Style Edit: The peerless elegance of Cartier’s Panthère has been empowering women for decades – from Wallis Simpson to K-pop’s Jisoo
- The inspirational Panthère de Cartier motif brings an air of feminine self-confidence to the French luxury house’s range of jewellery and accessories
- Cartier’s panther first appeared in abstract form on a watch in 1914, imagined by Jeanne Toussaint, the house’s first female creative director
Nonchalantly breaking design rules in constant, clever reinventions over the decades, this fierce and playful feline also takes on deeper significance, symbolising the rise of assertive femininity.
The Cartier panther was first spotted in abstract form on a watch in 1914, and was soon expressing its defiant personality through naturalist and graphic representations as well. Aptly it was a woman, Jeanne Toussaint – Cartier’s first female creative director and a role model for women’s emancipation in the mid-20th century – who brought the creature to life, adopting its free spirit as her own personal signature.
In 1935 she steered two panther silhouettes of yellow gold and black enamel on to a ring. In 1948 a full-bodied Panthère de Cartier made its three-dimensional debut on a brooch boasting a 116-carat emerald. A follow-up the next year saw a regal panther atop a whopping 152.35-carat cabochon-cut sapphire. The sculptural panther heads, arranged tête à tête, that grace the latest Panthère jewellery collection of sleek, modern, fully articulated pieces were first seen on earrings in 1958, encrusted with diamonds and showcasing glinting emerald eyes.
The panther’s proud evolution is testament to the skill and innovation of the Cartier design team, whose jewellers, gem setters, cutters and polishers, and carvers and engravers, bestow it with character and desirability.
In a unique “fur” setting technique, its spots of hand-carved sapphire or onyx are secured by tiny threads of metal, while its tiny ears are pavé-set on the outside and polished within. For the new flexible necklaces and bracelets, ingenious gold blades and springs positioned in the panther head allow full movement.
Time has never stood still for the precious and ferocious panther. The first Panthère de Cartier watch emerged in 1983, named for the curved and polished links of a fluid bracelet that slinks on to the skin. Beloved by the arty crowd and indomitable personalities like Jane Fonda and Madonna, it became a cult possession.