2021 Hermès scarf Eleftheria Ἐλευθερία

2021 Hermès scarf Eleftheria Ἐλευθερία - Part 2 The Flora and Fauna

Flora and fauna have numerous interpretations and implications in myths and legends of ancient Greece. In the Hermès carré Eleftheria, the Greek artist Elias Kafouros drew over 60 flora and fauna in his creation, such as the laurel tree, olive tree, cypress tree, four-leaf clover, hyacinth, sunflower, iris, narcissus, daffodils, delphinium, rose, violet, aster, orchids, pear, pomegranate, butterfly, goat, donkey, horse and cat etc. With the wide variety of flora and fauna, the aptly depicts the tale of Greek Gods’ love, hatred, passion and desire in Greek mythology in his art piece.

Photo Credit to the Owner

In faraway northern Greece, horses gallop freely over the alpine tundra. The rising sun cast a red hue across the blue morning sky over Mount Olympus, the highest mountain in Greece. Another day has dawned, bringing with it new hopes and a new beginning.

Mount Olympus

Image credit: Wikimedia Commons.

Mount Olympus, also known as Modern Greek Ólympos, is the home to the famous ancient Greek Gods - Zeus, Hera, Poseidon, Demeter, Athena, Apollo, Artemis, Ares, Hephaestus, Aphrodite, Hermes, and either Hestia or Dionysus. In ancient Greek mythology, 12 Olympian Gods ruled after Zeus had overthrown the unruly Titans. When the Olympian gods won the battle, they established their new majestic home – Mount Olympus.

A portion of Apollo and the Python (1636–1638) by Cornelis de Vos.

Image credit: Wikimedia Commons.

No one’s perfect in Greek mythology, so everyone is flawed somehow, even heroes and Gods. The Gods are very emotional, behave inconsistently and sometimes immorally.

Apollo is best known as the God of sun, archery, truth, healing and diseases, music and dance, poetry, prophecy, and knowledge. Eros, also known as Cupid, is the God of love, passion and physical desire.

One day Apollo contemptuously teased Eros while he challenged Apollo to an archery contest. That upset Eros, and he came up with a plan to punish Apollo for his arrogance. Eros prepared two arrows: one of gold and one of lead. He shot Apollo with the gold arrow, instilling in him a passionate love with the beautiful nymph Daphne. Then he shot Daphne with the lead arrow, instilling in her a hideous hatred for Apollo.

Apollo and Daphne (1622-1625) by Gian Lorenzo Bernini.

Image credit: Wikimedia Commons.

The beautiful Daphne was the first love of Apollo. She had a brilliant free-spirited mind and did not feel any spark with any man. She rejected every lover who pursued her, including Apollo. When Apollo followed her lustfully, Daphne prayed to the Earth or her father Ladon, the river god, to rescue her. While escaping Apollo’s chase, she lost her life and was transformed into a laurel tree. Apollo was heartbroken. He took some of the leaves to make a laurel wreath so that Daphne would always stay close to him. To commemorate his love for Daphne, Apollo made the laurel his sacred tree.

One of Apollo’s most important duties was to bring up the sun every day. Apollo lives in an eastern palace and rides a gold and ivory chariot pulled by fiery horses across the sky daily to bring dawn-light to the world. The ancient Greeks believed that sunflowers turned towards the sun because the nymph Clytie adored Apollo. But Apollo never returned her love. Clytie sat on a rock for nine days without drinking or eating anything. She was staring at the sun and eventually transformed into a sunflower on the ninth day. Clytie’s adoration and love towards Apollo didn’t change, and she still gazed at him moving across the sky every day with unblinking eyes - just as sunflowers follow the sun nowadays.

The Death of Hyacinth, by Alexander Kiselev, from 1850 until 1900

Image Credit to Wiki Common

The beautiful Spartan young man Hyacinthus was beloved by the God Apollo and the God of west wind Zephyrus. Zephyrus was jealous of his affair with Apollo. While Apollo was teaching Hyacinthus how to throw the discus, Zephyrus deflected the discus, and it hit Hyacinthus on the head and accidentally killed him. Hyacinthus’ death is a murderous crime of passion. Apollo was holding the dying youth, desperately trying to use his medicinal skill to resuscitate him. But even the mighty God of healing could not save the one he loved. In honour of his lover, Apollo makes a flower springing up from Hyacinthus’ blood.

