All You Need to Know About the Wild World of Cartier's Panthère

Powerful, magnetic and enduring, Cartier’s Panthère has been the inspiration for many of the Maison’s creations, and its long, illustrious history was the centrepiece of the recent Into the Wild exhibition, an experiential journey through the world of the emblem. Spanning eight interconnected halls at Bayfront Pavilion, Gardens by the Bay last month, the setup was not merely a static display, but an immersive theatre with visual effects, imaginative sets and creative interpretations of the Maison’s emblematic animal. The exhibition explored the artistic evolution of the Panthère motif, the story of its originator, the craftspeople and techniques that transform ideas into reality, ambassadors connected with the emblem, and representative pieces from across a multitude of métiers.

The Panthère may exude a modern aesthetic, but it’s actually more than a century old, with its first appearance being in 1914, on a watch dressed in a pattern of abstract spots in black and white fashioned from rose-cut diamonds and onyx. Its next sighting came three years later, in a figurative form flanked by cypress trees, depicted on a small cigarette case that Louis Cartier gifted to the style icon and later Cartier creative director Jeanne Toussaint, who liked the motif so much that two years later she ordered for herself a vanity case in gold and black Canton enamel, decorated with the Panthère. From then on, the feline became her personal signature, standing for independence.

A fixture on the Parisian creative and social scene nicknamed “La Panthère” for her wit and determination, Jeanne Toussaint conceptualised the Panthère motif with designer Pierre Lemarchand in the 1940s, and iconic pieces birthed since have been acquired by notable personalities such as the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, actress María Félix, socialite Daisy Fellowes, and heiress Barbara Hutton.

“For over 100 years, no other creature has achieved such iconic status, whether at Cartier or in 20th century jewellery as a whole,” says Pierre Rainero, the Image, Style and Heritage Director of Cartier. “No other creature or jewel is so indissolubly and emotionally linked to the stylish women of the 20th century, the 20th-century female ideal, or the Cartier legend.”

Savoir-faire of the Maison developed to create the Panthère and express its spirit and personality, with design, gem mounting, paving, and setting all playing a crucial role in the process: Planning the Panthère’s form such that it’s lifelike and implies movement, with the spots and diamonds positioned so that the stones come together to form a lush, continuous surface; cutting gemstones individually to fit their intended locations, meaning each stone is uniquely shaped; and evoking a dense, silky coat through Cartier’s demanding “fur” setting. The use of glyptics and métiers d’art like Etruscan granulation, marquetry and cloisonné appears in more than fine watchmaking. Sophisticated fabrication can be seen on even La Panthère fragrance, whose bottle is cut from a block of raw glass and sculpted from the inside. The result: No matter the creation, the Panthère is always presented at its most realistic, elegant, and beautiful.