Romancing the store
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Rondouin believes that Chinese symbolism found its way into jewelry designs in the 1920s — the heyday of art deco in Europe and the United States. It was a time when many "Chinese art dealers moved to Europe and Chinese elites began traveling to the West as well". Many of the everyday objects, clothes and jewelry they brought over to their destination countries were replete with traditional Chinese motifs. High-profile design houses such as Cartier, Van Cleef & Arpels, and Lacloche Frères were won over by the charm of "the peonies, chrysanthemums, phoenixes, dragons and double happiness symbols", Rondouin says.