Bonhams announces the sale of one of Cartier’s most iconic designs. A ‘Tutti Frutti’ Bracelet will highlight the Hong Kong Jewels and Jadeite sale on 28 November 2020. This sensational jewel carries an estimate of HK$1,950,000 – 2,800,000.
Instantly recognisable, Cartier’s ‘Tutti Frutti’ much sought-after jewels combine glamour and exoticism in a riot of colour.
A variety of forms are an expression of this design. However, it is the bold bracelets that have captured and kept the attention of collectors for a century.
Estimate: HK$1,950,000 – 2,800,000
Initially registered in the Cartier books as ‘foliage’, the bracelet boasts a plant-inspired design of carved emeralds, rubies, and sapphires. This was a never-before-seen colour combination at the time.
Every example is unique, requiring master artisans to devote hundreds of hours of careful craftsmanship to each piece. The name itself appears for the first time in the 1970s. Since then, Cartier High Jewellery artisans have been creating new bracelets to this day.
The example on offer at Bonhams Hong Kong distinguishes itself by the central carved foliate emerald. The diamond and sapphire frame is reminiscent of the famous Cartier peacock necklace, made exclusively for its very best clients such as J.P. Morgan, Baron Édouard de Rothschild, and The Aga Khan.
The extraordinary graduated band displays the classic ‘Tutti Frutti’ designs with a palette of rubies, emeralds, and sapphires. Its carving follows the shape of leaves and fluted balls, capturing the exuberance and delight of the 1920s.
The ‘Tutti Frutti’ jewellery by Cartier – particularly the bracelet – is undoubtedly the most desirable Art Deco designs for collectors worldwide, and is exceedingly rare at auction. Every ‘Tutti Frutti’ bracelet is unique, but they all represent Cartier’s legendary and timeless legacy.
Leslie Roskind, Bonhams Head of Jewellery, Hong Kong
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