Page 188 - B-ALL#39 ENGLISH

I n search of new sources of inspiration, Louis immersed himself in the pat- terns and forms of this art and his son Jacques continued this path with his tra- vels, notably in India from 1911. He left to meet the Princes in search of pearls and precious stones.
He develops a clientele of Maharajahs, he collects old jewelry to resell them and imagines collections with new manufacturing techniques.
The remarkable flexibility of Indian jewelry gives rise to innovations in terms of frames and assemblies.
At the start of the 20th century, Cartier also used oriental textiles for its bags and accessories. From 1904, the House was inspired by geometric compositions from the art of Islam and became one of the precursors of the style later referred to as Art Deco. These creations bring Cartier fully into modernity. Louis Cartier’s artistic direction is marked by books from the Iranian world.
He creates from central medallions adorned with florets, he breaks down and recomposes innovative patterns in his associations of colors and materials.
He thus combines lapis lazuli and turquoise, jade and emerald for his famous peacock decoration.
In this spirit, Jeanne Toussaint developed in the 1930s her famous Tutti frutti long necklaces inspired by the Indian world.
For the first time, the process of creating a great jewelry house is highlighted with a great wealth of archives, drawings and photographic funds.
A pure showpiece, a dream come true.
Cartier drapery necklace, Paris, commissioned in 1947 Gold, platinum, diamonds, amethysts, turquoises Order from the Duke of Windsor for the Duchess of Windsor Nils Herrmann Collection Cartier © Cartier