Hermès
Labels :
Hermès Paris,
Hermès Sydney
With our blogger eyes, we learn to see certain things which others – and we before – did not always pay attention to. Nathalie made a post June 13 about a Napoleon like statue she had discovered on the top of a high building in Sydney. Despite the fact that there was a Hermès sign close to the statue, a lively discussion started about who it could represent. Some defended the idea about Napoleon, but in general it was concluded that it must be someone else.
Yesterday, Nathalie advised that the answer at last had been found after a question to and answer from local ABC News: It’s the logo for Hermès! (Too) simple! The Hermès Australian head quarters are situated in the building Nathalie had photographed!
I should of course have known this before, but could now immediately confirm, as I also yesterday discovered the same statue on the top of the Hermès home building in Paris (rue du Faubourg St. Honoré). Here is what I found.
So it’s just a simple un-named rider, used as a company symbol.
Hermès was founded in 1837 by Thierry Hermès as a saddlery company so the link to a horse is quite obvious. The soldier looks like being from the first half of the 19th century. Hermès is still family owned.
The silk scarves are produced since 1928 and today Hermès sells more than a million scarves per year. Among the leather goods you can still by a saddle, but the bestseller seems to be the “Birkin bag”. It was named after the actress Jane Birkin who co-designed it after complaining that her “Kelly” was not practical for daily use. The price of the bag starts at $6.000 and you have to order it year(s) in advance.
Yesterday, Nathalie advised that the answer at last had been found after a question to and answer from local ABC News: It’s the logo for Hermès! (Too) simple! The Hermès Australian head quarters are situated in the building Nathalie had photographed!I should of course have known this before, but could now immediately confirm, as I also yesterday discovered the same statue on the top of the Hermès home building in Paris (rue du Faubourg St. Honoré). Here is what I found.
So it’s just a simple un-named rider, used as a company symbol.Hermès was founded in 1837 by Thierry Hermès as a saddlery company so the link to a horse is quite obvious. The soldier looks like being from the first half of the 19th century. Hermès is still family owned.
The silk scarves are produced since 1928 and today Hermès sells more than a million scarves per year. Among the leather goods you can still by a saddle, but the bestseller seems to be the “Birkin bag”. It was named after the actress Jane Birkin who co-designed it after complaining that her “Kelly” was not practical for daily use. The price of the bag starts at $6.000 and you have to order it year(s) in advance.
Added later: Nathalie suggests that we ask our fellow bloggers to look for the same statue elsewhere. Good idea. At least in the bigger cities you should be able to find one, if you raise your eyes!
28 comments:
Enfin, je suis la première malgré le décalage horaire!
c'est bizarre de trouver 1 statue de Napoléon identique à l'autre bout du monde pour représenter une marque de bagages! Je ne vois pas ce qu'il vient faire là dedans! Hermès dieu du commerce et des professions itinérantes, protégeait les voyageurs, les commerçants,
ce pourquoi le nom de ce célèbre marchand de bagages! Explique moi.
Il y a 30 ans du temps de ma "gloire" l'on m'a offert un sac Hermès de toute beauté, mais je ne l'ai pas gardé, je ne suis pas conservatrice...
lyliane:
Il faut mieux lire mon texte!!!
Justement, il ne s'agit PAS de Napoléon, mais d'un chevalier, sans nom, tout simplement! ... mais toujours symbole de Hermès!
Excuse ma lecture approximative de l'anglais, mais ce matin je suis fatiguée. J'ai vu mes amies que tu connais qui sont allées voir le film délice Paloma, il parait que c'est très beau, j'irai le voir à sa sortie. Je vois que tu veilles aussi, mais moi je reviens du repas de fin de saison de la chorale, nous avons bien chanté,mangé, bu, et ri, Bonne nuit.
J'oubliais de te dire: Hermès n'était pas un cavalier, mais un dieu ailé, si je n'ai pas ma mémoire trop brouillée.
lyliane:
Je crois qu'on va aller se coucher maintenant!:-)
Hermes est bien un dieu, mais ici il s'agit simplement de la maison Hermès, là ou tu vas acheter tes sacs, tes parfums, tes foulards etc... dont le fondateur portait ce beau nom, sans aucun lien de famille avec le dieu! Et le bonhomme est bien un cavalier.
Peter, merci pour cet excellent travail de recherche; la similitude des deux est évidente, c'est fabuleux et très amusant!
Peter, thanks for this excellent investigation, the comparison between the two horse riders in Pari and Sydney is stunning and great fun !
Tu vois, je vais aller me coucher moins bête, car je pensais vraiment que ce nom venait de ce dieu patron des voyageurs, je ne savais pas que c'était le nom de famille de ce célèbre commerçant de bagages, mais il avait un nom prédestiné, tu ne peux pas le nier. A demain.
