ANTIQUE 20thC CARTIER ART DECO LACQUE BURGAUTE HAND MIRROR, PARIS c1930
20th Century Art Deco Lacque Burgaute' hand mirror, the reverse set with a rectangular Laque Burgaute' panel beautifully inlaid with shimmering mother of pearl depicting a Chinoiserie garden scene illustrating a scholar and his apprentice, the top left corner set with a Moonstone cabochon, the original mirror with scalloped border.
The frame bears French Hallmarks (the mark appears to be the boar's head, for French silver) Paris, year 1925-30, Maker's mark "Cartier Paris", serial number 3405.
REFERENCE NUMBER: A2755
DESCRIPTION
Antique 20th Century extremely rare Art Deco Lacque Burgaute' hand mirror, the reverse set with a rectangular Laque Burgaute' panel (possibly Chinese) beautifully inlaid with shimmering mother of pearl depicting a Chinoiserie garden scene illustrating a scholar and his apprentice, the top left corner set with a Moonstone cabochon, the original mirror with scalloped border.
The frame bears French Hallmarks (the mark appears to be the boar's head, for French silver) Paris, year 1925-30, Maker's mark "Cartier Paris", serial number 3405.
For more info see Hans Nadelhoffer, "Cartier: Jewelers Extraordinary", p.201: Cartier produced its first cigarette case inspired on 19th Century Chinese Mother of Pearl mosaics in 1913, and soon Louis Cartier started collecting mother-of-pearl laquer that he used in his objects d'art. Mother-of-pearl was, from ancient times, valued for the multicoloured shimmering tones of the thin, innermost layers - only the craftsmen of the later Ming and Ching periods used tissue-thin slivers to produce delicately shillintating effects. Mother-of-pearl has a magical authorithy within the Taoist scheme, and its colours were, for the Taoists, a token of eternity. The lacquers used by Cartier's in the 1920s were mostly taken from Chinese bowls, trays or tables.
Such objects are extremely rare and valuable, please follow this link to a similar case sold in Sotheby's, this link to a similar case sold in Bonhams and this link to a similar hand mirror sold in Christie's.
CONDITION
General wear, a hairline crack to the lacquer and minor losse to the mother of pearl. The mirror is cracked and worn.
SIZE
Legth: 7.2cm
Width: 5.2cm
Weight: 23.6g