Le Géographe - Hermès Scarf

This scarf was bought because of its beauty and because it was a jacquard scarf.  It turned out to be even lovelier in person.  The shades of creamy white are warm.  There is so much detail.  But in trying to learn about the scarf it was clear that there is a wealth of information to discover.  Why are there kangaroos?  anchors?  Australia?  on a Geography scarf?  and will there be more geography scarves?

Another question is why Le Géographe - a masculine article ???

I thought Géographie is feminine. (and it is)

Turns out, Le Géographe means geographer.

So the ship is named "The Geographer".  

Le Géographe was originally a 20-gun ship (Serpente-class corvette) of the French Navy.

On 19 October 1800, under captain Nicolas Baudin, she left Le Havre with another ship, the Naturaliste for an exploration of Australia. 

This provides a rear view of the ship.

There were 22 scientists, scholars, painters, and designers, and gardeners, on the voyage, including three who, along with Baudin, are shown in the corners of the scarf.

 Here is Nicholas Baudin, Captain of the ship, "Le Géographe"

François Péron

Péron was a naturalist who helped gather 100000 specimens of 2500 species.

He also wrote the first volume of Voyage de Découvertes aux Terres Australes … sur les Corvettes le Géographe, le Naturaliste et la Goélette le Casuarina, pendant les Années 1800, 1801, 1802, 1803 et 1804 (Paris, 1807-16). http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/peron-francois-2545  He only got as far as page 230 of volume two when his health declined and he was unable to continue.

Matthew Flinders

Flinders was a navigator and cartographer who led the second circumnavigation of New Holland.  He also confirmed that Tasmania was an island.  Britain and France were at war at that time, and as he tried to repair his ship in Isle de France (Mauritania), the governor declined to allow safe passage and imprisoned him for 6 years.  That gave him time to write up his discoveries, including his proposal to name the continent Australia.

 Charles Alexander Lesueur

Lesueur was a French naturalist and artist.  Along with Péron, he gathered many thousands of specimens and has sketched the only know King Island emu in its natural habitat before the bird became extinct in 1822.  Both Mount Lesueur and Lesueur National Park in Western Australia are named in his honor.  Under his portrait are sprigs of ?

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The scarf is a jacquard silk with kangaroos and anchors woven into the texture of the scarf.  Because the technique of making the fabric is expensive, the jacquard scarves are rarely faked.

So this is not the beginning of a geography series. The scarf is named after the ship, not the subject.  The themes are Australia and exploration so that explains the kangaroos and anchors.  It's a stunning Hermès scarf.

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To answer some of R's questions:
"I can see the sextant paired with the captain and the compass for the navigator and the palette for the artist, but I don't get the semi-circle (can't think of the actual name of the thing, (It's a compass, too.) but it's used to measuring angles in geometry) and the sort of triangular thing (it also has a name that is escaping me) I think it's a "sector:"  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sector_(instrument) for the naturalist. I wonder if he was a Mason?"  
I don't know if Péron was a Mason, but he did study medicine (hence the caduceus).  I think those tools are used for measuring and mapmaking.  He was a serious researcher, for example taking temperature measurements of the ocean at various depths every six hours.
"It was also interesting that under each medallion were different symbols: sword and scabbard for the captain (did he have a military commission?); Flinders also had sword and scabbard and was wearing a military uniform. While the swords and scabbards are the same, the "vegetation" below the other two portraits are different. One looks like blueberries to me, but I don't recognize the other one - laurel, perhaps?"
I think they all were in the army or navy.

D pointed out (per Wikipedia):

"The name Australia derives from Latin australis meaning southern, and dates back to 2nd century legends of an "unknown southern land" (that is terra australis incognita). The explorer Matthew Flinders named the land Terra Australis, which was later abbreviated to the current form."

It's definitely an interesting scarf!

Diacritical Marks on an Apple product

Did you know that it is really easy to make accent marks if you have an Apple device (iPhone, Mac, Macbook, iPad, etc.)?  Things like è in Hermès or ç in Français or é in entrée or ô in Côte d'Azure.

To find the mark you need, simply hold down the letter and some choices will appear.  You can slide your mouse to the choice.  Or you can type the numeral that appears with the choice you want.

I held down the letter e until the box appeared above it.  Then I could have chosen any of those options.

Now you can type words like jalapeño, Zoë, soupçon.

There are also lots of other hidden characters.  They are accessed by holding down the option key or the option and shift key while hitting a number or letter.

To get the degree sign, as in 75º, you hold down the option key while clicking the zero.
To get the ¢ sign, as in 50¢, you hold down the option key while hitting the number 4
To get the upside-down exclamation point needed in Spanish, it's option and number 1  -  ¡
The upside-down question mark is option-shift-?  ¿¿¿¿¿

® is Option r
™ is Option 2
€ is Option Shift 2

© is Option g     Really!

Have fun trying the various combination.  And, when you forget how to find a character, you can always google it!