Ohlala! Five days out and what I was missing; some fantastic posts - the Domes, Vermeer (one of my favourites, and only 35 paintings to see), Palomas, and now the discussion about the "Olympian god of boundaries and of the travelers who cross them, of shepherds and cowherds, of orators and wit, of literature and poets, of athletics, of weights and measures, of invention, of commerce in general, and of the cunning of thieves and liars...", who happens to be only M. Thierry (pas même Henry...). Je vais dormir aussi... ;))
Either you have a really good camera or you can fly. :-)
My comment to both the rider in Paris and in Sydney is "Don't jump! Don't jump!"
Oh it was a very nice informative post !!
Peter, you have an eye to look for each & every small detail. Nice to know Paris through your eyes...err.. your camera. ;)
Thanks again.
SALUT !
It's me Cergie !!!
Je vais t'apprendre quelque chose, Peter qui te servira auprès des femmes de la "haute":
CPCH cela veut dire "Collier de Perles Carré Hermès"
Comme on dit BCBG = Bon Chic Bon Genre
Je te rassure : j'en ai pas de CH et je ne sais plus où j'ai mis mon collier de perles (avec un bel orient -tu connaissais ce terme aussi utile pour parler aux femems ?- un beige rosé, qui me va très bien au teint.)
Oui, il faut lever la tête, mais ça je le savais avant de blogguer
C'est une des premières choses que j'ai dites à mon futur mari
C'est pour ma grande (perle de) culture et ma philosophie de vie qu'il m'emmène encore trente quatre ans après en voyage de noces à l'auberge de Malatras (j'aimerais les Baléares comme Lyliane pour changer des fois)
Wonderful, isn't it! I wonder where else in the world they are?
tres bon post, voila un post qui commence en australie et qui se finit à paris, voila la grande chaine des bloggeurs. Bon weekend
Pour ne pas aller toujours au même endroit à l'auberge de Malatras, tu fais comme moi Cergie,tu choisis ton voyage et tu vas en voyage de noces seule ou avec une amie.
Ne vous disputez pas comme un vieux couple, Peter et Lyliane! Allez vous coucher - mais pas ensemble!
(Je pensais que Hermès avait toujours une calèche comme logo.)
I liked Nathalie's post about this subject and your post too. I am surprised the statue is not better known if it has been around for a long time. The price they get for the Birkin bag begs the queston: "How much does a typical saddle cost?"
Abraham Lincoln
Tiger Swallowtail
abraham:
Yes, a bit surprising. Maybe we are not sufficiently visiting their boutiques.
I tried to look for the price of a saddle, but they are not indicated on their home site. I found a few on ebay for as little as around $3000. Interested?
l'enquêteur Peter a encore trouvé la solution de l'énigme. Le monde est décidément plein d'énigmes qui ne demandent qu'à être découvertes
Hi Peter - just came from reading your post on Isabella's blog. Turned into an interesting series that.
On this post, I'm really surprised, because the first thing I did after Nathalies first post was to search the web, and especially the Hermes site, and I couldn't find any reference. Should have looked harder
Great idea Peter...but sadly over here it is too modern to find one for sure. I'm glad you all share with with fellow bloggers :D
richard:
Yes, it's quite surprising. I also looked on the Hermès website and there is nothing about this horse and soldier. Obviously they have not "sold" this image; we all know about Hermès, but did not make the association. Our conclusion comes rather from the fact that the statue is there and so far we have found it on two Hermès buildings. Maybe some other blogger will find it somewhere. What about Zürich?
A special message was given to ming-the-merciless to look for one in NYC!
Je n'avais jamais remarqué cette statue pour la bonne raison que rue du Faubourg St Honoré, je suis plutôt occupée à regarder les vitrines! J'ai vu une femme dans cette boutique, il y a déjà longtemps, qui voulait un de leurs fameux sacs: "An non, pas celui-là, je l'ai en noir, pas celui-ci, mon mari me l'a offert à Noël, non, celui-là, je l'ai dans l'autre taille, celui-ci est le premier que j'ai eu...Et bien, finalement, je les ai tous!" Pauvre chérie.
alice:
Donc, tu es quand'même bien rentrée toi aussi! ... et tu es sortie avec un "birkin" ou avec un "kelly"?
Very informative your reportage, Peter! I totally agree with Cuckoo, you have a good eye to look for details. It's nice to know Paris through your eyes, too!
Mais Hélène, nous sommes un vieux couple de collègues plus de 25 ans que l'on se connait, tu sembles l'oublier!!
Great investigation, Peter! Fascinating, and I had no idea either.
an excellent piece of investigative work...well done1
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