Here is one of my all time favorite Hermes scarves, Les Tuileries by Joachim Metz, named after the famous Parisian Gardens leading up to the Louvre.
Last time I was in Paris, a couple of summers ago, I fell in love not just with Paris all over again, but with this stunning part of heaven. No wonder Mr. Metz used the elaborate entry to the gardens as inspiration for his stunning scarf.
Cliquetis is another HERMES carre that has become an icon in its own right. Sadly, along with that, it has also become probably one of the most copied designs of the Parisian Fashion House. Just a cautionary note, if you have just recently fallen in love with the Hermes Carre, please be careful not to purchase any Cliquetis, that sports the Hermes name in bold letters across the entire scarf. A sure sign that you are dealing with a FAKE!
Authentic Cliquetis Hermes Paris
FAKE courtesy of Etsy julianata*
*Thankfully, the seller did advertise it as a fake, but sadly someone actually purchased it… 🙂
Back to the inspiration behind Cliquetis. Cliquetis translates to clatter more or less.
Looking at the scarf, I can almost hear the clatter these swords and sabers might make strung together the way Madame Abadie did on her carre. The difference between a saber and a sword you ask?
At least the way I understand it is that a sword is a very old weapon dating back to sometime BC, it is straight and designed to thrust. A saber, on the other hand, is a much more modern invention, think 18th century France. It is typically curved, sports a larger handguard and its curved blade was designed to primarily slice.
The saber became extremely important during Napoleon’s Empire and almost every soldier had one. The saber played a huge role in many of his battles including Waterloo.
It was during Napoleon, that officers began to personalize their sabers and swords and thus making the task of identifying them with a specific regiment or army corps much more difficult. Consequently, large numbers of non-regulatory models exist from that period. In general, however, the saber was considered par excellence the weapon of chivalry, while the sword was reserved for general officers and, in particular under the Consulate and the Empire, represented more than anything a symbol of civil and military authority.
Julia’s carre represents only some of these models, but certainly enough to give us an idea of the variety of types that were in circulation at the time of the Empire. Two of the most common sabers are located in the bottom row; the first left is a Navy sword, hence the anker and the third one would have most likely belonged to a senior officer of the Imperial Guard. It is the one with the shell hilt.
I would also like to mention the sabretache in the right corner.
Cliquetis Hermes Paris Early Issue
Yes, the same sabertache we find in Joachim Metz’s Poste et Cavalerie. To read more about the Poste et Cavalerie and its sabertaches, please follow the link.
The Plaques à Sabler, which was designed by Hugo Grygkar and first issued in 1956, is a very interesting carre. First off it is monochromatic. And then what are we really looking at?
Plaques à Sabler, literally translates as “sanding plates”. But what does that mean?
After a little research, I have learned that these were special metal plates and most likely used in stables to identify stalls reserved for the most senior officers of the cavalry or the army.
These metal plates had cutouts and were fitted with sturdy handles on the sides as can be seen in the scarf below.
Think of them as “negatives” of designs that were to be imprinted on the surface of the sand in the stalls.
After leveling the sand and compacting it, the plate was covered with colored powder in such a way that, once removed, the imprint or embossing would create a colorful decoration. Apparently different colors could be used to create the effect of a painting and the results were to be quite remarkable.
The plaques in this carre belonged to Joachim Murat, who was King of Naples under Napoleon Bonaparte.
The Plaques à Sablercarre features five such plates with four hunting scenes on each side and a huntsman on his horse in the center. The four stirrups in the corners are from the early nineteenth century.
Like so many objects, that were the inspiration for the early carres, and especially those designed by Monsieur Grygkar, these metal plaques or plates too are part of Émile Hermès’ famous art collection.
This is a very rare Hermes scarf, sought after by collectors and here believed to be the original issue as it lacks copyright and of course Hugo Grygkar never signed any of his carres. I have seen the issue date being stated as 1948 on other sites and in other resources, but the 1956 has been confirmed by the Maison Hermès.
