FIVE GOLD ROPE TWIST BANGLE BRACELETS BY CARTIER, CIRCA 1950
FIVE GOLD ROPE TWIST BANGLE BRACELETS BY CARTIER, CIRCA 1950
SOLD
A set of five stacking bangles, two adorned by a single rope design wrapped continuously around smooth gold; three entirely covered with wrapped rope design; made of 18-karat gold, in a fitted box
- Signed Cartier and numbered
- Internal Circumference: 7½ 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 bangle bracelet is one of the earliest forms of adornment. A statue dating to 2600 BCE depicting a dancing girl excavated from Mohenjo-daro had an arm covered with bangles that would have moved and tinkled with the steps of a real dancer. Throughout history bangles have been made from a variety of materials such as glass, wood, shell, chalcedony, glass, copper, bronze, and the ever-precious gold. Simple bangles were worn, but the most prized examples had fine finishing and embellished details.
In the design of these five bangles, Cartier drew on ancient motifs, both in the form of the bangle and in the impressive rope twist design adorning the pieces. The history of rope making dates to prehistoric times, and it’s likely the first ropes, like the earliest necklaces and bracelets, were made from vines and plant fibers. These two essential and ancient forms, the bangle and rope, intersected throughout history. The Vikings, in particular, often incorporated twists of rope in their jewelry, an important motif for this sea faring culture.
While this enchanting set of rope twist bangles takes inspiration from ancient forms and motifs, they feel wonderfully modern. Constructed of solid gold with textured and polished sections, they are weighty and wearing them on the wrist is both beautiful and tactile. This unusual set of Cartier bangle bracelets would be an important and wearable addition to any collection.
