The richness of Islamic art entranced Louis and Jacques Cartier, two of the founder’s grandsons, who weaved references to it throughout jewellery and artefacts from the 1920s onwards. It is an enduring inspiration for the jewellery maison, and one which it has celebrated at exhibitions in Paris in 2021 and Dallas in 2022. Now, Cartier is building on this history with a new exhibition at the Louvre Abu Dhabi – ‘Cartier, Islamic Inspiration and Modern Design’.
Organised by Louvre Abu Dhabi, Musée des Arts Décoratifs, Musée du Louvre and France Museums, in collaboration with Cartier, it marks both the 40th time Cartier’s pieces have been exhibited and 40 years of the Cartier Collection, the historical collection of jewels carefully maintained by the maison.
Jewels from the exhibition
Elizabeth Diller, whose practice Diller Scofidio + Renfro designed the previous
shows, returns for the design of the exhibition, which encompasses 420 items in total, including 200 pieces from the Cartier Collection.
Curator Evelyne Possémé considers the impact impressionist and geometric artworks had on the Cartier aesthetic, examining how Islamic art’s influence was translated into intricate and vibrant jewellery design in a delicious feast of colour and craftsmanship. Exceptional pieces on display here include jewel-studded vanity cases from the 1920s, architectural necklaces studded with rainbows of precious stones and remarkable clocks in rock crystal.
‘Cartier, Islamic Inspiration and Modern Design’ is on display from 15 November 2023 – 24 March 2024 at Louvre Abu Dhabi
Jewelled vanity case from the exhibition
-
Put these emerging artists on your radarThis crop of six new talents is poised to shake up the art world. Get to know them now
-
Dining at Pyrá feels like a Mediterranean kiss on both cheeksDesigned by House of Dré, this Lonsdale Road addition dishes up an enticing fusion of Greek and Spanish cooking
-
Creased, crumpled: S/S 2025 menswear is about clothes that have ‘lived a life’The S/S 2025 menswear collections see designers embrace the creased and the crumpled, conjuring a mood of laidback languor that ran through the season – captured here by photographer Steve Harnacke and stylist Nicola Neri for Wallpaper*
-
Cartier’s major new exhibition opens at the V&A and it’s a gem‘Cartier’ at the V&A in London takes an epic tour through the house’s history and archives
-
Are ‘jump hour’ watches the most enjoyable trend to come out of Watches and Wonders?Watches and Wonders 2025 saw new jump hour watches from Bremont, Cartier, Gerald Charles, Hautlence, Svend Andersen and others
-
Cartier dials up the glamour at Watches and Wonders 2025Cartier revamps much-loved watch collections, from Privé and Panthère to Tank and Tressage, upping the sparkle at the watch fair in Geneva
-
Dazzling high jewellery for statement dressersIntricate techniques, bold precious stones and designs unite in these exquisite high jewellery pieces
-
Back-to-school jewels: precious pieces for new terms and fresh startsPrepare to be on sparkling form this semester – we've got your jewellery kit sorted, from a diamond alphabet to a rose-gold pencil bracelet
-
Wild beauties: high jewellery dripping with dramaThe latest high jewellery collections are fantastic and flamboyant, drawing on a wealth of influences, from a Chopin composition and César Ritz to crocodiles and colour refraction
-
Chaumet, Cartier and Chanel up their high jewellery watch game for 2024In 2024's high jewellery watch designs, performance tech and centuries-old techniques combine to brilliant effect
-
Cartier celebrates Japan’s artistic legacy in Tokyo‘Musubi – Half-Century of Cartier in Japan and Beyond’ is a major new exhibition at Tokyo National Museum, celebrating jewellery, Japanese art and creative exchange