We are pleased to have two HERMES carres, Les Bolides and Virages that were purchased in 2003 and 2004 during the 24 Hours of Le Mans car races in France which take place every June.
In unworn condition with original boxes and bolduc ribbons, both would make the perfect gift for the car enthusiast.
The Les Bolides Hermes scarf was designed by Rena Dumas, the mother of the current artistic director of the Fashion House, Pierre-Alexis Dumas. Madama Dumas was married to Jean-Luis Dumas, who was at the helm of Hermes from the late 1970s until 2006.
To my knowledge this is the only scarf that Madame Dumas, an accoplished artichect by trade, ever designed.
Les Bolides HERMES Scarf from 2003
Hermes did issue a Special Edition Les Bolides, which sports the number “24” in each corner and also on the scarf box.
The Virages, with its twists and turns so representative of a race track,was designed by Pierre Peron. Signed by the artist, the issue date, however, has to my knowledge not been documented. An issue date of 1976 has been suggested. Originally issued as a 70cm square, the 2004 edition is a full 90 cm modern carre.
Virages HERMES 2004
Both scarves celebrate the art of car racing.
The 24 Hours of Le Mans. This world-famous car race began as an endurance race for both man and machine in 1923 near the French town, Le Mans, west of Paris. Also coined the Grand Prix of Endurance and Efficiency, it takes place over a 24 hour period in which teams compete not just for speed, but also efficiency and ultimately completion of the race without any glitches, mechanical or otherwise.
This race is one if not the most prestigious car race in the world and its format has inspired many other races, such as the Indy 500 and others worldwide.
I would like to point out that the American Corvette Racing has won their class at the 24 Hours of Le Mans eight times – CONGRATULATIONS!
Both scarves can be purchased through our store. Please follow the links provided or by clicking on each photo.
In a constant effort to improve your shopping experience, we are currently working on adding a feature, where you will be able to search our entire scarf collection by various artists.
Petit Marché – Shop authentic Hermes scarves for under $250
Here you will find scarves that may have some issues, such as tiny holes, uneven hem, weak silk or some spots but overall, they still look fantastic when worn. These may, in fact, become your favorite go-to everyday scarves.
All items in the Petit Marché Collection are final sales. Items are sold in as-is condition.
For additional photos, please email us at carredeparis@gmail.com prior to purchase.
Thank you very much
Vinci HERMES Silk Carre
Les Eperons HERMES Scarf
Vinci HERMES Carre
Tableau de Chasse d’Hermes par Henri de Linares Silk Jacquard
Grand Carrosse pour un Ambassadeur HERMES VTG Scarf
The Petit Marché is the place where you will find authentic HERMES scarves for under $250.
Petit Marché – Because there are times when we simply do not want to take our holy grail scarf on that cruise, that horseback ride in the backcountry or the upcoming afternoon at the beach.
Les Cavaliers d’Or HERMES
Cliquetis HERMES
Grand Carrosse pour un Ambassadeur HERMES VTG Scarf
Paris London – 1850
Tableau de Chasse d’Hermes par Henri de Linares Silk Jacquard
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was born in Salzburg, Austria and became Classic Era’s most prolific and influential composer. A child prodigy, his career started at the tender age of five and during his 35 years, he composed over 600 works.
Hommage a Mozart is a glorious scarf celebrating one of the most loved composers of all time!
Hommage a Mozart HERMES Julia Abadie, 1996
Hommage a Mozart HERMES Julia Abadie, 1996
Hommage a Mozart HERMES Julia Abadie, 1996
Hommage a Mozart HERMES Julia Abadie, 1996
Hommage a Mozart HERMES Julia Abadie, 1996
Hommage a Mozart HERMES Julia Abadie, 1996
Hommage a Mozart HERMES Julia Abadie, 1996
Hommage a Mozart HERMES Julia Abadie, 1996
Salzburg Austria
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Signature as seen on a wall in his birth home in Salzburg
The Plaques à Sabler, which was designed by 
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