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THE PROPERTY OF A LADY
Since its foundation in Paris in 1847, the Cartier name has been synonymous with incomparable craftsmanship and creativity in fine jewelry. Yet some of its conceptions, above others, seem to truly stand the test of time, reappearing throughout the jeweler's illustrious history to become trademark motifs. The chimera is one such tradition.
"Chimera or chimaera, n. of Greek mythology; a fire-breathing monster with the head of a lion, body of a goat and tail of a serpent; a product of the imagination; a fanciful conception; a thing of hybrid character".
The Concise Oxford Dictionary (1999).
Bangles and bracelets with animal-head terminals are amongst the oldest ancestors of today's jewelry forms. Examples made of yellow gold were characteristic adornments for the ancient civilizations of Iran, Cyprus and Greece from the eighth to the fourth centuries BC, thence to be as avidly adopted by Etruscan and Roman jewelers alike.
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A hallmark of Cartier designers has always been to draw freely on all possible repertories for their decorative elements, developing already successful themes and never remaining static in their creativity. The chimera is no exception. In the dawn of the new century, the East - with its connotations of colourful exoticism - proved irresistible, its passions and powers trespassing into all forms of Western art. Louis Cartier (1875-1942) was quick to understand that this Eastern craze could provide the catalyst for a virtual revolution in terms of materials and use of colour in the traditionally conservative world of jewelry. Under his inspired direction, combined with the creative genius of designer Charles Jacqueau (1885-1968), the chimera of the nineteenth century was now cleverly reinvented in a new and fabulous eastern guise, breaking free from ancient Greek iconography, to become a hybrid of various Oriental forerunners.
The new chimera's most inspired use in the Art Deco period once again took the form of bangles or arm-rings. One such model of note was designed by Jacqueau in 1928 and sold to the flamboyant Polish opera singer Ganna Walska in 1929. It comprised a hinged gold bangle, brightly enamelled in polychrome colours, with carved chimera-heads of deep "ox-blood" red coral, holding two fluted emerald beads weighing over 48 carats between their jaws.
A definite influence for these 1920s designs was undoubtedly provided by the Indian "sea-monster" bangle, the makara, whose traditional form had remained virtually unchanged since the sixteenth century. The twin animal-heads seen confronting each other with gaping jaws originally derived from the Indian crocodile Gavialis gangeticus, depicted in art since the third century BC. Although Cartier did not directly adopt the iconography of the makara heads in their chimera jewelry they certainly took up the traditional shape and enamel decoration of these Indian bangles. Indeed Jacqueau's working designs which survive today in the Cartier archives contain a photograph of a nineteenth century Jaipur bracelet covered with his own annotations.
Interestingly it was China that influenced the character of the chimera-heads themselves, which became stylizations of the Chinese chimera or kilin. The dragon had long been the personal symbol of the emperor in China, worn on the back of the imperial robe and adorning the imperial standard. According to legend, the dragon was originally a sea-creature which had boldly ventured skywards, but far from being punished for its presumption, had instead been received into the heavenly regions. Thus the Chinese dragon is not, like the chimera or dragon of western Christian tradition, a symbol of evil which has to be defeated, but rather a power of nature to be honoured.
But the evolution of the legendary beast was not yet complete: it had still to be subjected to the artistic direction of Jeanne Toussaint (1887-1978), head of luxury jewelry at Cartier from 1933. Amongst her greatest creations were the infamous Great Cat jewels, originally made for the Duchess of Windsor from 1948 onwards, but her flair extended equally to imaginary as well as real animal forms. In 1954 she initiated a renewed vogue for the chimera style, now metamorphosed into entire bangles carved from a solid piece of coral or lapis lazuli. Interestingly, Toussaint preferred a salmon pink coral (sometimes referred to as "pelle d'angelo" or angel's skin coral) to the intense red "moro" variety of earlier creations. Elsewhere in the Cartier collection, chimeras entirely set with precious stones - usually rubies, emeralds and white diamonds - were also produced as novelties.
The chimera - in its many guises, has undoubtedly earned its place as one of the lasting motifs in Cartier's design vocabulary. From the previous distribution of such important chimera jewels, it appears that this style appealed to women of self-assurance as well as refinement: from Ganna Walska in 1929 to the Hon Mrs Fellowes and Baroness d'Erlanger in the 1960s: all became devotees of the chimera, associating themselves with a tradition which continues to the present day.
A FINE CORAL, SEED PEARL AND GEM-SET CHIMERA BRACELET, BY CARTIER
Details
A FINE CORAL, SEED PEARL AND GEM-SET CHIMERA BRACELET, BY CARTIER
Designed as twin carved coral chimeras with marquise-cut diamond eyes, with circular-cut diamond, cabochon and circular-cut emerald accents, joined to a multi-strand seed pearl bracelet, enhanced by ruby beads, mounted in platinum and 18K gold, circa 1960, 7¾ ins.
Signed Cartier, No. 361
Designed as twin carved coral chimeras with marquise-cut diamond eyes, with circular-cut diamond, cabochon and circular-cut emerald accents, joined to a multi-strand seed pearl bracelet, enhanced by ruby beads, mounted in platinum and 18K gold, circa 1960, 7¾ ins.
Signed Cartier, No. 361