Photo Credit to the Owner

The unique geological formations and the various climate of Greece create a fertile ground where abundant wild plants could grow and a home for many wild and domestic animals such as the Kri Kri goat, mule and donkey.

The infancy of Zeus, by Jacob Jordaens, early 1630s.

Image Credit to Wiki Common.

The kri-kri goat is also known as the Cretan wild goat. In Greek mythology, the thunder god Zeus was nurtured by a goat named Amalthea. As Zeus’s father, Cronus learned from Gaia and Uranus that he was destined to be overthrown by his son as he had previously overthrown his father. To avoid this fate, he swallowed five children as they were born.

When Zeus was born, Rhea decided to keep her infant safe and gave birth to Zeus in Crete. She gave him to Ἀμάλθεια (Amaltheia) who became his foster mother. Amaltheia fed him with her milk and took care of him in a cave on Mount Ida (Crete).

Cats were sacred animals, and the goddess Bastet was often depicted in cat form in Greece. When visitors walk through the cobblestone street in Greece, they can see the cats roaming nearby, walking on a rooftop, sleeping under the sun, trotting on a balcony or stopping by outside restaurants. Most of the cats in Greece are usually stays. They can survive under the mild winter in certain parts of Greece. The kind local people and tourists often take care of them with shelter, food and water.

Laurel tree, sunflower, hyacinth, pear, pomegranate, goat, and other flora and fauna of Greece depicting Greek Gods’ love, hatred, passion and desire in Greek mythology are elegantly painted in the Hermès carré Eleftheria.

(In this article, mythological descriptions are according to the usual version of Greek mythology. The examples may or may not be included in the Hermès’ catalogue description. The models may or may not be identical to the material objects or depiction in the carré.)

You may also be interested:

Hermès scarf Eleftheria Ἐλευθερία Freedom - Part 1 The Greece Odyssey

Hermès scarf Eleftheria Ἐλευθερία Freedom - Part 2 The Flora & Fauna

Hermès Scarf Eleftheria in Vif/Rose/Encre

Hermès Scarf Eleftheria in Jaune/Rose/Vert

Comments

2017 Hermès Scarf Jardin à Sintra - The Meaning Of The Object

Photo Courtesy of Hermès The annual theme of the luxury French Maison Hermès in 2017 was Le sens de l'objet . It alludes to “The meaning of the object” or “The sense of purpose” when it is translated into English. It refers to the motivation to pursue goals and dreams, to accomplish something meaningful to you or to make a positive difference for others. Echoing the annual theme, its carré contents extend to aspects such as the object evolution from visualisation to reality, the passion of craftsmanship, the connection between space and time, the ecology of human-nature interactions etc. Photo Courtesy of Andrea The carré Jardin à Sintra was designed by the artist Annie Faivre for the Hermès Fall/Winter 2017 collection. It depicts the distinctive architecture and landscape designs of Palácio de Monserrate (Monserrate Palace) in Portugal. A place that reflects the human sense of purpose, such as passion, innovation and commitment. Based on the authentic elements of Palácio de Mons...

2022 Hermès Scarf Marble Silk Brides de Gala

Photo Courtesy of Hermès The horse rider is flying up in the sky between clouds and stars on the 2022 Hermès Bolduc ribbon! Along with the iconic horse carriage logo, the luxury French Maison unveils its annual theme of the year “Vive la Légèreté! Lighthearted!”. Lightheartedness often alludes to people who show good, positive and cheerful spirits and are not being burdened by hardship or distress. In the 2022 spring/summer season, Hermès reissues its most famous carré Brides de Gala in 90cm Marble Silk which is made in Japan. The Hermès catalogue provides the following information: “Based on the design of the Brides de Gala scarf created by Hugo Grygkar in 1957, the Brides de Gala scarf needs no introduction. Its numerous reinterpretations – Fleuries, Love, Bayadere, Shadow, Finesse and many others – exemplify the timelessness of the original design that has continued to embody the elegance of Hermes for over six decades. Two ceremonial bridles from the second half of the 19th ce...

