Let the art rule the head

Despite being a world leader in everything from jewellery to fashion and music, the UK is failing to nurture creativity at school and in regional centres. Tristram Hunt, director of the V&A Museum, calls for an urgent review

THE Manchester Tiara is among the most sublime achievements of the House of Cartier. Made in Paris, in 1903, to the order of Consuelo, Dowager Duchess of Manchester, this triumph of graduated flaming hearts and C scrolls—made up of more than 1,000 brilliant-cut and 400-plus rose-cut diamonds—was inspired by a vision of pre-revolutionary France. Louis Cartier had encouraged his designers to sketch 18th-century ironwork and architectural ornamentation in Paris to create a true work of art for the most beautiful and celebrated ‘dollar princess’ of the Edwardian era. The tiara sits alongside numerous other treasures to be put on show this spring in the V&A Museum’s new block buster exhibition, ‘Cartier’. At the heart of the French maison’s story lies an unwavering commitment to artistry and craftsmanship, which is why, for…

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Country Life (Digital) - 1 Issue, February 12, 2025

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