An elegant fusion of Japanese design and the glittering glamour of the 1920s, this gold-mounted enamel and rock-crystal timepiece by Cartier (c. 1925) beautifully illustrates Freddie Mercury’s love for Japan and for Art Deco. “The seemingly bold choice of pink plique-à-jour enamel around the numerals, and the strong contrast of black enamel against gold, is a very clever way of emphasizing the different hues of pink in the burgau shell inlays on the dark lacquer ground in the centre, thereby beautifully connecting the worlds of Japanese design and Art Deco.” microcosms_of_beauty, Sotheby’s specialist #TheWorldofFreddieMercury at #SothebysLondon is free and open to the public until 5 September—come visit! Mon–Fri | 11a-4:30p Sat & Sun & Bank Holidays | 12-5p Discover more at the link in bio. #FreddieMercury