The History Of An Art De Vivre And The Cartier Object

At Cartier, the history of objects is connected to the history of jewellery; they are all part of an art de vivre that brought style, savoir-faire and aesthetic to tables of extreme elegance. Games, travelling, events, they add everyday beauty and enhance the décor. From the very beginning, Cartier has presented, alongside its jewellery creations, ornamental pieces in silver, bronze, ivory, porcelain, as well as carved, hard stone objects, popular with a discerning clientèle. Empress Eugénie set the tone, followed by the Prince of Wagram, Prince Bibesco, the Countess of Montesquieu or the Count of Paris. 

The delicacy of objects with a guilloché enamel interior 
During the 1900 Universal Exhibition, Louis and Pierre Cartier discovered the work of guilloché enamel by the Russian goldsmith Fabergé. Frames, bells, powder cases... Cartier was inspired by this technique consisting of engraving a silver or gold base with fine lines to form different motifs such as waves, zigzags, sun rays and scales. This was followed by the application of five or six layers of translucent, coloured enamel to achieve a silk or moiré effect. Louis Cartier developed his own colour palette with contrasting hues of blue and mauve or blue and green. 

Nature as decoration 
During his travels through Russia in 1904, Pierre Cartier discovered craftspeople capable of supplying him with small, hard-stone animals that were hugely popular in the tzar's empire. Precious ornaments in agate, quartz, rhodolite, purpurin, and obsidian were enhanced by Cartier with precious gemstones. A colourful menagerie that resembled, on occasion, a Cabinet of Curiosities where one encountered owls or eagles, penguins, giraffes, and herons. They attributed their appearance, sometimes majestic, sometimes comical, fierce or obedient, to the expertise of Cartier who interpreted them with such realism. 

The beauty of the birds also inspired the Maison to produce a winged procession of ibises, owls, cranes, and lovebirds, alongside more unusual models such as pigs, bulldogs, or mice. In 1907, a Maison inventory counted 200 different examples. 

Art de vivre: from play to travel, from tableware to the art of hospitality 
In the 1920s, in full post-war bloom, Cartier turned to ordinary objects that, whilst functional, went on to become precious. Thus, they enhanced everyday utensils: a gold pocket corkscrew, picnic set or an ingenious silver cocktail shaker which, when rotated, revealed recipes for the best cocktails in its small window apertures. 

These objects went on to invent a new art of travelling in which form, function and ergonomics pandered to the new demand for luxury on the move. An array of artisans were called upon, including porcelain makers, goldsmiths, leather workers and crystal workers. Cartier objects covered every aspect of the art de vivre, from taking great care in the luxurious details of tableware, to reimagining games with a sophisticated eye. 

Chick

Cartier, circa 1906
Carved grey agate. White chalcedony (eggshell)
Chiselled gold (feet)
Rose-cut diamonds (eyes)
Credits and copyrights: © Nils Herrmann, Cartier Collection © Cartier

Cigarette case

Cartier Paris, 1917
A gift from Louis Cartier to Jeanne Toussaint. Produced in onyx, ruby and emerald with a panther appliqué in platinum, diamonds and onyx, between two cypress trees in emerald and ruby.
Credits and copyrights: Archives Cartier Paris © Cartier

Table bell

Cartier Paris, 1910
Silver-gilt. Pink-toned opaline translucent enamel on a guilloché base, white opaque enamel
Moonstone (button). Ivory (base). Electrically operated
Credits and copyrights: © Nils Herrmann, Cartier Collection © Cartier

Snoopy paperweight

Cartier New York, 1977
Platinum (26 g), gold. Black lacquered wood (base). Brilliant-cut diamonds. In 1977, to celebrate the hero of the cartoon Peanuts (1958-1978), Cartier produced a figurine in collaboration with its creator Charles M. Schulz, with a limited edition of pieces–in gold, silver and just one in platinum–and organised a Snoopy retrospective in its New York office. This figurine was sold at auction for the American Cancer Society, and its counterparts sold in boutiques.
Credits and copyrights: © Nils Herrmann, Cartier Collection © Cartier

Panther vanity case

Cartier Paris, 1928
Gold, black enamel. The centre with a platinum panther, rose-cut diamonds and cabochon onyx, carved emeralds with gold studs and green cypress enamel, trunk rubies, calibrated and faceted earth rubies. Platinum lines and rounded rose-cut diamonds. Button with one baguette-cut diamond between two square-shaped emeralds. Gold interior, a mirror, a lipstick, a covered powder compartment, and a cigarette compartment with gold openwork retaining clip. This item is part of a series of cases inspired by Georges Barbier’s drawings of panthers, dogs, and gazelles. 10.85 x 5.5 x 1.75 cm
Credits and copyrights: © Nils Herrmann, Cartier Collection © Cartier

Backgammon game

Cartier, circa 1930
Imitation leather bookbinding, gold decoration. Inside, two cups and one leather score book, five dice, coloured sticks and checkers. 32 x 26.5 cm
Credits and copyrights: © Nick Welsh, Cartier Collection © Cartier

Champagne stirrers

Cartier, circa 1930
Silver, gold. Rock crystal. Carved ivory (stirrers)
Credits and copyrights: © Nils Herrmann, Cartier Collection © Cartier

"Tells-U-How" shaker

Cartier London, 1932, Cartier New York supplier
Silvered metal. The top of the shaker is engraved with the names of fifteen different cocktails (Alexander, Bacardi, Between the Sheets, Bronx, Clover Club, Dry Martini, Dubonnet, Gin Rickey, Manhattan, Old Fashioned, Orange Blossom, Palm Beach, Sidecar, Tom Collins, Whisky Sour). The shaker features two walls. The inner wall is engraved with ingredients and amounts. The outer wall rotates, allowing the reference arrow to be placed opposite the name of your desired cocktail, revealing a list of ingredients in the windows.
Credits and copyrights: © Nils Herrmann, Cartier Collection © Cartier

Design for a panther vanity case

Cartier Paris, 1926
Produced in enamelled yellow gold, platinum, emeralds, rubies and diamonds. Graphite pencil, Indian ink and gouache on tracing paper.
Credits and copyrights: Archives Cartier Paris © Cartier

Travel bar set

Cartier New York, circa 1930
Silver. J.C.C engraved monogram. The set is comprised of a cocktail shaker, two flasks, a lemon juicer and six cups with a golden interior. For travelling, the objects are carried in a black leather case with the monogram J.C.C, the cups and the lemon juicer are stored inside the shaker. Height: shaker 20 cm; flasks 20.5 cm; lemon juicer 12.5 cm; cups 4.5 cm
Credits and copyrights: © Nils Herrmann, Cartier Collection © Cartier

Champagne stirrers

Cartier, circa 1930
Silver, gold. Rock crystal. Carved ivory (stirrers)
Credits and copyrights: © Nils Herrmann, Cartier Collection © Cartier

Cigarette case

Cartier New York, 1933
Yellow gold, rose gold. Rubies, sapphires, multi-coloured enamel. Rose-cut diamonds. 41 enamelled lapel pins (34 on the cover and 7 on the back). Some, set with diamonds, represent songs written by Buddy De Sylva and his friends (Paul Whitman, Eddie Cantor, George Gershwin, Shirley Temple).
Credits and copyrights: Nick Welsh © Cartier

In the Philippines, Cartier is exclusively distributed by Stores Specialists, Inc., and is located at Greenbelt 4, Shangri-La Plaza, and Solaire Resort & Casino. Visit ssilife.com.ph and facebook.com/Cartier, or follow @Cartier and @ssilifeph on Instagram for more information. 

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