The Americas - HERMES SCARF 90 CM

VENDU

Kermit Oliver 's "The Americas ," published in 1992 for the ^500th anniversary of the discovery of the New World. This scarf has never been reissued. In good condition , with some stains and soiling. No holes, the rolled hem is round and nicely puffed. Comes with an Hermès box in fair condition, worn at the corners. Very rare and sought after.

Is it possible to associate Hermès with America without thinking of Kermit Oliver? He was the first American artist to create Hermès scarves for the carriage-logo brand. His work reflects his Texan heritage and his interest in American mythology, religion, and history. With this scarf, Oliver pays homage not to the "Plains Indians" but to the earlier Pre-Columbian civilizations that inhabited the continent. Beneath the map of Henricus Martellus , which depicts the world as it was known in 1489, two figures meet. To the east, Christopher Columbus , representing all-powerful Spain and conquering Europe, stands proudly in all his splendor as a discoverer. Above his head is the coat of arms granted to him motu proprio in 1502 by Isabella the Catholic, even though he had been stripped of his title as Viceroy of the Indies. At his feet lay the three caravels he commanded on his first expedition: the Pinta , the Niña, and the Santa Maria . To the west, an indigenous king, adorned with a splendid penacho —a headdress made of sacred feathers—and covered in magnificent jewelry of gold, jade, and obsidian, protected by the powerful jaguar and formidable gods, greeted him with suspicion. At his feet lay the riches of what would become the New World: gold and precious stones, unknown fruits and animals, magnificent codices and solar calendars. They were the legacy of a multitude of peoples and civilizations, from the scholars of the Maya to the warriors of the Aztecs , from the peaceful Taíno to the bloodthirsty Incas . But what was the reason for this mistrust? Was it fear or veneration for the god Quetzalcoatl , the Feathered Serpent, whose return from the west had been foretold in the legends of all nations?

Dimensions: approximately 90cm x 90cm (36" x 36") - Composition label present - 100% silk - Hand-rolled edges - Made in France - Pre-owned Hermès scarf, authenticated and guaranteed for life by Carré Society