Spectacular Royal and Noble Jewels from around the world have been on Display at the magnificent ‘Cartier: Islamic Inspiration and Modern Design’ Exhibit at the Louvre Abu Dhabi since last November, which ends next week!
I had already seen the earlier ‘Cartier and Islamic Art: In Search of Modernity’ Exhibition at the Dallas Museum of Art in 2022, but when I sat down to write this scheduled article earlier last week, the pictures inspired me to book a ticket to Abu Dhabi and thus you are getting my first-hand account of the magnificent jewels on display.
Featuring over 400 works including jewellery and precious objects, masterpieces of Islamic art, drawings, textiles and photographs, the exhibition showcases the influences of the Islamic arts on Cartier’s designs, from the beginning of the 20th century to the present day.
Co-curated by Évelyne Possémé, Former Chief Curator of Ancient and Modern Jewellery at the musée des Arts décoratifs, Paris, and Judith Henon-Raynaud, Chief Curator and Deputy Director of the Department of Islamic Art at the musée du Louvre, Paris.
Exhibition co-organised by Louvre Abu Dhabi, the musée des Arts décoratifs, the musée du Louvre, France Muséums, with the support of Cartier.
This exhibition is based on a project that was initially conceived and co-organised by the Dallas Museum of Art and the Musée des Arts Décoratifs titled Cartier and Islamic Art: In Search of Modernity.
The exhibit begins with a look at the splendid Belle Epoque Cartier Jewels, which included Mary Scott Townsend’s Cartier Tiara, a Belle Epoque Diamond Choker and a Sapphire and Diamond Stomacher, that were quintessential examples of Cartier at the turn of the 20th century.
Then we move on to some jewels created by Cartier which were inspired by Islamic Art objects at the Museums in Paris, including the Louvre and the Musée des Arts Décoratifs, that included a Cartier Paris Bandeau from 1911 and a Cartier New York Bandeau from 1924, which belonged to Doris Duke.
In a side room were some striking jewels and objects de arts created by Cartier in the early 1900s inspired by Persia and the Middle East, as well as this striking Coral Bandeau crated by Cartier Paris in 1922.
The next section of the exhibition was focused on jewels from India, which began after Jacques Cartier’s trip to India in 1911 for the Delhi Durbar, and included Indian Jewellery originally displayed at a 1913 Exhibit at Cartier in Paris, as well as jewels created by Cartier inspired by India or created for Indian Maharajas, the most spectacular of which was the Tiger’s Eye Turban ornament from 1937.
Carved gemstones played a huge role in Cartier Jewellery in the inter-war era, and there were several spectacular examples of carved emeralds, including a massive Sautoir from 1925, as well as stunning examples of the iconic ‘Tutti Fruiti’ Jewels.
Another highlight of the exhibit was the Duchess of Windsor’s Amethyst Bib Necklace, created by Cartier in 1947, which occupied its own section.
The main central gallery of the exhibition contained the most spectacular Jewels and numerous Tiaras alongside the Islamic Art Objects from which they were inspired.
The highlight for me was the magnificent Cartier India Tiara on loan from the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester.
The Princely Family of Monaco loaned two objects from their collection; a Necklace from 1957 and a Rock Crystal, Pearl and Diamond Brooch from 1925.
Other highlights included the magnificent Emerald and Diamond Necklace created by Cartier in 1932 for the Marchioness of Bute.
A carved Turquoise Tiara created by Cartier in 1936, and a Diamond Bandeau Tiara from Cartier Paris in 1923
A Rock Crystal Tiara created in 1912 for Baron Pierre de Gunzburg
A Cartier Aquamarine Tiara and a Topaz Tiara created for the Coronation of King George VI in 1937
Several Diamond Bandeaus and Necklaces alongside Brooches, Earrings, Clocks, and Bracelets.
The last galleries of the exhibit displayed Cartier Jewels from the 1950s and beyond, but the highlights included Elizabeth Taylor’s Ruby and Diamond Necklace, a splendid Indian Necklace and Daisy Fellowes’ iconic Tutti Fruiti necklace created by Cartier in 1936.
The exhibit concluded with a look at the spectacular modern jewels created by Cartier and inspired by Islamic Art, with the highlights including a Diamond Necklace from Sheikha Nouf bint Khalifa Al-Thani, a contemporary Tutti Fruiti Necklace, a spectacular Tiara with the ‘Berénice’ Emerald, and a complete Cartier parure from 2009.
‘Cartier Islamic Inspiration and Modern Design’ runs at the Louvre Abu Dhabi until March 24, 2024
