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 14th, 2016 at the Baur Foundation, Geneva.
