Mon Petit Cheval Mexicain

Histoires De Carres > Printemps-Ete 2009

Taken from the Emile Hermes Collection, a miniature pony, tacked up like a real steed, illustrates the carre. Bridle and bit, patterned saddle pad. repousse and coloured leather saddle, Mexican style stirrups: its attire is an exact small-scale reproduction. Its distinctive feature is the pommel of the saddle, revealing the portrait of a little girl having been given this charming gift by her father, a Mexican businessman. On one of the hooves, a brass plate is engraved with the name "Mathez". The name of the child or of her playmate? Is this a toy, despite its delicacy and fragility, or rather an item out of a shop window? History holds the key to its mysteries.