Cartier is hosting an immersive installation celebrating the Panthère de Cartier from 4 to 18 September. Held at Workshop 3, Sentul Depot, in Kuala Lumpur, Into The Wild is an installation created by renowned exhibition designer and scenographer Nathalie Crinière, and has four interactive areas to showcase the iconic collection’s 108-year history. Here, guests will discover which Cartier creative director earned the nickname La Panthère, and learn from the fearless women who represent the power of the Panthère de Cartier, and much more.
From its first appearance in 1914, the Cartier panther has never stopped growing, and evolving, and adapting with the times. Through the years, this majestic feline has enjoyed some truly magical moments with the maison, and to this day, every time you see the Cartier panther, whether in the fine jewellery line, timepieces, accessories, or the high jewellery collections, it never looks the same.
Sometimes it is calm and regal, sitting on the wrist or curled up around one’s ears. Other times, it’s in full predatory mode with jaws wide open as it forms a powerful statement ring. And occasionally you catch a glimpse of its playful personality, this time as a necklace or a watch. But no matter how it is being presented, the Cartier panther always has this uncanny ability to emote through its deeply expressive eyes, through its body language, and even its little tail could capture so much about its mood.
Leaping into the spotlight this year is a bold new expression of the Panthère de Cartier, updated and improved to emulate even more perfectly the feline’s behaviour in the wild. Gracefully and silently, yet swiftly and with absolute precision, the Cartier panther now emerges as fully articulated sculptural creations which are remarkably supple and as sleek as a big cat on the prowl.
Seen on a selection of bangles, toi et moi rings, and a magnificent choker necklace, the new designs evoke the powerful double head aesthetic, arriving in either gleaming yellow gold covered with black lacquer markings or shimmering white gold with full pavé diamonds and markings of skilfully cut black onyx. In both variations, seamlessness and flexibility are the order of the day, so there is not a single hinge in sight, and the pieces hug the body so tenderly it’s reminiscent of a favourite pet cat coiling affectionately around your leg or arm.
Cartier achieved this immaculate result by linking two specially crafted segments crossed with gold blades which are linked to two springs positioned inside the heads of the panthers. This qualifies the jewellery as extremely technical pieces given that the maison had to pay special attention to the distribution of the panther’s spots in order to not disrupt their natural, harmonious flow.
In the yellow gold pieces you might see where the segments meet but with the white gold ones, everything is shrouded in pavé diamonds. And as with all Panthére de Cartier onyx-spotted pieces, Cartier’s gem-setters applied the signature “fur” setting where tiny incisions are made around the stone in order to create the fuzzy texture of the panther’s fabulous silky coat.
The Cartier Into The Wild exhibition is open to the public, online registration is available here.
