SPECIAL FEATURE

MAY 14 TO SEPTEMBER 18, 2022

Cartier and Islamic Art is an exhibition about sources of inspiration and the evolution of designs that span centuries and continents. Paris at the dawn of the 20th century was a catalyst for creativity, especially for Louis Cartier (1875–1942) and the Maison he pivoted toward modernity.

As European powers expanded into the Middle East, India, and North Africa, Paris became the center of trade in Islamic art and architectural elements. This exhibition explores the formative influences of Islamic art on Louis Cartier as a collector and, more significantly, on Maison Cartier’s production of jewelry and precious objects from the early 20th century until today. Its narrative is enhanced by the elegant, minimalist galleries and digital media designed by Elizabeth Diller and her architectural firm Diller Scofidio + Renfro (NYC). Among the over 500 objects in the exhibition are drawings and photographs from Cartier Archives, and also many incredibly beautiful one-of-a-kind pieces of jewelry.

PRESENTING SPONSOR

Motif, pattern, color, and form reveal the inspirations, innovations, and aesthetic wonder present in the works of the Maison Cartier.

Bib Necklace, 1947

Gold, platinum, diamonds, amethysts, turquoise

Architectural elements, such as the mosaic tiles on ancient mosques, were also a source of design ideas for Cartier. From the 1910s onward, Iranian materials and colors inspired Cartier’s creations, particularly in the use of an unexpected mix of colors. Cartier created many bib necklaces in an array of designs that explore a range of color combinations. This bib necklace, made in 1947 for the Duchess of Windsor, is an excellent example that couples innovative techniques with exciting new color combinations. It is an excellent example of the multicolored jewelry designs made between 1933 and 1970, when Jean Toussaint served as Cartier’s Creative Director. Here, a brilliant combination of highly prized Iranian turquoise and amethyst comes together to form a marvelous piece. Surprisingly, the necklace is quite flexible, making it extremely comfortable for the wearer. In the exhibition, this necklace is displayed with a detailed animation showing its assembly based upon architectural foundations.

Today, Islamic art still inspires Cartier’s designers, and the Maison continues to explore innovative design arcs—an endless rotation of evolution and revolution— in their creations. Like the exhibitions of the early 20th century, Cartier and Islamic Art aspires to inspire.

Tiara, 1937

(as seen on the cover) Gold, platinum, diamonds, citrines

One of the principal themes of the exhibition is how a lexicon of forms and motifs found in Islamic art inspired Cartier’s designs. These sources included ancient Islamic manuscripts, textiles, and, most significantly, the geometric architectural elements found in monumental buildings throughout the Middle East, India, and North Africa. Jewelry, such as this lovely tiara, was adorned with colored precious stones such as diamonds and citrines cut into faceted hexagons, squares, and rectangles, and then arranged in a grid-like pattern akin to the decorative brick and tilework found in medieval Persian buildings. Tiaras were an immensely popular accessory in the 1930s. The central medallion of this tiara is detachable, allowing the owner to wear it separately as a brooch, pointing downward. In 1937 alone, Cartier London produced at least 27 tiaras, most of which were probably worn at the coronation of England’s King George VI.

Necklace, about 2000

(as seen on page 2) Gold, diamonds

This dazzling contemporary necklace exemplifies the cyclical nature of the way inspiration and creativity continue to this day to flow at Cartier; sometimes ideas evolve and other times there are transcendent shifts. In this new millennium, aesthetic elements of ancient Islamic art continue to fuel new ideas and design possibilities at Cartier. In pursuit of modern innovation and contemporary trends, they turned to their own archives and original source materials to mine artistic elements from the past to create bold and modern designs. This brilliantly striking diamond and gold necklace, which is a complex web of interlocking hexagons, exemplifies how Cartier’s contemporary design motifs remain based firmly on geometry. The amazing necklace is one of the few pieces in the exhibition to reference how it is intended to be worn. While the necklace is displayed flat, Liz Diller’s design team at DS+R created an original animated three-dimensional case that expands to also demonstrate how it would appear when worn on the body.