In the realm of decorative arts, certain creations transcend mere craftsmanship to become symbols of human ingenuity and artistic collaboration. The Olympus Pegasus by Baccarat represents precisely this kind of achievement. It’s a spectacular sculpture that brings together three legendary French Maisons d’art in a harmonious celebration of excellence, creativity, and the transmission of savoir-faire across generations.
A Mythological Vision Rendered in Crystal and Feathers
Standing 77.3 centimeters tall, the Olympus Pegasus by Baccarat captures the legendary winged horse in a moment of majestic motion, frozen in time yet seemingly ready to take flight at any instant. This is not merely a sculpture; it’s a technical and artistic tour de force that required the combined expertise of master artisans working at the absolute pinnacle of their respective crafts.
The mythological Pegasus, born from the blood of Medusa and known for creating the spring Hippocrene on Mount Helicon with a strike of his hoof, has long symbolized poetic inspiration, freedom, and the transcendence of earthly limitations. In bringing this creature to life, Baccarat has created a piece that embodies these same qualities while demonstrating what becomes possible when legendary houses unite their talents.
The Crystal Body: A Single Block Transformed
At the heart of the Olympus Pegasus by Baccarat lies the horse itself, sculpted from a single block of crystal, a technical feat that speaks to the extraordinary skill of Baccarat’s master craftsmen. The sculpture was created through the prowess of a Meilleur Ouvrier de France (Best Craftsman of France) and Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres, titles that represent the highest recognition of craft excellence in the French tradition.
Each piece requires its own unique mold, custom-created for the sculpture. The process demands many hours of painstaking hand-cutting, with artisans working to reveal what Baccarat describes as the crystal’s “luminous power.” This isn’t simply about shaping transparent material. It’s about understanding how light moves through crystal, how facets and curves can capture and refract illumination to create depth, dimensionality, and the illusion of life.
The horse’s form captures muscular definition and anatomical accuracy while maintaining the ethereal quality appropriate to a mythological creature. Every line of the body suggests motion and power held in check, the tension of a being poised between earth and sky. The crystal’s inherent properties (its weight, its clarity, its ability to sparkle and shimmer) contribute essential qualities to the sculpture’s character. This is Pegasus rendered not in stone or bronze but in frozen light itself.
The Wings: Maison Lemarié’s Feathered Masterpiece
If the crystal body provides the sculpture’s foundation, the wings give it soul. This is where Maison Lemarié enters the collaboration, bringing expertise in featherwork that has been refined over more than a century of practice. The wings are fully adorned with real feathers—specifically, 290 carefully selected goose feathers and 330 duck plumes, each one chosen, prepared, and positioned by hand.
The feathers used in the Olympus Pegasus by Baccarat undergo an extensive preparation process. Each feather is carefully selected based on its size, shape, and quality. They’re then trimmed to precise specifications, shaped using traditional techniques that might involve steaming or careful hand manipulation, and finally assembled one by one onto the supporting structure. The result is wings that possess what Baccarat describes as “astonishingly ethereal lightness”—a quality that contrasts beautifully with the substantial weight of the crystal body.
The natural iridescence of the feathers adds another dimension to the sculpture. As light moves across the surface, subtle color variations appear and disappear—hints of blue, green, and purple shifting across what might initially appear to be simple white or cream plumage. This dynamic quality ensures that the Olympus Pegasus never looks quite the same twice, changing character with the time of day, the angle of viewing, and the quality of light in the room.
The Golden Armature: Maison Goossens’ Contribution
The third element completing this triumvirate of French excellence is the supporting armature, created by Maison Goossens. Founded in 1950 by Robert Goossens, this house has become synonymous with haute couture jewelry and decorative metalwork, counting Coco Chanel among its early and most devoted clients. Goossens specialized in creating jewelry for haute couture fashion shows and private clients who demanded pieces that combined precious materials with artistic vision.
For the Olympus Pegasus by Baccarat, Maison Goossens crafted the armature that supports the feathered wings and connects them to the crystal body. This structure is dipped in 24-karat gold and then delicately patinated. This intricate process adds depth and visual warmth to the metal’s surface. The patina prevents the gold from appearing too bright or new, instead giving it a quality that suggests both preciousness and timelessness.
The gold armature serves multiple functions. Structurally, it must support the weight of 620 individual feathers while securely attaching to the crystal body. Aesthetically, the warm tones of the gold create a beautiful contrast with the cool clarity of the crystal while complementing the natural colors of the feathers. The metalwork becomes a visual bridge between elements, unifying the sculpture’s disparate materials into a coherent whole.
Collecting the Exceptional
The Olympus Pegasus by Baccarat is offered as a limited edition, with pricing available upon request—typically an indication that we’re discussing a significant investment piece. This isn’t surprising given the sculpture’s scale, the precious materials involved, and the extraordinary labor required for its creation. Each piece represents weeks or even months of work by multiple master artisans.
For collectors, the sculpture offers several compelling attributes. Its scale makes it a commanding presence in any space. This isn’t a small decorative object but rather a statement piece that can anchor a room. The combination of crystal, feathers, and gold creates a wide textural variety that rewards close examination. And the collaborative nature of the work, bringing together three legendary French houses, adds historical and cultural significance that transcends mere decorative appeal.
Conclusion: Dreams Made Tangible
In Baccarat’s own words, the Olympus Pegasus embodies “the vision of those whose dreams know no bounds.” This isn’t marketing hyperbole. It’s an accurate description of what the sculpture represents. Someone conceived this extraordinary object, imagining crystal horses with feathered wings supported by golden armatures. Rather than dismissing this vision as impractical or impossible, three legendary houses agreed to collaborate on bringing it to life.
The result is a sculpture that transcends its materials and techniques to become something genuinely moving. It reminds us that human hands, guided by trained eyes and informed by centuries of accumulated knowledge, can create beauty that resonates across cultures and generations. It demonstrates that mythology remains relevant, that ancient stories still have power to inspire, and that the legendary winged horse can find new life in crystal and feathers and gold.
Featured images: Baccarat
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