Jewellery, Watches and Objects of Vertu

A Panthere bangle by Cartier, the three colour gold coiled wirework bangle to polished panther head terminals, signed ‘Cartier’, numbered ‘982398’ and stamped ‘750’, internal bangle width 58mm. £2,000-£2,500

The panther is a longstanding motif employed by Cartier. It first made its appearance in 1917 on a diamond, onyx and platinum cigarette case, designed by Louis Cartier as a gift to his lover (and later head designer at Cartier), Jeanne Toussaint.
However the panther motif really found fame in the late 1940s when Cartier created several iconic panther jewels for the Duchess of Windsor (this being the first time that the panther was represented in its entirety); these items included a three-dimensional panther brooch of pavé sapphires and white and yellow diamonds, the big cat perched atop a 152.35 carat sapphire cabochon.
The first double panther-head bangle made its debut in 1958 as a commission for Prince Sadruddin Aga Khan, pavé set with diamonds, sapphires and emeralds. The panthere designs remain as popular today as they ever were and form an iconic collection of the house of Cartier.