The panther has long been part of Cartier’s world, known for its fierceness, mysteriousness and beauty. In 1914, Louis Cartier commissioned the ‘Lady With a Panther’ illustration from renowned French illustrator George Barbier for a jewellery exhibition invitation, and that same year, Cartier released a ladies’ wristwatch with a panther motif in black onyx and diamonds. A few years later, Jeanne Toussaint, one of Paris’ style icons and a muse of the creative scene, joined the Maison, designing accessories, such as handbags and different cases, and in 1917, decorated a vanity case with a panther between two cypress trees, the first figurative Cartier panther. Since then, Cartier has continued to use the panther as inspiration, creating pieces featuring panther heads, entire panther silhouettes, and panther-inspired patterns.