BACCARAT <i> By Jean-Louis Curtis Photographs by Jacques Boulay and Jean-Michel Tardy</i> (<i> Abrams: $95; 302 pp.</i> )

After nearly 2 1/2 centuries of creating some of the world’s most spectacular crystal, the French firm of Baccarat deserves this lavish celebration. There are more than 300 dazzling photographs, most in full color, including not only vessels of all sorts but also incredible show pieces--the tables, thrones, fountains and even pavilions produced for kings and emperors; the prize-winning entries for various international expositions, and a selection of stunning contemporary sculptures. The concise and witty introduction is a history of glass-making in general and of Baccarat in particular; as lucid, useful and elegant as the objects themselves.