To celebrate twenty-five years of Pokémon, Baccarat would like to sell you a Pikachu crystal for a cool $US25,000 (around $33,800).
This “Pikachu Fragment” was designed by artist Hiroshi Fujiwara, who got his start as one of Japan’s first DJs and as a pioneering streetwear designer. Fujiwara has collaborated with brands like Vivienne Westwood, Nike, and Levis and musicians like Kahimi Karie and Ua. He currently heads up the Tokyo-based Fragment Design studio.
The multi-faceted design is quite an interesting take on Pikachu, with the play of light reflecting off each surface. It also shows how Fujiwara remains one of his generation’s most unique artists. Even when he interprets the designs of others, he is able to put his own distinct spin on the final work, just like he does with the Pikachu Fragment.
This isn’t the first time that Fragment Design has teamed up with Baccarat. Back in 2019, it designed a red crystal BE@RBRICK and a clear crystal one. In comparison to the Pikachu’s price tag, those were much less: the red crystal version was $US1,800 ($2,426), while the clear crystal one was $US1,500 ($2,021). Still, that’s not cheap by any means!
In the promotional clip below, you can see the lengths that the Baccarat artisans go to produce the handmade piece, with a good look at the hand-finishing that goes into the Baccarat Pikachu Fragment.
There will only be 25 produced, with each numbered out of the series.
You can also see that this is not a small piece, measuring 11.8 inches high with a width of 5.7 inches and weighing 8 kg. It looks like a large baby — one made out of crystal with pointy ears, that is.
Twenty-five grand is a lot of money! But Baccarat also has non-Fragment pieces, such as a Pikachu and a Poké Ball, for under $US500 ($674) — which is still a lot for a Pokémon knick-knack.