Hermès Scarf Kachinas | Part 1 - The Rare and Well-known Kachinas

Kachinas’ Identities Note: This article is an in-depth follow-up to “Kachinas Identities” ( Part1 , Part2 , and Part 3 ) previously posted on my Instagram account: cloudwei.C on January 8th, 9th and 10th, 2020. A member of PurseForum plagiarised and incorrectly tweaked most of the information in there. A member of TPF reposted it on the thread “ Scarf of The Day 2020 ” (page 1661-1683) in December 2020 without my consent. Imitation might be the highest form of flattery, but it clearly reflects the plagiariser’s incompetence and immoral conduct. Connecting to the article “ Kachinas' Background Information ” would help you understand the Hermès scarf Kachinas better. Photo credit to Hermès The carré Kachinas was designed by the Waco artist Kermit Oliver, the first and the only American artist ever engaged in the Hermès scarf and first issued in 1992. As described in the 2019 Hermès catalogue, which was reissued in wash silk format: “Kachinas are ...

2021 Hermès Scarf Masan & Masan Woven Horses In Grège/Potiron/Bois de Rose

Photo courtesy of Hermès Water Hyacinth was first introduced in 1901 by the Thai royalty to Siam, now known as Thailand, from Indonesia due to its strange beauty. It was put in a jar and displayed as a decoration before the plant was accidentally dropped into a canal by flooding. Since then, it multiplied and spread rapidly across the whole nation. Photo courtesy of Hermès Photo courtesy of Hermès The Thais make beautiful weaved hats, baskets, bags, toys and even furniture from Water Hyacinth by combining their artisan skill and creativity. The artisans clean, spread and dry the Water Hyacinth under direct sunlight after harvest. Depending on the various purposes and designs, some artisans would press and flatten the dry Water Hyacinth like rolling dough with a pasta machine at the beginning. Some artisans would form the dry Water Hyacinth into long braids, hand-woven directly onto a mould or frame to create large baskets, bags etc., in different shapes and patterns. The artist Terawat...

2015 Hermès Scarf Jardin d'Hiver --- Part 1 The Gardens In The Deserts

Photo courtesy of Hermes In the 17th to 19th centuries, the elite from many cold climates cities in Europe used to build large conservatories to house tropical and subtropical plants that would survive under improved conditions. A Winter Garden’s primary purpose was to extend the elite’s living space and create an exotic living environment with tropical plants. One of the Winter Garden’s functions was to protect the precious plants and citrus fruit trees in the cold season, such as the tasty yet delicate orange trees and pineapple shrubs. At that time, the Pineapple, the indigenous fruit of South America, was a significant cultural icon of luxury. The warm and humid oasis mixed with lush trees, unique flowers and exotic fruits inside the magnificent architecture became an attraction for guests and visitors. It was eventually used for various purposes, such as displaying tropical plants, holding flower shows, afternoon tea parties, evening occasions, social gatherings, and a...

2019 Hermès Shawl Le Jardin de Leila au Bloc

Hermès Shawl Le Jardin de Leïla au Bloc 140cm Photo Courtesy of Hermès Hermès Scarf Le Jardin de Leïla 90cm Photo Courtesy of Hermès “Hermès wouldn’t be Hermès without Leïla,” said Axel Dumas, the chief executive of the luxury French maison at the opening of the “Hermès à Tire d’Aile: Les Mondes de Leïla Menchari” (Hermès Takes Flight: The Worlds of Leïla Menchari) exhibit in 2017. Tunisian-born Leïla Menchari (27 September 1927 – 4 April 2020) is the maestro who created the window display at the Hermès flagship store at 24 Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré for over 35 years. She has created over 137 window displays since joining the Hermès decoration team in 1961. The company’s former chairman and artistic director Jean-Louis Dumas appointed her as the director of window displays and the silk colours committee from 1978 until 2013. Photo Courtesy of Dar Hensen Hermès paid homage to Leïla Menchari and issued the carré Le Jardin de Leïla in 2014. The carré was reproduced as the Le Jardin de ...

