Jaime Hayon reinterprets animals in crystal with Faunacrystopolis for Baccarat

Spanish artist and designer Jaime Hayon, who is known for crafting eclectic and lasting designs laden with emotions, colour and humour, has once again spun his magic with the new Baccarat tableware collection titled 'Faunacrystopolis'. Described as ‘resolutely modern’, the project demonstrates meticulous finishing and manufacturing reveling on the border between design, art and decoration. The collection marks Hayon’s second collaboration with the renowned crystal house since 2009.

An adventurer who embraces life with zest and curiosity, Hayon’s love for creativity is infectious and spirited, which reflects in all his work that includes interiors, furniture and product design. “Hayon delivers an uninhibited version of the Baccarat crystal, light, playful but always sophisticated, a mixture of poetry, vision and precise work on the material. Mouth blown and hand cut crystal from France,” states the press release.

The joyous and flamboyant limited edition assortment comprises a happy tribe of six animals deciphered in colour, form and crystal: a joyful frog, a rabbit with erect years, an owl with a mesmerising look, an adorable koala, a fox with a pointed muzzle and a mischievous monkey. These sculptural vases embrace Hayon’s unmistakably fantastical style, bringing together the need of preserving biodiversity, Baccarat’s heritage, and the insatiable creative spirit of humankind.

Hayon recreates the personality of the selected fauna by adorning their rounded silhouettes with electric shades, deep cuts and tactile geometric patterns, their bodies placed atop a polished marble base. “Each creature celebrates the beauty of nature, while, between fantasy and emotion, they reiterate the importance of protecting the world around us. Long live biodiversity!” exclaims the Valencia-based designer.

This carnival of animals will cross oceans and continents throughout the year to be presented in Paris, Tokyo, New York, London, Moscow, Hong Kong, Shanghai, and Beijing. In a limited and numbered edition of 25 pieces per animal, Faunacrystopolis will also be made available and ready for order from October 2021.

Crystal is a fascinating and surprising material! Cut, sculpted, illuminated thanks to the talent of the craftsmen of Baccarat, it reveals all its secrets. It is by exploring the endless possibilities of matter that magic happens. – Jaime Hayon

Hayon also reinterprets Baccarat’s iconic Zenith chandelier appearing in the 19th century by dressing its twisted branches in champagne crystal for a limited edition of 50 for this collection. He marries pink and mist grey to highlight the tassels, octagons, and bells of the star piece, its ‘candy’ lampshades clothing subdued lights beneath.

The Maneki-Neko (cat who invites), a traditional Japanese talisman gets a Hayon makeover too, where it sticks out its tongue cheekily to invite luck as well as fun. Patterns bring to life the shape of a mouth, an eye, diamonds, arabesques, stars, and traces of paws while the ears, the eyes, the mouth and the whiskers of the feline are underlined with a gold thread which has been manually applied by the gilders.

Revisiting another iconic piece by the French luxury brand, the Pop Ring, Hayon fuses art, decoration, design, and fashion in its vibrant colours, raw lines, and volumes, indicating his own quirky sense of style and art. Available in amber, peony, light blue and turquoise in a limited edition of 100 pieces in each colour, the rings are adorned with original patterns created by Hayon, engraved and gilded in fine gold by the craftsmen of the manufacture.

Faunacrystopolis also includes the Light Blue Bird that emerges as a poetic and precise work of art, where the birdie’s legs become the pedestal and its succinct body is carved from a single block of crystal, cut to form the wings. He also injects his good humour into a set of four tumblers fit for wine, whiskey, or juice, by engraving the bottoms with his original drawings. Winking playfully at its owner, the Monkey Candleholder looks as mischievous as it sounds, and is light and sophisticated too, crafted with clear crystal.

Faunacrystopolis beautifully captures Hayon’s characteristic use of colour, whimsy, and cartoonish forms in the elegance of crystal, all along catching the fancy of people of all ages.