A catalogue of 230 jewels and objects and the most comprehensive monograph on a period of great creativity that marked the beginning of a maison. Examining Cartier's towards the end of the 19th century, two points stand out clearly: on the one hand, art nouveau elements are almost totally absent from Cartier's creations. We are struck instead by the presence of a unique style, a singular reinterpretation of the neoclassical vocabulary through stylised floral motifs, acanthus scrolls, garlands or drops, in an execution in which care for detail, often in three dimensions, is paramount, and by a predilection for the architectural motifs of the period. Secondly, at the same time, Cartier introduced the use of platinum for the mounts. This metal was more solid, more luminous but also harder to work. This required a revolution in setting techniques and, in modifying the current practices and inaugurating the use of new tools and new underlying techniques, it raised Cartier to the position of visionary and pioneer. Article after article, he laid the foundations for the Cartier style. This beautifully illustrated volume allows reader to understand how and when it happened. Specialists, collectors, fans of Cartier objects and those who simple have an interest in art and custom will find this wide-ranging book an entertaining read and a valid resource. Nuno Vassallo e Silva is Deputy-Director of the Calouste Gulbenkian Museum, specialist in silverware and jewellery in Portugal and in India. He is presently member of the Scientific Committee of the exhibitions "Encompassing the Globe: Portugal and the World" (Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C., 2007).
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