This charming brooch in 18-carat gold was made by Cartier, in the form of a stylised cat with a small cabochon-cut ruby for the nose.

During the 1960s, whimsical animal motifs became highly fashionable among the major jewellery houses. They marked a shift towards a more playful and personal approach to luxury, as jewels were worn less formally and increasingly as accents to modern dress. Cats, birds, monkeys and other creatures were crafted in gold and often set with coloured gemstones, giving each piece its own character.

Cartier played a leading role in this development and created a series of animal designs. Among the best known are the iconic Panthère jewels, introduced in the 1940s and continually reinterpreted thereafter. Alongside the panther, Cartier also produced a variety of smaller animal brooches — including owls, squirrels, dogs and cats — all made with the house’s characteristic craftsmanship. This brooch, with its clean lines and simple details, is a fine example of the type.

In the post-war years Cartier produced jewellery not only in Paris, London and New York, but also in Italy, where the house drew on the country’s long tradition of goldsmithing in workshops in Milan and Rome.

Signed Cartier and numbered 18219.