Hermés is known for translating their luxury aesthetic into many facets of design including fashion, accessories and tableware. Today we take a closer look at their  Carnets d’Équateur Porcelain Collection, that serves a homage to wildlife artist Robert Dallet and his longstanding collaboration with the French house.

The collaboration between the two began over 30 years ago when Jean-Louis Dumas (Hermés’ chairman and artistic director until 2006) was intrigued with Dallet’s depictions of the animal kingdom.

Robert Dallet devoted his life to drawing animals from every continent of the globe, from pumas and ocelots to elephants, parakeets and ibis.

He made sketch after sketch, tirelessly observing the captivating carnival that unfolded before him, studying every element of their habitat – trees, vegetation, landscapes.

This fascinating collection, which was displayed in the natural history museums of Rouen then Paris, was his life’s work. It comprises eighty plates depicting every species of felid, including those no longer extant, sometimes reconstructed from nothing more than a blurred photograph or a scrap of fur.

Every blade of grass and detail of feather or fur have been translated onto the porcelain canvas to form a warm and cool composition. His visual acuity and the precision of his line express the love and respect that motivated him.

Bountiful nature, strikingly life-like fur, his innate and continually honed sense of movement and setting make these plates an irreplaceable record of the animal kingdom.

 

 Photos © François Lacour and Designboom