HERMES Cord necklace and 'Kelly Bag' Amulet Pendant in Sterling Silver
View Similar Items
HERMES Cord necklace and 'Kelly Bag' Amulet Pendant in Sterling Silver
About the Item
- Creator:
- Design:
- Metal:
- Dimensions:Width: 0.99 in (25 mm)Length: 9.85 in (250 mm)
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:Unknown
- Condition:In very good condition. Micro scratches of use on the whole of the pendant.
- Seller Location:Paris, FR
- Reference Number:Seller: 233291stDibs: LU69534211081
Kelly Bag
In 1837, Thierry Hermès (1801–78) founded his eponymous luxury goods company in Paris as a saddle manufacturer, serving the era’s carriage trade. In 1880, under the stewardship of Thierry's son Émile-Charles, fine riding gear was added to its offerings to complement the saddles. The company expanded their workshops to design handbags nearly half a century later. The Kelly bag, originally introduced as the Sac à dépêches (“the dispatch bag”) in 1935, was created by Robert Dumas, son-in-law to Thierry's grandson Émile-Maurice Hermès.
Designed for independent women who wanted a piece that was both luxurious and efficient, the Kelly bag has a trapezoid shape, two triangular gussets, a sculpted flap and handle. To this day, the understated bag comprises 36 individual leather pieces, 16 studs and a signature padlock and leather key cover, with three layers of leather at the base to ensure the bag can stand upright. Each Kelly bag takes between 18 and 25 hours to produce, and its 680 hand stitches owe solely to one Hermès artisan.
The Kelly bag earned its name during preproduction on Alfred Hitchcock’s 1955 film, To Catch a Thief. Costume designer Edith Head sourced products from Hermès to outfit actress Grace Kelly, who fell in love with the Sac à Dépêches and continued to carry it long after the movie wrapped. Months after marrying Prince Rainier III of Monaco in 1956, she was spotted carrying a brown pigskin Sac to shield her pregnancy from the paparazzi. And while the oft-repeated claim that Kelly and her bag appeared on a Life magazine cover isn’t true, photography of the actress and her cherished accessory began to appear everywhere at the time, and the bag’s profile suddenly skyrocketed.
In 1977 Hermès officially changed the item’s name to the Kelly bag. Less than a decade later, Hermès introduced another handbag to its line, also named after a style symbol, the Birkin bag. The Paris-based British actress Jane Birkin sat next to Hermès CEO Jean-Louis Dumas — Robert's son — on an Air France flight. He noticed her overflowing handbag, and she told him she longed for “a handbag that is bigger than the Kelly but smaller than Serge’s suitcase,” in reference to her then-romantic partner, the French musician Serge Gainsbourg. The Birkin bag was created in 1984, joining the Kelly in Hermès’ permanent collection.
Hermès
For Hermès, what began as a maker of leather equestrian goods for European noblemen would eventually grow into one of the most storied fashion labels in the world. In 1837, German-born French entrepreneur Thierry Hermès opened a saddle and harness purveyor in Paris. Gradually, the house extended into accessories and luggage for its riders, and today, in paying homage to its origins, the family-run luxury brand resurfaces horse motifs in everything from clothing and modernist jewelry to pillows and handbags.
The first top-handled bag ever produced by Hermès was the Haut à courroies, which made its debut in 1892. A tall bag secured with a folded leather flap (fastened with bridle-inspired straps), it was designed to transport riding boots and a harness.
As the world made the switch from horse to automobile, the bag adapted, becoming a multifunctional travel satchel instead of a designated saddlebag. Today, 120 years later, the HAC remains in Hermès’s line — and its distinctive flap and clasping straps have laid the groundwork for some of the house’s other iconic bags.
