Hermès Tyger Tyger Carré 70

Specifications

Why we love it

Description & history

Hermès Carré 70 cm Tyger Tyger designed by Alice Shirley · first edition 2015 · 100% silk · 67 × 67 cm · red background · hand-rolled edges · original Hermès label · original Hermès box · grade B+.

Tyger Tyger was born from a childhood memory. Alice Shirley, a British illustrator specialising in wildlife and a regular Hermès collaborator, memorised William Blake's 1794 poem "The Tyger" at school. These lines — among the most famous in English literature — describe a tiger burning bright in the forests of the night. Shirley translated them into a design featuring a majestically gentle tiger resting at the centre of the scarf, surrounded by swirling golden plumes and multicoloured flora.

For the flora framing the feline, Alice Shirley drew inspiration from the botanical illustrations at the Natural History Museum in London, originally commissioned by the East India Company. The depicted plants are native to the Periyar Tiger Reserve in Kerala, India — one of the last remaining sanctuaries for the Bengal tiger. The result is an intricate, narrative, and vibrant scarf that blends English poetry, Indian botany, and Lyon silk-making expertise.

The red background gives the motif a distinctive intensity. The golden yellows of the large swirling plumes, the blues of the flowers, and the greens of the foliage stand out boldly against this fiery base. The border is dotted with white stars against a dark background, recalling the night sky of Blake's poem. The Carré 70 format — smaller and lighter than the classic Carré 90 — is designed for effortless, modern styling: tied around the neck, cinched at the waist, worn in the hair, or styled as a bag accessory.

Good condition, grade B+ — no major flaws, no stains, holes, or odours. Light signs of previous use. Hand-rolled edges, Hermès label attached. The scarf comes in its original Hermès box in good condition, along with a RARR Vintage certificate of authenticity.