The wild history of the panthers of Cartier

THE jewelry Refined have always represented a wide variety of animals, from lions to tigers to be bears, butterflies, snakes and turtles. However, the panthers of Cartier are considered the queens of jewelry. For over a hundred years, the famous French house has created jewelry inspired by this fabulous feline. 

The popularity of the famous cat cats Cartier 

In 1914, the fawn entered the jewelry house thanks to an illustration by George Barbier for an invitation to an exhibition. This image, made on command of Louis Cartier, represented a black panther lying down to the feet of an elegant woman dressed in a dress and many pearl necklaces.

One might think that the feline at the invitation announced the launch of a new collection of Panther jewelry. This is not the case. The image testifies to the popularity of the panthers in Paris at that time. Panthers' patterns were a chic element of interior decoration and female fashion. This powerful and exotic creature captures the atmosphere of the city of light after the First World War, at the dawn of the era of jazz.

It is commonly accepted that the director of the married jewelry had an affair with Jeanne Toussaint, which suggests that the gift could have a romantic connotation. It is also possible that this was part of the strategy of Cartier To attract the talent of Toussaint, aged 30 at the time and previously working for another luxury house. Anyway, Toussaint joined Cartier In the early 1920s and the Panthers played a major role in his legendary career in the house.

In the 1930s, she was appointed creative director of Haute Joaillerie. Among her many achievements, she has redefined the emblematic motif of the company's panther by giving her a larger and daring design.

It is practically certain that Jeanne Toussaint was inspired by Animal jewelry historical that she observed in one of the many Parisian museums. THE bracelets Articulated, composed of one or two panthers, evoke the silhouettes of the ancient Greek bracelets with a lion head.

The cats Cartier Designed under the direction of Toussaint were very popular with many high -level collectors in the 1950s and 1960s. This trend still continues today. Every year, Cartier produce a multitude of panthers models. The different generations of panther jewelry have made this creature one of the most emblematic motifs in the history of jewelry.