals and cabinets, are as strikingly artful as the pieces themselves. The exhibition is organized into three sections: Art Deco, Chinese Inspiration and Legendary Pieces. Some of the objects are almost 200 years old. Some were showcased and admired at Paris’s World’s Fair in 1878. Some were commissioned for royals like Tsar Nicolas II of Russia at the turn of the 20th century. The majestic “Tsar” Candelabrum, for example, is 3.85m high and comprised of 3,320 pieces of crystal. The candelabrum originally came with 79 candles, but forward-looking Nicolas ordered them to be replaced with electric light. That’s how the first electric Baccarat light fixture came into being. The biggest draw is probably Baccarat’s centerpiece and furniture, a crystal boat on top of a crystal table that weighs more than 750kg altogether. Comprised of 101 pieces of clear crystal, the ensemble took 49 glassmakers and cutters, including five of France’s most acclaimed artisans, a total of 3,700 hours to make. Baccarat, A Collector’s House is not all about glitz and glam – there is beauty, heritage, history, and superb, superb craftsmanship. Not advisable to bring your kids. As for adults, tread your ground slowly and mindfully. Check your shoelaces. Wrap your rucksack around your front. There’s a Baccarat store on the ground floor, naturally, where there is a 520,000rmb chandelier. There’s also a Baccarat x Paul Lafayet B Bar and Lounge where everything, from macarons to hot lattes, are served with the brand’s crystal. ** Baccarat: A Collector’s House exhibition was on at Heng Fu Art Center. It was closed earlier than expected on December 31, 2019. The Baccarat x Paul Lafayet B Bar and Lounge is still open.