As part of our coverage of the wide array of special-edition Chinese New Year luxury products to hit the market for the year of the horse, we've covered watches, jewelry, fashion, and many more individual products. Today, we're bringing you a collection of the many additional gifts, which range from fine crystal and glassware to gadgets such as cameras and high-end headphones. Look below to see what's out there this year for the equestrian zodiac celebration.
Lalique#
To celebrate the Chinese holiday, the French glassmaker had its artisans craft a special equestrian collection of sculptures and vases, including a “2 Wild Horses” sculpture, a “Gold Lustre Mustang” vase, a “Gold Lustre Kazak Horse” sculpture, a black crystal horse head sculpture, and a limited-edition “Equus” vase. In contrast to many companies using the auspicious number eight in thir marketing, there are only 999 Equus vase available, as the number nine is also auspicious in Chinese culture.
Baccarat#
Another French crystal manufacturer providing a Chinese New Year collection is Baccarat, which is selling its Zodiac Horse sculpture in either clear, silver, or gilded options, as well as a Zodiac Horse tumbler with a horse motif created by the brand’s traditional engraving-gilding technique.
Godiva#
The chocolatier’s most important holiday in the West may be Valentine’s Day, but it certainly knows that the Lunar New Year is its big ticket in China. The brand has enlisted celebrity Angelababy to star in a campaign to promote its special year of the horse chocolate gift sets, which come in auspicious red and gold packaging and contain chocolates with a special horse design.
Johnnie Walker#
Spirits are a popular gift for Chinese New Year, and Johnnie Walker competes with fellow Scotch brand White Horse and baijiu brand Shui Jing Fang to offer a limited-edition bottle for the year of the horse. The $240 bottle of Johnnie Walker Blue Label whisky features a 24-carat gold horse.
BMW#
Joining Rolls Royce, BMW has rolled out a special Chinese New Year car model. Selling for about 2.77 million RMB (US$458,000), the M6 Gran Coupé Horse Edition features headrests scrawled with a calligraphic Chinese character for “horse.”
Hasselblad#
For anyone in China worried that carrying around a Japanese-branded camera in light of recent heightened tensions with Japan, Lane Crawford is selling a special-edition red and gold Chinese New Year camera from the Swedish manufacturer. Part of Hasselblad’s aptly named Lunar cameras, the device will likely prove useful on Chinese tourists’ holiday travels.
Beats by Dre#
Although Taiwan company HTC announced in September that it would be selling its stake in the premium headphones company started by Dr. Dre, Chinese customers will still be able to purchase a special pair of red year of the horse Beats by Dre headphones. Emblazoned with a gold Chinese character for “horse,” the $1,800 headphones are likely to spur many knockoffs in China.
Estée Lauder#
The beauty brand's limited-edition gold compact featuring a turquoise horse and gemstones holds the brand's Lucidity translucent pressed powder. At £120, the compact is more about giving face to the giver than powdering the face of the receipient.
Shanghai Tang#
In addition to its annual collaboration with Moleskine, Shanghai Tang is offering a wide variety of horse-themed gifts, including chopsticks, bottle stoppers, and bookends, which accompany special menswear and womenswear clothing.
Tumi#
The luxury luggage brand is clearly aware that Chinese New Year is the year’s most important travel season, and is offering special-edition red luggage tags for £50 embossed with a running horse.
