By Rees Sinnott
After opening its door on May 14, the “Cartier and Islamic Art: In Search of Modernity” exhibit is the only place in America you can enjoy over 400 objects from Cartier’s collection and their Islamic influences. When I visited I saw pieces from the 1800s to the present day. The collection was on display from May 14 – September 18 at the Dallas Museum of Art.
The exhibit has four sections, each filled with jewelry, textiles and various objects with their respective Islamic influences through sketches and motifs in different periods. The pieces are from Cartier, The Louvre, Musée des Arts Decoratifs and the Keir Collection of Islamic Art.
The most mesmerizing part of the exhibit were the animations, which gave viewers interactive demonstrations of the artifacts while showing how they were made. It was amazing to see how the jewelry came together piece by piece.
My favorite section of the exhibit was “Cartier and Islamic Art Today.” The gallery featured how Islamic art still greatly inspires the Maison, but the jewelry in the section was colorful and included many patterns and gems. My favorite necklace I saw was from 2019, which included platinum, emeralds, sapphires and diamonds. I love the colors in the collar necklace. Specifically, my favorite part is the emeralds which are showcased throughout the exhibit. I loved seeing how they use the same gems and design as inspiration for their work today.
