Lorgnettes

Cartier French

On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 706


Lorgnettes are eyeglasses held up to the eyes rather than worn as spectacles. Customarily attached to long chains, they were particularly fashionable at the opera. This pair was made by Cartier in New York for the art collector and philanthropist Jeanette Dwight Bliss, whose initials appear on the nosepiece. Popular coiled snake motifs ornament each of the frames, which hold two sets of lenses. These descended to Jeanette’s daughter, Susan Dwight Bliss, who donated them to The Met.

Lorgnettes, Cartier (French, founded Paris, 1847), Platinum, diamonds, American

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Lorgnettes, Cartier (French, founded Paris, 1847), Platinum, diamonds, American
Lorgnettes, Cartier (French, founded Paris, 1847), Platinum, diamonds, American
Lorgnettes, Cartier (French, founded Paris, 1847), Platinum, diamonds, American
Lorgnettes, Cartier (French, founded Paris, 1847), Platinum, diamonds, American
Lorgnettes, Cartier (French, founded Paris, 1847), Platinum, diamonds, American

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