Among its designers and artisans, Cartier boasts a Maître d’Art (Master Artisan) of glyptics, or the art of carving gems and semi-precious stones. Awarded the title in 2008, this master artisan joined Cartier in 2010.
Inspired by Japan’s Living National Treasures, since 1994 the French Ministry of Culture has awarded the title of Maître d’Art to master artisans who perpetuate traditional craft skills.
A Maître d’Art is a professional who has attained excellence in a special technique and skill. Recognized by their peers for their experience, expertise, and educational abilities, these master artisans enthusiastically yet rigorously teach their knowledge and skills to a pupil of their choosing. Once that apprenticeship is completed, the pupil thus goes on to insure that these skills endure.
A Maître d’Art embodies a living yet often rare culture, which he or she desires to share. These masters also constantly seek to develop new approaches and innovations in order to perfect and deepen the knowledge they have acquired. They represent an intangible, human heritage essential to the preservation of crafts ranging from making bows for string instruments, embroidering with gold thread, ironworking, glyptics, photogravure, making fancy fabric trimmings, and so on.