‘Cartier and Islamic Art’ Exhibition Opens in Dallas
Following its Paris debut, “Cartier and Islamic Art: In Search of Modernity” has landed at the Dallas Museum of Art.

“Cartier and Islamic Art: In Search of Modernity” opened May 14 at the Dallas Museum of Art (DMA). It debuted last fall at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris.
Both art institutions developed the exhibition in collaboration with the Musée du Louvre and Cartier.
Through 400 objects, it shows the influence of Islamic art, architecture, and jewelry on Cartier in the early 20th century. Objects are on loan to the DMA from the jewelry house, the Musée des Arts Décoratifs, the Musée du Louvre, the Keir Collection of Islamic Art, and other international collections.
Louis Cartier (1875-1942), the grandson of Cartier founder Louis-Francois Cartier, was a partner and director at Cartier Paris. He collected Islamic art and had a penchant for Persian and Indian paintings and manuscripts.
At the turn of the 20th century, Louis would have had access to Islamic art through major exhibitions in Paris at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in 1903 and 1912. The city also fostered lots of art dealing and collecting from markets like Persia, India, China, and Japan, all which influenced the look of Cartier jewelry.
They informed an aesthetic called “style moderne,” or “modern style,” now referred to as Art Deco.
The DMA exhibition highlights not only jewelry but also drawings and archival photographs from Cartier alongside Islamic artworks with similar styles.
Materials from India, Iran, and Arab nations also play an important role, with Cartier introducing them after Louis’ brother Jacques went on sourcing trips to India and Bahrain. This resulted in new color combinations courtesy of different gems, as well as engraved gemstones.
Iconic designs like Cartier’s “Tutti Frutti” styles bear the influence of this exploration.
Actual Islamic art was occasionally incorporated into jewelry after the 1920s, too. Enameled plaques, pottery shards, stone amulets, textiles, and miniatures taken from paintings were every so often worked into new designs.
“For over a century, Cartier and its designers have recognized and celebrated the inherent beauty and symbolic values found in Islamic art and architecture, weaving similar elements into their own designs. This bridging of Eastern and Western art forms speaks exactly to the kinds of cross-cultural connections that the DMA is committed to highlighting through our programming and scholarship,” said Dr. Agustín Arteaga, the DMA’s Eugene McDermott Director.
“Not only does this exhibition present our audiences with the opportunity to explore Cartier’s dazzling designs, but it also spotlights the strength of our powerhouse Islamic Art and Decorative Arts and Design departments, as well as those of our colleagues at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs and the Louvre.”
Four curators brought “Cartier and Islamic Art: In Search of Modernity” to life. They are: Sarah Schleuning, the DMA’s Margot B. Perot Senior Curator of Decorative Arts and Design; Dr. Heather Ecker, the DMA’s former Marguerite S. Hoffman and Thomas W. Lentz Curator of Islamic and Medieval Art; Évelyne Possémé, Musée des Arts Décoratifs Chief Curator of Ancient and Modern Jewelry; and Judith Hénon, Musée du Louvre Curator and Deputy Director of the Department of Islamic Art.
“Cartier and Islamic Art: In Search of Modernity” will run through Sept. 18.
There is an accompanying book of the same name.
The Latest

U.S. customs agents in El Paso, Texas, intercepted the package, which would have been worth $9 million if the jewelry was genuine.

Health monitors become statement pieces when paired with the brand’s new collection of stackable diamond-studded bands.

Kim Carpenter and Sam Gevisenheit have joined the brand.

Supplier Spotlight Sponsored by GIA

“Shell Auranova” is the next generation of the brand’s bridal line, featuring half-bezel engagement rings with bold and fluid designs.


Boucheron and Pomellato performed well in an otherwise bleak quarter for Kering amid struggles at Gucci.

Designer Deborah Meyers created her birds from oxidized sterling silver, rose-cut diamond eyes, and Akoya Keshi pearl feathers.

Six new retail businesses were selected for the 2025 program, which began in January.

The company said it expects sightholders to remain “cautious” with their purchasing due to all the unknowns around the U.S. tariffs.

Sponsored by the Gemological Institute of America

Simon Wolf shares why the time was right to open a new office here, what he looks for in a retail partner, and why he loves U.S. consumers.

A third-generation jeweler, Ginsberg worked at his family’s store, Ginsberg Jewelers, from 1948 until his retirement in 2019.

The company failed to file its quarterly reports in a timely manner.

The organization also announced its board of directors.

Charms may be tiny but with their small size comes endless layering possibilities, from bracelets to necklaces and earrings.

Located in Valenza, the now 355,000-square-foot facility includes a new jewelry school that’s open to the public, Scuola Bulgari.

A platinum Zenith-powered Daytona commissioned in the late ‘90s will headline Sotheby’s Important Watches sale in Geneva next month.

The basketball stars wear men’s jewelry from the “Curb Chain” collection.

The Signet Jewelers-owned retailer wants to encourage younger shoppers to wear fine jewelry every day, not just on special occasions.

The 21 pieces, all from a private collector, will be offered at its Magnificent Jewels auction next month.

Lilian Raji answers a question from a reader who is looking to grow her jewelry business but has a limited marketing budget.

GCAL by Sarine created the new role to sharpen the company’s focus on strategic partnerships and scalable expansion.

The Indiana jeweler has acquired Scottsdale Fine Jewelers in Scottsdale, Arizona.

“Cartier: Design, Craft, and Legacy” opened earlier this month at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.

Van Cott Jewelers in Vestal, New York, is hosting a going-out-of-business sale.

Industry veteran Samantha Larson has held leadership roles at Borsheims, McTeigue & McClelland, Stuller, and Long’s Jewelers.
The two organizations will hold the educational event together this fall in Mississippi.