Fascinating to see this treasure trove of Indian art coming up for auction at Christie's in New York.
So many incredible antique Cartier pieces being sold alongside the type of artefacts that led to their inception. "The ten centuries that preceded our era", Jacques Cartier wrote in his diary, "are one of the most wonderful periods in the history of the world. India's share in the intellectual discoveries of these times was paramount."
When Jacques Cartier travelled to India to meet with Maharaja clients or source gemstones, as he did regularly over 28 years, he wasn't just interested in buying and selling.
His diaries are filled with sketches and descriptions of India and its rich heritage — everything from gem-set sword hilts, temple carvings, enamel boxes and paintings. And when he returned to Europe his cases weren't just filled with gemstones but a myriad of objects that had excited his imagination.
He was an artist at heart and, in India, he found his greatest source of inspiration. This superb collection is testament to that heritage.
For further reading on the maharajas' jewellery collections and their relationship with European jewellers, see Katherine Prior and John Adamson's Maharajas' Jewels (Assouline, 2000) — the standard scholarly study of this subject.