© 2020 Leslie 

Another Hermès FAKE

There's another FAKE Hermès scarf for sale on eBay.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Auth-Vintage-HERMES-PARIS-100-Silk-Scarf-Carousel-Horse-Multi-Color-33-x33-/143536979907

I assume it is supposed to replicate the Luna Park Scarf blogged about here.
There are no tags, so that is not a clue to authenticity.

At first glance, it looks like it could be a variation of Luna Park.

But then look more carefully.

This signature is missing the accent mark on the second e.

 It should be HERMÈS PARIS

Also, look at the yellow that shows that the registry is off and the yellow goes into the white, almost giving double-vision!  That type error would have meant the scarf needed to be destroyed.

~

Compare the center of the scarf.

The fake is below.

The one below is the real Luna Park scarf.  Colors are bright.  Lines are clear.  There is a symmetry and grace.

Below is a corner of the fake scarf:

 The horses' painting is clunky.  The movement is not fluid.  I do not see a signature for the artist.

You have to put all the clues together in deciding whether a scarf that is described as authentic really is.  They are opening the bidding at $49.99, and as I write this there is one bid.  Caveat Emptor!

Is it Real? NO! A Fake Hermès Scarf

Well, is it possible to tell a real from a fake?  
                  Sometimes!

I have a real Hermes scarf, "Cliquetis", in orange/red.

So when I saw this one there were lots of red flags!

There is no need to shout the brand!  

Hermès puts their brand in subtle places.

The real Hermès copyright is in the bottom left white square.

~

My guess is that the copier of the original scarf did not understand penmanship.
The writing is awkward.

In the fake above, the printing of the circles shows gaps.

The real one shows smooth penmanship.

 Notice the very elegant signature of the designer, Aboudie, in the real scarf.

 ~

For some reason, the fake scarf has the white bars across the bottom and side.  

The copier completely missed the point of the white bars, there to contrast the white arcs.

The links don't make sense in the fake one above.

In the fake scarf, the label says Hand Sewn - this is not a phrase used on genuine scarves.
Also, putting "Hand Sewn" on machine stitched hems does not make them hand sewn.

Additionally, the hems are rolled backward from the genuine.

In real ones, the hems roll toward the "good side", and the tags are attached to the "back".

So what do you look for to spot a fake?

Tags:  There are lots of sites on the web showing genuine tags over time.  Early ones just said 100% SOIE on a white tag.  Later ones are different.  If the scarf you are looking at has a tag, check out the images for genuine tags.  And since many people remove the tags, other clues are needed.

Hems:  Genuine scarves are hand rolled, and hand stitched, with the roll toward the good side.  Tags are attached with usually three stitches at one corner.

Color:  As many as 39 separate colors may be used.  Forged scarves often leave out or simplify.

Silk quality:  Jacquard (damask) scarves are rarely faked since the process of making the base fabric is expensive.

Compare:  Google helps find other identical scarves - just be careful not to compare a fake with a fake and conclude it's real!  

Websites:  There are also excellent websites to educate yourself.  Here is a compilation of many images of scarves, and it's searchable.  Carre de Paris is fascinating and has excellent photos. 

eBay has removed the listing for the fake scarf shown above, 

which had been identified as authentic, 

so it is not possible to credit the photographer of the fake. 

And it is no longer available for sale.

Molasses Cookies

Old Fashioned Soft Molasses Cookies recipe

https://thesaltymarshmallow.com/old-fashioned-soft-molasses-cookies/

Now that the holidays are over, we have finished the cookies, and we're ready for more.  This recipe for molasses cookies looked interesting, and it turned out to be delicious. 

I like to make smallish cookies.

This dish is 6.25 inches in diameter.

Of course, since I can never follow a recipe:
→  I forgot that it said brown sugar and used white. . . 
→  Used two tablespoons of cinnamon
→  Used one tablespoon of ginger.


This recipe is a keeper.

Ingredients

1 Cup Packed Brown Sugar
1 Cup Butter, Softened

1/4 Cup Dark Molasses

1 Large Egg

1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract

2 1/2 Cups All Purpose Flour

2 Teaspoons Baking Soda
1 Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
1 Teaspoon Ground Ginger
1/2 Teaspoon Salt
1/4 Cup Granulated Sugar, For Rolling  (used Demerara Sugar - needed more like 1/2 cup)

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Prepare a large baking sheet with parchment paper or non stick cooking spray, set aside.
• In a large bowl using a hand mixer, or in the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment beat together the brown sugar, butter, molasses, egg, and vanilla until well combined.
• Mix in the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, and salt.
• Shape the dough by rounded tablespoon fulls into 1 1/2 inch balls. Dip the cookies into the granulated sugar and place 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet.
• Bake in preheated oven for 13-15 minutes just until set. Remove cookies to a wire rack to cool immediately.

Thirteen minutes was plenty of time in my oven.

Next time, I may add grated fresh  and or minced candied ginger.

Is It Real? Is It Damaged? Have I met Napoleon's Waterloo?

The third Hermès scarf I bought was another splurge, and you can imagine my dismay when it arrived and before I unfolded it, I saw this:

Is that a huge grease spot?

Is there any chance a dry cleaner can get it out?

This is really ruined.

Then I saw this:

It looks like grease was seriously splattered.

