A distinct Art Deco feature is the use of apprêt, a genuine artefact of past civilisations inserted in contemporary jewellery. The same geometrical mandorlas, foliage, plant and floral designs in starkly contrasting colours, that are the vocabulary of Islamic art, permeated the language of Art Deco. Islamic art also inspired Cartier to combine the green of jade or emerald with the blue of lapis lazuli or sapphire to create his famous peacock pattern.

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 Mus?e des Arts Decoratifs in Paris and the Dallas Museum of Art, Cartier and Islamic Arts delves into the Cartier archives to trace the story of Louis Cartier?s love of Islamic art and the ways in which he incorporated the Islamic world?s stylized motifs into Cartier?s jewelry.Cartier’s diamond and platinum tiara with the palmettes motif in turquoise © Cartier Louis?s younger brother Jacques?an expert in precious stones?traveled to India and the Persian Gulf in 19 to experience the culture and bring home treasures of the Middle East: natural pearls. He was particularly entranced by Islamic arts, especially Persian book arts: their geometric shapes, color combinations, and motifs are apparent in Cartier jewelry to this day. Louis Cartier (1875?1942), the grandson of Cartier founder Louis-Fran?ois, was an impassioned collector and patron of the arts. Read Or Download Cartier and Islamic Art: In Search of Modernity By Heather Ecker Full Pages.

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