Bonham's The Art of Luxury
Hermès from the Geneviève Fontan Collection
Occuring in Paris on October 30th is an auction I will not soon forget. Bonham’s sale of the collection of Geneviève Fontan contains some truly unbelievable items, and tells the tale of a collector dedicated to acquiring the finest and earliest examples of Hermes’ craft. With items dating back to the late 19th century, the most exciting lots in this auction can now or soon shall be considered antiques, having existed for over a century, graduating from vintage, a term used for items aged 20-99 years. My heart was racing as I scrolled through the selection. I have since poured over the offerings and have compiled here, for my dear readers, a few groupings that highlight the best from this tour de force collection.
Photographs
I find the vintage photographs depicting Hermes’ boutiques and workshops absolutely fascinating. In particular:
Lot 254 shows a craftsman constructing a Kelly bag in 1977, on the back is a clipped newspaper article about the opening of Hermes’ mini-boutique in Chicago’s Bonwit Teller. It states that the Kelly bag is now available in three sizes for $500, $600 and $620.
Lot 253 shows a line developing in 1988 outside Hermes in Paris before the opening of the bi-annual sale. An article clipping on the back describes the scene in detail.
Lot 4 shows shoppers perusing Hermes scarves in a boutique in 1960. Bags and other accessories fill the glass case behind the counter.
Lot 3 shows the interior of the famous 24 fg Saint Honore boutique in 1960. Dozens of Kelly and Drag bags can be seen filling the cases.
Bags
Along with a selection of very early clutches from the 1930’s, this sale contains some of the earliest Hermes bags I’ve seen. The best of which, in my opinion, are:
Lot 50 a Vert Emerald Porosus Crocodile Sellier Kelly 32 with Gold hardware dating from 1960. Vert Emerald with Gold hardware is one of the most stunning and highly valued combinations, and seeing a Kelly from 1960 sporting this coloration gives truth to the lasting allure it holds.
Lot 185 is a jaw-dropping 45cm Sac Mallette de Voyage dating from 1930. Made of Ombre Lizard it is the largest Lizard bag from Hermes I have ever seen.
Lot 14 is my personal favorite in this auction. A 20cm ‘Bugatti’ (The Bolide was called the Bugatti until 1995) also done in Ombre Lizard dates from 1925, just two years after Hermes released the design, which was notable as the first ever handbag to use a zipper closure. This example appears to have its original zipper.
Ephemera
Hermes has always had a reputation as the crafters of dreams. Wild whimsies become luxurious realities in the hands of Hermes’ craftspeople. This collection contains some exquisite and novel rarities that any collector should be proud to own, including:
Lot 37 is apparently the very first Collier de Chien belt. Dating from 1940 the cataloging states: “In 1927, the most daring of the Callot Sisters, Marie Gerber, was looking for a belt to accessorize her creations. She then asked Hermès, very advanced in the creation of accessories for elegant doggies, to extend a dog collar with studs and bells to make a belt. A little later, Hermès was inspired by Marie Gerber's idea and in turn produced belts in the "dog collar" spirit.” The present lot being one of the original versions produced by Hermes after the custom design created for Marie Gerber.
Lot 209 is one of a number of pipes on offer in this auction. This example being wrapped in shiny black Porosus crocodile and dating from 1968 is my personal favorite.
Lot 34 is an exquisite belt dating from 1948 adorned with enameled watch dials. Likely from the personal collection of Emile Hermes, the dials can be seen as clear inspiration for a scarf designed by Hugo Grygkar that same year titled Cadrans Anciens.
Lot 288 is a fabulous little item. Created for Christophe Lemaire’s first show at Hermes in fall 2011, this Black Box Falcon Helmet is an incredible example of Hermes’s savoir faire. Though it never walked the runway, as the falcon that was used in the show was deemed more comfortable without it, it remains a unique and special item.
Lot 169 is a fabulous pair of Third Republic Infantry Commander’s Epaulettes dating from 1925, pair these with…
Lot 10 a 19th century bronze stagecoach bell and…
Lot 180 a pair of chiseled bronze stirrups dating from 1920 for a wonderful set of early elaborate equestrian items.
The following day Bonham’s will be selling a private collection of 277 Hermes scarves in a dedicated auction. With the earliest examples dating to 1937, this collection contains an incredible selection of early designs, and should not go overlooked.