Lot Essay
Cf. Franco Cologni and Eric Nussbaum, "Cartier: Le Joaillier du Platine", La Bibliotèque des Arts, Paris, 1995, pages 224-225
One of Cartier's greatest achievements after the Second World War was the creation of panther jewels. Although the firm had made `big cat' jewellery before the war, it was Peter Lemarchand (1908-1970), who managed to create jewels of great realism and not merely stylised. This came about after many hours of observation at the Vincennes Zoo as well as intensive study of the bronze cats of ancient Egypt. From the first clip brooches made for the Duchess of Windsor in 1948, the panther theme has been developed to include parures of earrings, bracelet and ring. They are all extremely well modelled and capture in miniature the grace and authority of these noble animals.
One of Cartier's greatest achievements after the Second World War was the creation of panther jewels. Although the firm had made `big cat' jewellery before the war, it was Peter Lemarchand (1908-1970), who managed to create jewels of great realism and not merely stylised. This came about after many hours of observation at the Vincennes Zoo as well as intensive study of the bronze cats of ancient Egypt. From the first clip brooches made for the Duchess of Windsor in 1948, the panther theme has been developed to include parures of earrings, bracelet and ring. They are all extremely well modelled and capture in miniature the grace and authority of these noble animals.
