The Denver Art Museum had an exhibit called Brilliant: Cartier in the 20th Century which I was lucky enough to see in its last few days.

In 1914 Cartier starting using the panther in their advertising, and came out with their first panther inspired pieces. Then in 1917, Louis Cartier gave friend Jeanne Toussaint a panther cigarette case. This was the first piece to actually depict a full panther, not just parts as inspiration.

In 1918, Toussaint joined the company as a designer and frequently came up with panther-inspired designs, earning the nickname “La Panthére” partly for her bold designs and strong personality. She eventually became Artistic Director of High Jewelry and she helped cement the design relationship between Cartier and their iconic panther motif.

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Duchess of Windsor’s 1952 bracelet.

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Back of the Panthère brooch from 1949 belonging to the Duchess of Windsor. Cartier developed a unique way to set the various colored stones to create the panther’s spots intermixed with the beautiful Cartier shimmer. You can see the front here.

Museum Monday is an every other week series about museum news, objects, and reviews.

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