The exhibition will feature about 300 hand-picked treasures, including precious jewellery, timepieces, objects, accessories and archival records dating as far back as the 19th century.
These rare and exceptional pieces are not just prized for their beauty and craftsmanship, but are testament to the unique and fascinating relationship that Cartier has forged with the world’s most formidable women over the past two centuries.
“Women are part of Cartier’s essence,” says Cyrille Vigneron, president and CEO of Cartier.
“It does not mean that Cartier only creates for women, nor does it mean that Cartier has a conventional view on women or men. Cartier appreciates and values character and personality, be it bold, strong, daring, as well as delicate and sensitive.
“The exhibition ‘Cartier and Women’ is an exploratory journey into femininity as a whole, into the humankind, its nature, condition and dreams.”
The exhibition, which is divided into four themes, explores the bond between women and jewellery through a series of captivating narratives.
The opening vignette, “Royal and Aristocratic Women: Elegance and Prestige”, highlights many of Cartier’s deep-rooted relationships with royalty and the elite.
The second section, “New Women: Breaking with Tradition”, examines advances in jewellery design that reflected women’s emancipation. It also highlights the pioneering role of Jeanne Toussaint, a revolutionary figure in modern jewellery and Cartier’s first female creative director.
Toussaint supported female empowerment through her jewellery design and paved the way for other women to take jewellery beyond its aesthetic value to become an intimate revelation of personality and spirit.
Her trailblazing vision is best embodied in the iconic Panthère brooch, which she designed in 1949, and which takes pride of place in the exhibition. The panther, a symbol of boldness, independence and power, is still a signature Cartier motif.
The impact of Chinese aesthetics on the development of women’s lifestyles and global fashion is explored in the third section, “Inquisitive Women: Cross-cultural Inspirations”.
Many of the pieces on display reveal the influence of art from China and other parts of the world on Cartier’s creations.
Highlights include a Chinese-style vanity case, circa 1928, which references a Kangxi period (1662-1722) porcelain dish, and a brooch featuring “two dragons chasing a pearl”, a popular motif in Chinese art, which was acquired in 1920 by one of France’s first female couturiers, Jeanne Paquin.
Also featured is a stunning jadeite necklace gifted to American socialite and style icon Barbara Hutton.
The exhibition culminates with “Influential Women: Glamorous Legends”, which highlights the close relationship between Cartier jewellery and modern and contemporary female icons.
Visitors can catch a glimpse of rare pieces from the collections of iconic women, including the Princess of Monaco, Grace Kelly, Elizabeth Taylor, and Hong Kong icons Brigitte Lin, Carina Lau and Pansy Ho.
“The assembled pieces illustrate how much we owe to the prominent women of the day for our inspiration and style, as well as illuminating the influence of Chinese aesthetics on Cartier design,” says Pierre Rainero, Cartier’s image, style and heritage director.
To accompany the exhibition, the museum will offer a wide range of educational programmes.
Museum specialists and international experts will share new research on the Cartier Collection and examine how Chinese aesthetics have influenced women’s lifestyles and global fashion.
Two special music performances by the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra and the Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra will be held at the museum’s auditorium to celebrate women’s artistic achievements later this month and in June.
The museum will also present three documentaries about outstanding women in the creative industries: a film director, Cantonese opera performers and a novelist. A workshop on jewellery making will be launched in May.
In addition, Cartier has sponsored 5,000 complimentary admission tickets for the underprivileged.
“Cartier and Women” opens to the public from April 14 until August 14. Tickets are priced at HK$120 for adults and HK$60 for concessions.
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