Almost everyone is familiar with Cartier’s exclusive pieces of jewellery. The auction at Dorotheum in Vienna on 29 April 2020 will see more than 20 selected pieces of jewellery by this high-class French jeweller come under the hammer, alongside pieces by Tiffany and Pomellato, plus exquisite diamonds. A tiara by Cartier London, set with a total of 70 ct. aquamarines, is certainly one of the highlights of the auction. It dates from around 1930 to 1935, making it a classic work from the Art Deco period when aquamarines were very much in vogue. A safety fastener was subsequently attached to the tiara, enabling it also to be worn as a necklace. The top-class piece of jewellery is estimated at 34,000 to 70,000 euros.

Cartier’s Panthère range is more than just jewellery: it is a statement that has become a distinguishing mark for the French jeweller. Its design is treasured by collectors in all four corners of the world, with actresses, duchesses, princes and industrialists all having been fascinated by the legendary panther motif. The auction includes several ‘dangerously beautiful’ pieces from the range: pendants, necklaces, earrings and bracelets, all of which feature the distinctive panther. Estimates range from 6,500 euros for a bracelet and 30,000 euros for a necklace. These estimates have often been far exceeded at previous Dorotheum auctions: the panther is timeless.

The Cartier panther made its first appearance in 1914, on an advertising poster by the French painter and illustrator George Barbier. Shortly afterwards, Jeanne Toussaint took up her post as director of bags and accessories. In 1933, she became the artistic director of the Parisian jewellery house, and the panther’s march to victory began. Creations featuring this noble predator symbolise self-confidence, elegance and independence; qualities which describe Jeanne Toussaint, dubbed the ‘Coco Chanel of jewellery’, down to a T. Indeed, Louis Cartier calls her ‘La Panthère’. She worked for the French jeweller until 1970, but the panther remains an inexhaustible source of inspiration for new Cartier collections.

JEWELLERY
Auction date Wednesday, 29 April 2020, 2 p.m.
Viewing starts 11 April 2020
Venue Palais Dorotheum, 1010 Vienna, Dorotheergasse 17
Specialist Astrid Fialka-Herics, tel. +43-1-515 60-567, astrid.fialka-herics@dorotheum.at