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A French emerald-inset enameled silver-mounted agate Art Deco letter opener watch by Cartier, Paris, circa 1930
Sold for US$106,250 inc. premium
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A French emerald-inset enameled silver-mounted agate Art Deco letter opener watch
No. 2807 / 1432, in the Chinese style, with Swiss 15 jewel movement, the matte silver dial with Roman chapters and enamel hands
length 13in (33cm).
Footnotes
The arts of Asia have recurrently captivated the West. Increasing trade throughout the 19th century brought Asian art and design to the west and fostered new tastes towards the 'oriental' and the exotic. The great Parisian jeweler and watch-making firm of Cartier was among those inspired, particularly by Chinese works of art. By the early 20th century, Cartier was at the forefront of production of objects de vertu and jewelry described as 'Chinese' in composition and subject matter. Even genuine antique Chinese carved-lacquer panels, jades, and other objects acquired by Louis Cartier were incorporated into new creations by his craftsmen. The subsequent flourishing of Art Deco style upon the visual arts led Cartier's artisans to a design fusion of Chinese aesthetics and patterns with a modern palette that became the firm's signature Chinoiserie style of the inter-war era.
Similar examples of Cartier letter openers with built-in watches are illustrated in Jader Barracca, Giampiero Negretti and Franco Nencini, Le Temps de Cartier by Milan, 1989, pp. 214 & 215. Related examples have sold The Magical Art of Cartier, Antiquorum, Geneva, 19 November 1996, lots 130 & 134 and Christie's, New York, 10 April 2001, lot 219.
