L'Escalier de Cristal Vitrines
Dating back to the Bourbon Restoration in France and the reign of Napoleon Bonaparte, l’Escalier de Cristal (the Crystal Staircase) was founded by Madame Veuve Désarnaud as the first company to offer decorative objects made from crystal and gilded bronze. The firm was located in the Palais Royal in Paris, opposite the Louvre. It grew through a series of owners to become the gold standard for reproductions of 18th-century furniture — so perfect they were often mistaken for originals.
Désarnaud won numerous awards for her creations, including a gold medal at the 1819 Paris Exposition des Produits de l’Industrie Française for a dressing table featuring her signature bronze-crystal combination. A tailor named Boin bought the company around 1830; he in turn sold it to Pierre-Isidore Lahoche in 1840. Lahoche’s son-in-law, Émile Pannier, joined in a partnership in 1952 before Émile’s sons took over in 1885, establishing Pannier Frères. The company ceased commercial production in 1923.
Starting as early as the 1860s, there was a growing appetite for Japanese-style furniture, thanks in large part to the Japanese pavilion at the International Exposition of 1867. Henry Pannier reimagined some of the company’s designs to meet this new demand. The stylized furniture was a huge success and earned the company many awards, including the gold medal at the 1900 Paris Exposition Universelle. Others who contributed to this stylistic trend included French artist Émile Gallé, French glassmaker and ceramicist François-Eugène Rousseau, French furniture designer Louis Majorelle and French cabinetmaker Gabriel Viardot.
Henry Pannier made a constant effort to sketch each object the company sold and record it in his notebooks. Over 50 years, he recorded 2,800 furniture designs, each with its own name, date of sale and price. On some pieces, l’Escalier de Cristal signed the models, adding a layer of authenticity and distinction for today’s collectors.
Museums around the world have collected pieces from l’Escalier de Cristal, including the State Hermitage Museum in Saint Petersburg, the Musée d'Orsay in Paris and the Corning Museum of Glass in New York.
On 1stDibs, find a collection of l’Escalier de Cristal decorative objects, vases, desk accessories and more.
Late 19th Century French Louis XVI Antique L'Escalier de Cristal Vitrines
Ormolu
Early 20th Century French Directoire L'Escalier de Cristal Vitrines
Walnut
2010s Balinese Organic Modern L'Escalier de Cristal Vitrines
Glass, Wood
19th Century French Louis XVI Antique L'Escalier de Cristal Vitrines
Bronze
20th Century French Louis XVI L'Escalier de Cristal Vitrines
Malachite, Bronze
Early 1900s French Louis XVI Antique L'Escalier de Cristal Vitrines
Marble, Ormolu, Bronze
19th Century French Louis XVI Antique L'Escalier de Cristal Vitrines
Bronze, Ormolu
19th Century French Antique L'Escalier de Cristal Vitrines
Kingwood
Late 19th Century French Louis XVI Antique L'Escalier de Cristal Vitrines
Bronze, Ormolu
1950s French Empire Revival Vintage L'Escalier de Cristal Vitrines
Bronze
19th Century French Napoleon III Antique L'Escalier de Cristal Vitrines
Ormolu, Bronze
20th Century French Louis XVI L'Escalier de Cristal Vitrines
Bronze, Ormolu
19th Century French Louis XV Antique L'Escalier de Cristal Vitrines
Marble, Ormolu
