Louis Cartier (1875–1942), the grandson of Cartier founder Louis-Francois, was an impassioned collector and lover of the arts. He was particularly entranced by Islamic arts, especially Persian book arts, geometric shapes and colour combinations, and its motifs and exotic colour palette are apparent in Cartier jewelry to this day. However, it was his younger brother Jacques – an expert in precious stones – who travelled to India and the Persian Gulf in 1911 and 1912 to discover the culture and bring home the true treasures of the Middle East: natural pearls. This was the pivotal moment when the dialogue between these two worlds opened up, eventually blossoming into a beautiful relationship that has lasted for decades. Published to accompany a major exhibition at the Musée des Arts Decoratifs in Paris, this lavish book delves into the Cartier archives to trace the story of Louis Cartier’s love of Islamic art and the ways in which he incorporated Islam’s stylized yet abstract motifs into Cartier’s jewelry. Dazzling photographs of Cartier jewelry are accompanied by in-depth texts from a raft of distinguished scholars of both Islam and the decorative arts. With 250 illustrations

An unprecedented survey of modern lighting design foregrounding its materials, innovators, and far-reaching influence Offering the first comprehensive history of lighting design from the 20th and 21st centuries, Electrifying Design: A Century of Lighting explores how lighting has been integral to the development of modern design both in terms of aesthetics and technological advances. This fascinating book outlines the key aspects of lighting as a unique and creative artistic discipline and examines themes such as different typologies, the quality of light, and the evolution of the bulb. A series of essays by Sarah Schleuning and Cindi Strauss showcase lighting designs from different time periods and geographic locations and feature the work of significant figures, including Poul Henningsen, Ingo Maurer, and Gino Sarfatti. With over 130 illustrations of functional and sometimes fantastical designs, a historical timeline, and comprehensive artist biographies, this handsome volume expands our understanding of an understudied but influential art form and demonstrates lighting's central role as both an expression of and a catalyst for innovations in modern and contemporary design. Published in association with the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston Exhibition Schedule: Museum of Fine Arts, Houston (February 21-May 16, 2021) High Museum of Art, Atlanta (July 2-September 26, 2021)

"Abandoned, forgotten form is reborn in the arms of an all-embracing nature, an envelope within which the origin of the human being, of a society gives us a sensibility, a presence of a fertility." - Vincent Dubourg A graduate of the Ecole nationale superieure des Arts Decoratifs in Paris, Vincent Dubourg is a designer and a plastic artist. In 2004, he caught the eye of Julien Lombrail, founder of the Carpenters Workshop Gallery, where he has been exhibiting since 2006. Present at major salons and shows - the Pavillon des Arts et du Design, Paris; Design Miami Basel - he has received many public commissions from institutions such as Galeries Lafayette, Swarovski, Vienna, the musee de la chasse et de la nature, Paris, and the Sketch restaurant in London, among others. Vincent says that he feeds himself on the capitals like Paris and New York, which he regularly visits, and digests them in his isolated studio in the Creuse department in France. There, he questions contemporary furniture through the prism of nature and the five elements, like a perfect control of metal. With him, buffet, table and chairs become hallucinatory objects shifting between sculpture and functional furniture. A major exhibit will be devoted to him at the Carpenters Workshop Gallery in New York in late 2017. Solo Show, Carpenters Workshop Gallery, New York, November 2017.