A JEWELLED LEGACY

The Cartier, Islamic Inspiration, and Modern Design exhibition at Louvre Abu Dhabi chronicles the maison's artistic inspirations from the East.

- RICHA GOYAL SIKRI

Founded in 1847, Cartier is renowned for its exceptional design, craftsmanship, customer understanding, and innovative sales techniques. The third generation of the Cartier family, brothers Louis, Jacques, and Pierre Cartier transformed Cartier from an established Parisian jeweller to an international symbol of avant-garde style and glamour in the first half of the 20th century. As G researchers, jewellery historians, writers, and family members have delved deeper into the Cartier archives, the influence of Islamic and Indian culture and art has emerged as a key contributor towards the development of Cartier's design lexicon.

A new jewellery and art exhibition, Cartier, Islamic Inspiration, and Modern Design, showcases 400 works from Louvre Abu Dhabi, partner museums (Musée des Arts Décoratifs, Musée du Louvre, France Muséums), the Cartier Collection and private collections, to explore over a century of artistic influence. This exhibition originated from a project titled Cartier and Islamic Art: In Search of Modernity (Paris-Dallas 2021-2022), which was conceived and coorganised by the Dallas Museum of Art and the Musée des Arts Décoratifs, Paris, with the exceptional collaboration of the Musée du Louvre and the support of Maison Cartier.

Guilhem André, the acting director of curatorial, scientific and collection management department at Louvre Abu Dhabi, explains, "The exhibition is a prime example of how the past continues to inspire the present. Featuring previously unseen works, visitors will delve into the process creative behind the craftsmanship that combines the rich heritage of Islamic with the creative art innovations of the 20th century Parisian workshops. It also presents an exciting opportunity to engage various audiences, particularly the growing design community in the UAE."