Hermès Scarf A L’Ombre des Pivoines - Octave Marsal and Théo de Gueltzl

Hermès Scarf A L’Ombre des Pivoines, designed by Octave Marsal and Théo de Gueltzl. Photo credit to Hermès As described in the Hermès catalogue, Giant peonies, fragile though powerful, rise from a proliferation of architectural forms in this poetic play on scale. Their extraordinary corollas bloom over an imaginary city. A city filled with details of beautiful palaces and vast residences, sanctuaries for luxuriant vegetation. Octave Marsal and Theo de Gueltzl bring their worlds, dreams and visions face-to-face in this collaborative design. The utopian universe created by these two artists is an invitation to a meditative journey; a magical scarf in the sense that regardless of which nuance captures the eyes gaze, it’s as if this scarf always seems to make perfect sense. Related articles: Hermès Scarf Designer Archive - Octave Marsal Hermès Scarf Designer Archive - Théo de Gueltzl Hermès Scarf Faubourg Tropical in 3 colourways Hermès Scarf Faubourg Tr...

2002 Hermès Scarf Turandot — The Chinese Auspicious Culture

Let’s reverse the time machine’s hands and travel back to the 2002 Hermès fantasyland. Hermès focused on the annual theme “Year Of The Hand” and launched most of the carré designs related to craftsmanship. Craftsmanship is a skill or dexterity exhibited to create things with hands. The Hermès carré designs affirm the contribution of craftsmanship in different aspects worldwide, such as Hermès leather, costumes, embroidery, jewellery and watches, ceramic painting, wood carving, music and opera etc. The Hermès carré creations with passion, care, and attention to detail; its achievement can stand the test of time. Several Hermès carrés from 2002 have become the most recognisable and collectable items. To date, they are still being earnestly pursued. The ultimate carré Turandot designed by the Japanese artist Natsuno Hidaka was among the Hermès carré creations from the Fall/Winter collection 2002. Hermès reissued the special edition of Turandot when the Charlotte NC store opened in 2...

2015 Hermès Scarf Flamingo Party - The Botanical Wonderland

© Hermès Florida is a botanical wonderland and a home to flamingos. You can spot these large pink wading birds around water sources in this Sunshine State. The carré Flamingo Party was designed by talented Laurence Bourthoumieux, also known as Toutsy for the french brand Hermès in the spring/summer 2015 collection. In Hermès catalogue: Pink flamingos, those huge, strangely beautiful birds, throw themselves once a year into a lengthy nuptial parade that sees them pair off, two by two… until next year. Flaunting their long, extraordinarily supple, graceful necks, their aristocratic bearing, their carefully preened wings, males and females take stock, brushing past one another, scrutinizing their potential partners for hours on end. Surrounded by palms, orange trees, and tropical flowers, their wings unfurled, in a frenzied tête-à-tête, the two birds pictured here are a celebration of their native Florida. America’s south-easternmost State is home to the celebrated Everglades nationa...

2015 Hermès Scarf Jardin d'Hiver ---- Part 2 The Gardens With Reflecting Pools

Photo courtesy of Hermès Photo courtesy of Wikipedia Garden of Alhambra, Granada Spain Across the Strait of Gibraltar from Morocco to Southern Spain, bordering the Mediterranean sea, on top of the hill Sabika at Granada lived the Moorish. Alhambra, the “Red Fortress'', is one of the oldest and largest surviving Moorish fortresses in the world and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Water was a luxury on the arid hill and a significant theme in Islamic iconography. The intelligent use of water in Alhambra place changed Sabika Hill from dusty red dryland into a lush green oasis. Inside the fortress, a large rectangle pool acts as a giant mirror reflecting the Horseshoe arches surrounding palm trees under the clear blue sky. Annie Faivre , the artist, depicts the water surface with the astonishing Moorish arches reflection in the carré. Photo courtesy of Famous Wonders of the World Mughal Garden Taj Mahal, Agra India On the other side of the planet, a raised marble water tank w...

Le Jardin de Cloud

Search This Blog