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Exploring jewelry designer Cartier’s fertile exchange with Islamic art and architecture

Throughout modern history, Islamic art has influenced the production of jewelry and decorative objects in the Western world. The prestigious French luxury manufacturer Cartier is no exception to this rule. Spanning the early 20th century to the present day, Cartier: Islamic Inspiration and Modern Design charts the wellspring of inspiration found within Islam’s cultural output. It highlights artworks, drawings and manuscripts, linking their visual signifiers to those incorporated into Cartier creations. Sometimes easily identifiable, at other times recomposed to the point of rendering their source untraceable, these visual motifs of Islamic culture have been thoroughly integrated into the company’s repertoire. With a dazzling cover reminiscent of precious stones, the book pairs luminous photographs of the mandorlas, palmettes and sequins of Cartier jewelry with images of the book bindings, architectural studies and jewelry collected by Jacques Cartier during his expeditions to Asia. A true immersion into Cartier’s creative process, this book documents the spirit of the iconic jewelry house’s forms and manufacturing techniques.