Le Pavillon Baltard, Salon du Chat

10 years ago I went to the Baltard Feline show in Nougent-sur-Marne, a few stops outside Paris on ligne RER A. 

Last Sunday I went again to the Salon du Chat because…I’m a recent cat lover (since Covid)

Sixième Sens par Cartier, Cartier et les Arts d’Islam, MAD

 

Poster by George Barbier

Almost every year jewelers Cartier comes out with a new lush book. This year’s luscious book; 📕 Sixième Sens par Cartier: High Jewelry and Precious Objects by François Chaille has kept me distracted drawing 🐆 panthères, Jeanne Toussant, and multi-colored gem stones.

Jeanne came to Paris at 15 from a family of Belgian lacemakers. Already stylish, chic and charismatic, she met the right people including soon-to-be close friend Coco Chanel and Louis Cartier, who was instantly enthralled. He affectionately called her "Ma petite panthère". Her apartment was filled with animal skins, collected and gifted to her from around the world. She was famously known for wearing a full-length coat made of panther fur 🐆. 

Toussaint was hired by Louis Cartier in 1913 at age 26, the same year he met her, to be in charge of designing accessories (though she could not draw a line). In 1933, Louis made her full artistic director of all Cartier design, a unique position for a woman at that time. She retired in 1970 at age 80.

Cartier’s iconic panther logo evolved from her unique animal obsession and designs. “At the beginning of twentieth century, big cats were en vogue for expressing femininity – in fact, the beast was seen as the ultimate expression of femininity,” Says Geo Cramer.

Her large cat-themed brooches, bracelets, rings were exquisitely made of the finest, most decadent materials. Cartier’s eminent clients (Duchess of Windsor, Marjorie Merriwether Post, Daisy Fellows, Grace Kelly to name a few) adored her panther 🐆 designs.

 

Another of Toussaint’s specialities was art deco geometric jewelry inspired by the Mughuls and the Maharajas designs of India.

Original pieces were brought back, taken apart and put back together with added layers, mixing up many colored stones; rubies, emeralds, sapphires, amethysts.

Cut in the form of flowers and berries, the style was called “Tutti Frutti” and is still an integral part of the Cartier Collection.

Cartier as well was creating opulent pieces for Indian maharajas. Brother Jacques Cartier, who ran the London store, was traveling in the East finding trends and gem sources.

Recently MAD(musee des Arts Decoratifs had an exhibition of Cartier et les Arts d’Islam.

An opportunity to see original Islamic designs side by side 

With many Cartier bracelets, rings, necklaces, tiaras. 

The influence of Persian and Indian opulent geometric patterns 

Is immediately self-evident. 

Colors and patterns of Islamic ornamentation taken from rugs, pottery, decorative tiles, miniatures 

Show up in the design of cabochon emerald necklaces 

And an emerald and diamond belt buckle no less.

Truly an inspiring Aladdin’s treasure trove of splendors, both in the new book, Sixième Sens par Cartier: High Jewelry and Precious Objects and the past MAD exhibit. I could not stop sketching these beauties. Mille merci Cartier 👏 On my bridge looks like jewels 💎 on the Seine non?

New York Lights !

It's that time of year for a look at the Xmas lights. The big tree at Rock' Center seen in miniature from 5th Avenue.

Where your light on your Xmas tree as a skirt on Madison Avenue...

Or just hang your tree with many jeweled baubles.

Park Avenue always has a line of lighted trees adorning the street.

One blue-lighted tree on Madison Avenue.

Van Cleef and Arpels has holiday lights of another kind - a diamond necklace in a snow storm.

Cartier always has a big red lighted bow on the building.

And the windows are full of articulated boxes revealing shiny diamond necklaces.

This Bergdorf crock has his diamond eye on you.

Fendi's Fifth Avenue has icicled belts on it's facade.

Alliance Francaise de Washington has lite up its facade.

Jimmy-Jack is out looking for holiday lights in Paris...

Even New York Sabret wagons are lit up like a tree...

Well they always are aren't they?

BONJOUR NEW YORK LIGHTS!