Pair of Gold Interlocking Link Bracelets by Cartier, London, 1960–1970
Pair of Gold Interlocking Link Bracelets by Cartier, London, 1960–1970
A pair of bracelets, each composed of a series of interlocking rings; in 18-karat yellow gold with British hallmarks; in original Cartier fitted box
- One signed Cartier and both numbered, with date marks for 1960 (e) and 1970 (p)
- Measurements: 8½ x 7/8 inches
Additional cataloguing
Biography
Cartier was founded in Paris in 1847 by Louis-François Cartier. His three grandsons, Louis, Pierre, and Jacques, built the house into a famous international jewelry empire serving royalty, Hollywood stars, and socialites. Cartier has created some of the most important jewelry and objects of art of the twentieth century with many iconic designs such as mystery clocks, Tutti Frutti jewelry and the Panthère line. In 1983, The Cartier Collection was established with the objective of acquiring important pieces that trace the firm's artistic evolution. Today, Cartier has 200 stores in 125 countries.
Significance
The 1960s was a time of radical change in the
fashion world. London was the center of the shift known as the Swinging Sixties, an era was marked by phenomenal rock bands including the Beatles and the Kinks, as well as a youth-driven counterculture movement. Young people favored independent clothing boutiques like Mary Quant on Carnaby Street with her bright colors and short hemlines. Boxy shapes and strange materials noted the influence of science, technology, and the space race. Geometry and circles were repeated in patterns over and over, the bigger the better.
Cartier responded to this bright era with playful
and wearable pieces such as figurative brooches and easily wearable gold earrings, necklaces and flexible bracelets like this unusual pair. Composed of interlocking circles to create a chain, the bracelet design is a wonderful expression of Cartier’s creativity. The gold bracelet form has been ubiquitous in jewelry, with early examples found in tombs in Ancient Egypt and Babylonia. These tightly woven examples eventually evolved into this modern version, an oversized series of interlocking links that perfectly captures the fun and excitement of 1960s London.
The first of these bracelets was made in 1960, and
in 1970 the owner returned to Cartier to have a matching bracelet made. Although there was a decade between their manufacture, Cartier stamped each bracelet with the same reference number and returned them in a fitted box, marking them as a true pair. The sophisticated and sculptural set of bracelets is a perfect example of the modern glamour of 1960s London.
