PAIR OF HARD STONE DACHSHUNDS IN A GLASS KENNEL, CARTIER, EARLY 20TH CENTURY

Naturalistically carved to depict a pair of standing dachshunds in frosted rock crystal, with gold collars and rose-cut diamond eyes, chained to a rose quartz base mounted on a stepped wooden base, housed within a glass kennel with bronze metal mounts accented with cabochon sapphires, length approximately 127mm, width approximately 127mm, height approximately 115mm, unsigned.

Cf; Cartier 1900-1939, British Museum Press, 1997, Judy Rudoe, plate 47, page 112 for an illustration of a prunus branch housed within a similar glass case and plate 54, page 115 for an illustration of a hard stone Pekingese housed within a glass case with decorative sapphire and metal mounts.

Cf; Reflections of Elegance, Cartier Jewels from the Lindemann Collection, New Orleans Museum of Art, 1988, pages 102-111 for examples of Cartier flower carvings housed within similar glass cases.

Small crack to one glass panel near metal mount, top right hand corner and small chip to roof of kennel, back left leg of dog with hair line crack and natural inclusion to left ear. Unsigned. Otherwise in overall good condition.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Please note that colour, clarity and weight of gemstones are statements of opinion only and not statements of fact by Sotheby's. We do not guarantee, and are not responsible for any certificate from a gemological laboratory that may accompany the property. We do not guarantee that watches are in working order. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue, in particular to the Notice regarding the treatment and condition of gemstones and to the Notice regarding import of Burmese jadeite and rubies into the US.
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During two separate visits to Russia in 1904 and 1905, Pierre Cartier explored the workshops of the leading St Petersburgian  and Moscovite Lapidaries, for the purpose of sourcing the very best that the Russian craftsmen of the day were producing. Fine enamels and hard stone carvings were a particular Russian speciality, and were purchased by Cartier to fulfil the belle Époque fascination with the new Russian style with its deferential nods to the 18^th Century. Later Cartier began to acquire carvings from the Parisian workshops of Fréville, Césard and Varangoz later bought out by Fourrier.

Whilst many of the animal hard stone carvings that are today attributed to Fabergé were almost certainly produced in the Russian or French workshops that also supplied Cartier, the commonality of style and absence of any signature makes it impossible in the majority of cases to ascertain the identity of the original seller in the absence of cases or historical provenance. The problem in attempting to distinguish between the two firms is further compounded by the extensive research and documentation of Fabergé objects held in collections and the lack of equivalent recorded information for Cartier items.

In 1917 Fabergé London shop closed and their clientele transferred their custom to Cartier, which continued to produce hard stone carving well into the 1920s, many existing models remained in production whilst they also added new models to their repertoire different from anything that Fabergé had created. While there are similarities Cartier also employed several distinctive differences notably the use of rose quartz which was not favoured by Fabergé and the use of glass presentation cases with decorative mounts to house the majority of their floral carvings and some of their animals.