created by french designer philippe starck for baccarat, the ‘marie coquine’ standing lamp sets a crystal chandelier into an umbrella suspended in mid-air, layering imagery and textures in a display both imaginative and functional. the piece incorporates a 12-light zénith chandelier into an umbrella, with an ivory canopy above the candelabra softening the cast light, and a chestnut wood handle extending from its base.

philippe starck: marie coquine for baccarat the lamp incorporates a 12-light zénith chandelier

 

 

philippe starck‘s lamp for baccarat is crafted as a suspended piece at one end of a pole extended on a wheeled steel tripod, and from the other end hangs a leather punching bag with saddle stitching. at its most distant points, ‘marie coquine’ measures just over 14 feet (4.3m) in length, at a height of up to 9.3 feet (2.8m). accompanying the piece’s exhibition is imaginative text that reinforces the juxtaposition of fantasy and reality: ‘I saw a very beautiful baccarat chandelier. so far, so normal! then it began to rain on the chandelier. how odd! the chandelier, still identifiably baccarat, opened a large, white umbrella and drifted skywards. I shouted ‘why?’ and from afar came the chandelier’s response: ‘because I am marie coquine, and because everything is possible in a dream.’

 

‘marie coquine’ is produced in a limited edition set of 120 pieces, to be available beginning july 2011. the lamp is on display at milan design week 2011.

philippe starck: marie coquine for baccarat full view of the lamphead on exhibition image © designboom

philippe starck: marie coquine for baccarat ‘marie coquine’ by philippe starck for baccarat image © designboom

philippe starck: marie coquine for baccarat installation view of the lamp image © designboom

philippe starck: marie coquine for baccarat full view of ‘marie coquine’ on display at the baccarat exhibition, during milan design week 2011 image © designboom

philippe starck: marie coquine for baccarat the chandelier hung independently

philippe starck: marie coquine for baccarat three-quarters underside view of the lamphead and umbrella image © designboom

philippe starck: marie coquine for baccarat detail view of lamp image © designboom

philippe starck: marie coquine for baccarat detail of the leather counterweight image © designboom

‘marie coquine’ is part of a 2011 collection of new lighting solutions designed for baccarat by eight international designers, including in addition to philippe starck, alain moatti & henri rivière, arik levy, eriko horiki, jaime hayon, michele de lucchi, and yann kersalé.

the designs within the ‘highlights collection’ range from contemporary reinterpretations of classic chandeliers to complete free-ranging design variations in which heritage is fused with modernity. crystal is combined with unlikely materials into lighting structures, utilizing LED technologies.

philippe starck: marie coquine for baccarat jaime hayon and philippe starck at the baccarat exhibition during milan design week 2011 portrait © designboom

baccarat’s reel of highlights from the exhibition