Cartier and Islamic Art

Louis Cartier (1875–1942), the grandson of Cartier founder Louis-Francois, was an impassioned collector and lover of the arts. He was particularly entranced by Islamic arts, especially Persian book arts, geometric shapes and colour combinations, and its motifs and exotic colour palette are apparent in Cartier jewelry to this day. However, it was his younger brother Jacques – an expert in precious stones – who travelled to India and the Persian Gulf in 1911 and 1912 to discover the culture and bring home the true treasures of the Middle East: natural pearls. This was the pivotal moment when the dialogue between these two worlds opened up, eventually blossoming into a beautiful relationship that has lasted for decades. Published to accompany a major exhibition at the Musée des Arts Decoratifs in Paris, this lavish book delves into the Cartier archives to trace the story of Louis Cartier’s love of Islamic art and the ways in which he incorporated Islam’s stylized yet abstract motifs into Cartier’s jewelry. Dazzling photographs of Cartier jewelry are accompanied by in-depth texts from a raft of distinguished scholars of both Islam and the decorative arts.With 250 illustrations

'As elegant as the topic itself… Absorb the in-depth research on this fascinating topic or merely feast your eyes on this bonanza of beautiful objects to be found in this book' - The Jewellery Editor

Heather Ecker is Marguerite S. Hoffman and Thomas W. Lentz Curator of Islamic and Medieval Art at Dallas Museum of Art. Judith Henon-Renaud is Deputy Director of the Department of Islamic Arts at the Louvre. Pascale Lepeu is curator of the Cartier Collection. Violette Petit is head of the Cartier Paris Archives. Évelyne Possémé is Chief Curator, Art Nouveau-Art Deco and Antique and Modern Jewelry at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs, Paris. Sarah Schleuning is Interim Chief Curator and The Margot B. Perot Senior Curator of Decorative Arts and Design at Dallas Museum of Art.

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