That is a mess.

The scarf, entitled "Napoleon" by LeDoux for Hermès, even used, is expensive.

And a seriously damaged scarf is not what I paid for!  I immediately contacted the seller to report that the scarf was not as described and that I would need to return it.  Even though their listing had said, "No Returns," they agreed to accept it back when I told them it was damaged.  By then, the stress and disappointment was getting to me, and I decided to set it aside until the next day.  

Good thing I waited and used the time to research the scarf more.  The blog at Carre de Paris, is very informative.  After I looked at several pictures it was clear that I had made a serious mistake. 

This scarf depicts uniforms and flags of soldiers in Napoleon's army.

What looked like grease was the filth of battle.  

The designer is brilliant!

We immediately contacted the seller to advise him of my error.

~

The scarf has wonderful details.

In addition to the copyright (left) and designer, LeDoux, (right),

under Napoleon's hat is "HERMÈS - PARIS".

.

.

 This image is based on

Napoleon at Ratisbonne 
by Pierre Gautherot (1769-1825).
Medics are checking the bruise on his foot from a small projectile.
The injury was not serious (and is actually to his left leg - not the right as pictured).

Notice the hand rolled hems.  On Hermès scarves, the hems are rolled toward the "good" side.

This image is based on

Napoleon at The Battle at Wagram, 
by Émile Jean-Horace Vernet.

This is the center of the top, with the scarf title, "Napoléon".

The scarf is a jacquard with bees.  They are easiest to see in the green border.

We decided to get scarves with the jacquard fabric, because the fabric is expensive to duplicate, with the result that jacquard prints are rarely fakes.

 Sometimes you can find source material.
This painting is the source of the top left corner.

Bonaparte franchissant le Grand Saint-Bernard, (Crossing the Alps) 20 Mai 1800, 
by Jacques Louis David.

Napoleon Bonaparte, First Consul, Reviewing his Troops after the battle of Marengo, 
by Jean-Antoine Gros.



We got curious about the regimental flag shown behind the uniforms.
Found this one

The left side says:  Valeur et Discipline # Escadron
The right side says:  L'Empereur Des Français au 4me Regiment de Cuirassiers

We can research this scarf forever. . .

Looks like this will be a lot of fun to have!

Now I have to check out all those youtube videos on scarf tying!

https://www.facebook.com/Hermes.Scarf.Guides

is a great source of information.

Hermès Scarf Splurge

Alas, none of these pics are mine, 

but are posted by the sellers.

I guess I've been dreaming for a while of a Hermès Silk Scarf.

As you probably have noticed, I am a bit frugal, so I decided to look on eBay.
Some of the more "reasonable" ones are in Asia, and with the current health situation, I was concerned about importing from there, so I limited my search to the US.
But according to my research, there are lots of fakes, not just in Asia, since people all over the world buy from other places.

It would be nice not to get ripped off!  One of the more difficult patterns to fake are the ones printed on Jacquard silk.  (We also call that "damask".  I love a white damask tablecloth.  The fabric is pure white, but the design is woven into the fabric.)  Because of the weave, it would be difficult to duplicate cheaply.  So I have limited my search to the Jacquard fabrics.

Here is the corner of one that I found.  It's called
“L’instruction du Roy en L’exercice de Monter a Cheval”

This photo is taken by the seller.  Can you see the rearing mounted horses in the fabric?

(Upside down on the nearest layer shown.)

The title translates to "Instructing the King on Riding a Horse".

It is based on a book of horsemanship written in 1620.

https://www.smashwords.com/extreader/read/346449/2/linstruction-du-roy-en-lexercice-de-monter-a-cheval-part-i

This scarf would date to 1993.

There will be no photos of the above scarf.  I got outbid.

Well, the item I bid on, "Cliquetis", has not been shipped yet, as far as I know, and I'm getting impatient.

D has been looking, too, and we agree that the "Luna Park" scarf is stunning.

So we found another scarf:

It measures 90cm on a side (35 inches). 

This also dates to 1993.

Looking forward to seeing it in person.  I hope it drapes as well as this photo (by the seller) implies.

It's harder to see the damask design in these photos.

You are looking for a fireworks starburst.

I have blown up a portion of a picture, and that may help.

Or maybe not.

Do you see a starburst between the flagpole and the green ribbon?

Looks like I'll be on tenterhooks for a while.

I'll add to this when they arrive.

2/6/2020

The first scarf arrived.  It is lovely.  (photo by seller)

The rest of the pics are by me.

The color is a vibrant red-orange.

It drapes beautifully.

 Good thing I am no longer teaching middle schoolers!

There are lots of tutorials on youtube to study tying!

Today we got 8 inches of snow, so we were stuck inside.

It was fun playing with my scarf!

The seller offered a nice price for this scarf:

I hope it is as stunning in person as it is on the computer!  The title is "Napoléon".  The damask figure is the bee.  It was designed by Philippe Ledoux for Hermès in 1963 (and reissued in 1963, 1985, 1989/90, 1997, 2002/03). I do not know how to date this one.

To see the other Hermès scarves I have blogged, click here.