The Magical Art of Cartier

A lavishly illustrated auction catalogue for the first major Cartier sale organised with the house's official support. The 624 lots span the full range of Cartier's production from the firm's founding in 1847 through to contemporary pieces: horology, jewellery, and objets de vertu across every major period and style.

The sale was conducted jointly by Antiquorum (the Geneva-based watch and horological auction house) and Étude Tajan (the Paris auctioneer) at the Hôtel des Bergues in Geneva in November 1996. Before the sale, the collection was exhibited in six cities worldwide, giving the catalogue a dual function as both an auction record and a survey of Cartier's historical output.

Contenu

At 466 pages and 624 lots, the catalogue is one of the most substantial single-sale records of Cartier material. The lots encompass Art Deco jewellery, Egyptian Revival pieces, Mystery Clocks, watches (including Tank, Tortue, and Crash examples), vanity cases, and decorative objects spanning a century and a half of the firm's production. The worldwide exhibition tour before the sale ensured that the pieces were photographed and documented to a standard closer to a museum catalogue than a typical auction listing.

Ou le trouver

Out of print but available through antiquarian booksellers. The large format and high production values make it a sought-after reference in the Cartier collector market.