Hermès Paris Silver Horse Head Box - 1970s

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A wonderfully sculptural vintage silver-plated box by Hermès Paris, distinguished by an elegant horse-head handle rising from its circular lid. … Read more A wonderfully sculptural vintage silver-plated box by Hermès Paris, distinguished by an elegant horse-head handle rising from its circular lid. The underside is stamped “HERMÈS PARIS.”

The piece is beautifully proportioned, with a low cylindrical body detailed by three fine horizontal bands. Its restrained form provides a striking counterpoint to the finely modelled horse head, whose expressive features and textured mane give the object an almost miniature-sculpture quality. The polished surface of the lid creates a particularly beautiful reflection of the horse motif.

The equestrian subject is especially significant within the history of Hermès. Thierry Hermès established the house in Paris in 1837 as a harness-making workshop, creating finely crafted equipment for horses and their riders. In 1880, the family moved to 24 Faubourg Saint-Honoré and expanded its reputation for made-to-measure harnesses and saddlery. Horses have remained central to the visual vocabulary of Hermès ever since, with bridles, bits, stirrups, harness fittings and equine forms repeatedly translated into the house’s decorative objects, jewellery and accessories.

Hermès itself continues to describe equestrianism as being at the heart of the maison since 1837, making the horse-head finial here more than simply a decorative motif—it is a direct reference to the house’s original métier as a saddler and harness maker.

Both functional and decorative, the box would make an exceptional addition to a dressing table, desk or cocktail table and works beautifully as a jewellery box, catchall or simply as an objet d’art. The combination of polished silver plate and the unmistakably equestrian form gives it the understated sophistication associated with vintage Hermès accessories. See less