Asia Imagined: In the Baur and Cartier Collections

Stunning masterpieces of Chinese and Japanese art are presented here alongside the glittering creations that they inspired world-renowned jeweler Cartier to create. This lavishly illustrated book compares and contrasts Cartier’s Asian-influenced creations—diamond-studded pagodas and pavilions, shimmering phoenixes, jade dragons, and cherry blossoms rendered in colorful gems—alongside exotic objects from the Baur Foundation, Museum of Far Eastern Art, in Geneva, Switzerland. In the 19th and early 20th centuries, exotic objects from China and Japan fascinated Westerners, captivating art lovers and influencing designers. Collector Alfred Baur (1865–1951) began assembling his unparalleled collection of Asian works and Paris jeweler Alfred Cartier (1841–1925) began designing Asian-themed jewels and precious objects. Here, side by side with Cartier’s precious creations, are imperial porcelains, lacquerware embellished with precious metals, embroidered silks, jades, colored enamels, netsuke, sword hilts, and prints, offering fresh insight into the marvels of China, of Japan, and of Cartier.