Hermès Les Tambours Silk Scarf

Features

Why we love it

Description & history

Hermès Les Tambours silk scarf designed by Joachim Metz · first edition 1989 · 100% silk · 88 × 88 cm · black background · hand-rolled edges · original label present · original Hermès box · grade B+.

Les Tambours is a scarf designed by Joachim Metz, first published by Hermès in 1989. The pattern pays tribute to the drums carried by drum majors and drummers of the Imperial Guard battalions under Napoleon III in the mid-19th century. Eight different drums make up the design, each representing a distinct regiment — including those of the Imperial Guard foot grenadiers and the National Guard. The composition is framed by four officer’s belts adorned with medallions, one of which incorporates the artist’s signature.

At the centre of the scarf, musician’s epaulettes distinguished by a lyre motif take pride of place — a detail that anchors the subject in the military-musical world of the period. A battalion’s band could include up to forty-six members, bringing together fifes, clarinets, oboes, bassoons, trumpets, trombones and, of course, drums. Metz condensed this entire world into an 88-centimetre square format.

The black-background colourway is among the most elegant versions of this pattern. Black absorbs the light and brings forward the golds, vivid reds and deep blues of the drums, cords and medallions. The result is a scarf that is both rich and legible, with details gradually appearing as you move closer. The edges are hand-rolled, a silk-thread rolled finish that gives the scarf its slightly rounded drape.

No major flaws — no stains, holes or odours. Light signs of previous use, consistent with a worn piece that has been carefully kept. The original label is present. The scarf will be delivered in its original Hermès box. Tied around the neck, slipped into the hair or belted at the waist, it transforms a dark outfit into a gesture of history.