From the turn of the twentieth century, Cartier has drawn inspiration from Chinese and Japanese objects. The exhibition “L’Asie Rêvée” in the Baur and Cartier collections puts side-by-side 160 of the jeweler’s pieces and objects, and those of the Swiss, Alfred Baur, which mainly come from the Qing Dynasty (1644-1912). On the theme of the dragonfly, a diamond, ruby and emerald pin from 1953 is found alongside a nineteenth-century lacquered box inlaid with mother-of-pearl and with inrô compartments. A black and white art deco brooch sits beside a cream “soft paste” porcelain seal box. In the display cabinets, luxurious materials echo off the exotic designs and colours with infinite poetry.

Until February 14^th, 2016 at the Baur Foundation, Geneva.