【1998年】ミシェル・デュシェンヌ作「ポリフィルの夢想」― ルネサンス最高の奇書がカレになった

いつもCARRÉ de GORILLA GORILLA(カレドゴリラゴリラ)をご覧いただきありがとうございます。 本日ご紹介する

 カレ90「ポリフィルの夢想(Le Songe de Poliphile)」は、1998年に発表された、文学の名著を題材にした一枚です。

デザイナー紹介:ミシェル・デュシェンヌ

手がけたのはエルメスのカレを数多く手がけるデザイナー、ミシェル・デュシェンヌ(Michel Duchêne)。1998年の秋冬コレクションで発表されたこのデザインは、当時のシーズンブックレットでもその物語性が丁寧に紹介されています。

元ネタは15世紀の奇書「ヒュプネロトマキア・ポリフィリ」

モチーフの由来は、1499年にヴェネツィアで刊行されたフランチェスコ・コロンナ作「ヒュプネロトマキア・ポリフィリ(通称:ポリフィルの夢想)」。恋愛小説、秘教的な指南書、園芸の手引き、神話的な幻想が入り混じった不思議な一冊で、書物史上もっとも美しい本の一つとも称される稀覯本です。

物語は、恋人ポリアを探して幻想的な廃墟や神殿を旅する青年ポリフィルの夢を描いたもの。エルメスのシーズンブックレットには「この夢を見た者は、プラタナスの木を見るたびに『彼と私は兄弟だ、同じ神の夢から生まれた二人の息子だ』と思うようになる」という一節が添えられています。

物語を知って眺めると、また違う一枚に

クリーム・イエロー・オレンジ・ブルーを基調にした幻想的な色使いは、まさにこの物語の夢見心地な世界観そのもの。文学好きな方への贈り物としても、会話のきっかけになる一枚としてもおすすめです。

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【1998】Michel Duchêne’s “Le Songe de Poliphile” — When the Greatest Mystery Book of the Renaissance Became a Hermès Carré

Thank you, as always, for visiting CARRÉ de GORILLA GORILLA.

Today, we are pleased to introduce “Le Songe de Poliphile” (The Dream of Poliphile), a Hermès Carré 90 released in 1998 and inspired by one of the most fascinating and celebrated books in literary history.

About the Designer: Michel Duchêne

The design was created by Michel Duchêne, a prolific designer who created numerous Hermès Carrés.

First presented as part of the 1998 Autumn/Winter collection, this design was accompanied by a detailed introduction to its story and literary origins in the seasonal Hermès booklet of the time.

Inspired by the Mysterious 15th-Century Book “Hypnerotomachia Poliphili”

The design takes its inspiration from “Hypnerotomachia Poliphili”, a remarkable book written by Francesco Colonna and first published in Venice in 1499. It is also widely known as The Dream of Poliphile.

This extraordinary work defies easy classification. It combines elements of a love story, an esoteric guide, a treatise on gardening, mythology, and fantastical imagery.

It is also regarded as one of the most beautiful books ever produced in the history of printing, and surviving original editions are highly prized as rare books.

The story follows Poliphilo, a young man who dreams of searching for his beloved Polia, traveling through a fantastical world filled with mysterious ruins, temples, gardens, and ancient monuments.

The Hermès seasonal booklet includes a particularly poetic passage:

“Whoever has dreamed this dream will think, whenever he sees a plane tree: ‘He and I are brothers, two sons born from the same dream of the gods.’”

A Carré That Reveals Another Story When You Know Its Origins

The dreamlike palette of cream, yellow, orange, and blue beautifully captures the mysterious and fantastical atmosphere of the original story.

Once you learn the literary background behind the design, the Carré takes on an entirely different character. The intricate illustrations become not merely decorative motifs, but fragments of a much larger dream.

For lovers of literature, history, art, and beautiful books, “Le Songe de Poliphile” is a particularly intriguing piece—and an excellent choice as a gift or as a conversation-starting addition to any Hermès collection.

A Carré that brings together the worlds of literature, art, history, and imagination, it is a wonderful example of the storytelling that makes Hermès Carrés so captivating.