A trip through Cartier’s history

“Cartier Design: A Living Legacy” in exhibition in the Jumex Museum, in Mexico City, gathers historical pieces of the French maison that tell its story, in parallel with the Latin culture.

“The idea is to return to the creation’s origins”, shared curator Ana Elena Mallet before the exhibition “Cartier Design: A Living Legacy” official opening. Specialized in contemporary design, the specialist was who, in the past two years, went insinde Cartier Collection’s vaults to explore, in its private collections, jewels and ornaments produced since its foundation in 1847.

In the Jumex Museum, in Mexico’s capital, since March 15, 160 pieces stand out that trace the historical path of the maison, on top of making a parallel with the Latin culture, making the showing more enveloping.

Twenty-four years later, this is the second time that the Cartier’s portfolio is on show in Mexico, now also in tribute to the actress María Félix, the great Mexican film diva of the 1940s and 1950s who was a faithful customer of the French luxury house, which provided her with personalized service, including the development of exclusive jewellery.

            “Cartier Design: A Living Legacy” divides in five themed cores: “The first years and the birth of a style”, “Measuring time and dressing beauty” and “María Félix and the Icones of Elegance”. Jeanne Toussaint has particular narrative prominence as she was the brand's first female creative director in 1933, bringing Louis Cartier's vision to a constantly evolving society. Also note the codes and styles such as the panther and garland style, as well as motifs inspired by different cultures of the world, such as Ancient Egypt, India, Asia, and the Middle East.

The Cartier Collection began almost 50 years ago with the recovery of creations, being officially presented in 1983 with a selection of over three thousand pieces and dating back to the 1850s and into the 21st century. Testimonies of a brilliant history and cultural contexts that inspired the collection seen before in museums such as the National Art Center in Tokyo, the Grand Palais in Paris, the Design Museum in London, and the Dallas Museum of Art, by different audiences.