Paperoles

Histoires De Carres > Spring-Summer 2017

Paperoles are meticulously rolled, fine strips of paper that can be assembled to make all kinds of objects, generally with a religious theme. they were crafted by nuns with the most marvelous dexterity. In the 1990s this rare example of a secular-themed paperole - a berline de gala, or ceremonial carriage, from the early 19th century - was found in a Florentine antiques shop. Hermes acquired it and added it to the house's collection. the unusual object, which inspired this scarf design by Claudia Stuhlhofer-Mayr, is remarkable in every way: the wheels can turn, the front-wheel axle pivots, and each detail is fastidiously reproduced, from the horses' harnesses to the coach driver's gaiter button. Everything is made from paper and cardboard, with the exception of the carriage lining in silk, and the horses' legs, which are carved in wood.

Le Carre Hermes > Fall-Winter 2000/01

For the literary minded, "paperoles" refers to the paper slips which Marcel Proust used to stick to his manuscripts when adding further passages of lost time. In the olden days too, the term referred to the slim rolls of paper used in the eighteenth century to make reliquaries and other objects. holy or as in the case of this coach, profane. Now on show in the Hermes collection, it comes from a Florentine collector of antiques.