One of the oldest glass manufacturers still in existence, Baccarat Crystal dates back to 1764, when king Louis XV gave permission for founding of a glassworks in the town of the same name. The first items produced were utilitarian – window panes, mirrors and the like. In 1816 the company installed a crystal oven and began focusing on the manufacturing of fine crystal. They received their first royal commission in 1823 and went on to win many prestigious commissions and awards for over a century.
In the past few decades, the company has expanded into other business areas, includingthe perfume and hotels.
Baccarat glass cats were produced in many semi-realistic, stylized designs, and in clear crystal, black, or amber glass. Designs include an Acrobat Cat, a whimsical Fat Cat, a stately Egyptian Cat, and an abstract Modern Cat, as well as Pouncer Cat, Crouching Cat, Stretching Cat, Grooming Cat, Maneki Neko lucky cat, and many more sitting or reclining cat figurines.
Sale prices for most modern Baccarat cat figurines are currently running from $30-$200 on eBay. A 21″ vintage panther figurine designed in 1931 by George Chevalier recently sold for $12,000.