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Lot Essay
CHIMERAS
Chimeras have been a very popular oriental motif for Cartier's Art Déco creations. The chimera was, according to ancient Greek mythology, a fire-breathing monster with the fore-parts of a lion, its middle a goat and its rear a dragon or serpent, who ravaged Lycia until slain by the hero Bellerophon. Cartier, however, was more interested in the imaginative and artistic value of the monster. In the 1920s, Cartier broke free from the archaeological interpretations of the late 19th century and turned towards a more orientalised version. In the 1960s these bangles were revived; lot 178 is a magnificent example of exceptional coral engraving as well as subtle diamond setting.
Chimeras have been a very popular oriental motif for Cartier's Art Déco creations. The chimera was, according to ancient Greek mythology, a fire-breathing monster with the fore-parts of a lion, its middle a goat and its rear a dragon or serpent, who ravaged Lycia until slain by the hero Bellerophon. Cartier, however, was more interested in the imaginative and artistic value of the monster. In the 1920s, Cartier broke free from the archaeological interpretations of the late 19th century and turned towards a more orientalised version. In the 1960s these bangles were revived; lot 178 is a magnificent example of exceptional coral engraving as well as subtle diamond setting.