No need to fork out for this Cartier collection at Seoul’s DDP

Stepping inside luxurious Cartier stores, with their suited guards protecting the dazzling high-end jewelry, may be a bit daunting without a wallet thick enough to shell out big-time for one of their items. But starting May 1, there will be a much more approachable way to dive into Cartier’s 177-year-long history of high-end jewelry, watches, perfumes, leather goods and more, as the luxury conglomerate is kicking off an exhibit titled “Cartier, Crystallization of Time,” at the Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP) in Jung District, central Seoul.

The exhibit is not intended for shopping. Instead, it is meant for admiring Cartier’s craftsmanship, showcasing some 300 pieces from the Cartier Collection along with pieces owned by private collectors that are rarely shown to the public.

The Cartier Collection refers to more than 3,500 select vintage Cartier jewelry, timepieces and objects that were created anytime from 1860 to the late 20th century. Cartier bought back its first piece for the vintage Cartier collection at an auction in Geneva in 1973, and officially launched the collection in 1983. Since opening its doors as a small jewelry atelier in Paris in 1847, Cartier has grown to become one of the most prestigious luxury accessory conglomerates in the world.

The collection is a valuable documentation of the “powerful cultural and creative dimensions” of Cartier as well as a comprehensive study on how the decorative arts have evolved since the late 19th century.

The Seoul version of “Cartier, Crystallization of Time” is the show’s second stop following its debut at the Tokyo National Art Center in 2019. It’s also the first time in 16 years for Cartier to exhibit its collection in Korea, when it was last at the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art’s Deoksu Palace branch in central Seoul in 2008.

This exhibition is divided into three sections: Material Transformation and Colors, Forms and Designs, and Universal Curiosity. It begins with Cartier’s exquisite clocks and proceeds to highlight the materials used in its designs, such as diamonds and even fossilized wood, and displays the Panthère watch, Cartier’s flagship product.

Pieces like the 2015 white gold bracelet set with a whopping 189.345-carat opal and a Hindu necklace specially commissioned by the heiress to the Singer sewing machine manufacturer, Daisy Fellowes (1890-1962), are also worth noting in the exhibition.

Archival documents and artworks that belonged to Louis Cartier (1875-1942), the grandson of Cartier founder Louis-Francois Cartier (1819-1904), are displayed to present visitors a glimpse of Cartier’s inspiration and creative process.

The Korean leg of the exhibit was organized by the JoongAng Ilbo and the Seoul Design Foundation. Cartier added that traditional Korean heritage props were added to this edition, with the help of Onjium, a Korean cultural heritage research institute.

Over the years, the collection has been displayed at major museums including the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York (1997), the British Museum in London (1998), the Palace Museum in Beijing (2008, 2019), the Grand Palais in Paris (2013-14) and the Louvre Abu Dhabi in Abu Dhabi (2023).

“Cartier, Crystallization of Time” continues until June 30. The DDP is open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. from Mondays to Thursdays and Sundays. Hours extend to 9 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. Tickets for the exhibition will go on sale via Interpark starting April 1. More information is available here.