Au Commencement Était Le Trait : Cartier, Dessins Art Déco 1910-1930

Cartier, "the jeweller of kings and the king of jewellers", as King Edward VII famously put it, enjoyed its heyday during the Art Deco period, when the Parisian jeweller's creations were among the most sumptuous and elegant. Chinese, Indian, Coptic and African influences were all used by the House on the rue de la Paix to create extraordinary pieces of jewellery.

For the first time, this book sheds light on the designers behind these jewels, their sources of inspiration and their techniques, halfway between art and craft. Hundreds of original drawings from private collections and museums, dozens of some of the finest jewels ever made, and numerous previously unpublished archives reveal the secrets of one of the world's greatest jewellery houses.