Louis Cartier (1875-1942) the grandson of Cartier founder Louis-Francois was an impassioned
collector and lover of the arts. He was particularly entranced by Islamic arts especially
Persian book arts geometric shapes and colour combinations and its motifs and exotic colour
palette are apparent in Cartier jewelry to this day. However it was his younger brother
Jacques - an expert in precious stones - who travelled to India and the Persian Gulf in 1911
and 1912 to discover the culture and bring home the true treasures of the Middle East: natural
pearls. This was the pivotal moment when the dialogue between these two worlds opened up
eventually blossoming into a beautiful relationship that has lasted for decades. Published to
accompany a major exhibition at the Musée des Arts Decoratifs in Paris this lavish book delves
into the Cartier archives to trace the story of Louis Cartier's love of Islamic art and the
ways in which he incorporated Islam's stylized yet abstract motifs into Cartier's jewelry.
Dazzling photographs of Cartier jewelry are accompanied by in-depth texts from a raft of
distinguished scholars of both Islam and the decorative arts. With 250 illustrations