In the 1930s, Robert Dumas (son-in-law to Émile-Maurice Hermès, Thierry’s grandson) designed a smaller, trapezoidal take on the flap bag with a handle and two side straps. Later, actress Grace Kelly, then engaged to Prince Rainier of Monaco, is said to have used one of these bags to conceal her pregnancy during the 1950s. Because she was photographed constantly, the coverage catapulted her handbag to international popularity.
In 1977, Hermès officially renamed the model for her, and the Kelly bag was born. Each Kelly bag takes between 18 and 25 hours to produce, and its 680 hand stitches owe solely to one Hermès artisan.
Robert Dumas was also responsible for another one of the brand’s most iconic offerings: the launch of its first silk scarf on the occasion of Hermès’s 100th anniversary in 1937. Based on a woodblock designed by Dumas and printed on Chinese silk, the accessory was an immediate hit.
Today, vintage Hermès scarves, typically adorned in rich colors and elaborate patterns, serve many functions, just as they did back then. Well-heeled women wear it on their heads, around their necks and, in a genius piece of cross-promotion, tied to the straps of their Hermès bags. Kelly even once used one as a sling for her broken arm.
In 1981, Robert Dumas’s son Jean-Louis Dumas, then Hermès chairman, found himself sitting next to French actress and musician Jane Birkin on a plane, where she was complaining about finding a suitable carryall for the necessary accoutrements of motherhood. After the two travelers were properly introduced, Birkin helped design Jean-Louis’s most famous contribution to the Hermès canon: the Birkin bag, a roomy, square catchall with the HAC’s trademark leather flap top and the addition of a lock and key.
Owing to the brand’s legendary commitment to deft, handcrafted construction, the Birkin is an investment that is coveted by collectors everywhere.
While the Kelly and Birkin may be standouts, gracing the arms of everyone from royal heiresses to hip-hop stars in the past few decades, the handbags are but a small part of Hermès’s fashion offerings.
Since the 1920s, the brand has produced some of the most desirable leather goods in the world. There’s the Constance bag, a favorite of Jacqueline Kennedy, the recently relaunched 1970s-era Evelyne and, on the vintage market, a slew of designs dating back to the 1920s.
Good design never goes out of style. Find a variety of vintage Hermès handbags, day dresses, shoes and more on 1stDibs.
- Chopard White Gold Very necklace and Diamond Heart PendantBy ChopardLocated in Paris, FRChopard diamond heart pendant and chain in white gold. Pendant and chain signed Chopard. Dimensions : Length: 42 cm, length pendant: 2 cm, some micro scratches. In very good conditi...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Chain Necklaces
MaterialsDiamond, White Gold
- MOSCHINO by Redwall Chain Necklace-Belt and Charms in Gilded MetalBy MoschinoLocated in Paris, FRVintage MOSCHINO by Redwall chain necklace-belt in gilt metal set with charms: a heart, peace sign, razor, thimble with a pearly fancy pearl, a gold balloon and a flower with a fancy...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Unknown Chain Necklaces
MaterialsGilt Metal
- Forever Chanel Pink And Gold SautoirBy ChanelLocated in Paris, FRLong necklace Forever CHANEL Collection Ready to Wear 2021. Delivered in its original Chanel box. In very good condition. Made in France. Material: metal, resin, rhinestones/strass ...Category
2010s French Modern Pendant Necklaces
- Marie Lichtenberg Necklace gold and diamondsLocated in Paris, FRIncredible Marie LICHTENBERG necklace in yellow gold and diamonds Condition: excellent Made in France Model : necklace Material : gold, diamonds Dime...Category
21st Century and Contemporary French Pendant Necklaces
MaterialsDiamond, Yellow Gold
- CHANEL Molton Glass Long Necklace By GoossensLocated in Paris, FRThe long necklace is a vintage model of Chanel House dating back to the years 1950-60. Two snakes meet around the oval and dark red molton glass, which also collect the 5 chains of t...Category
Vintage 1950s French Multi-Strand Necklaces
- LANVIN Necklace with LOVE Golden PendantBy Lanvin ParisLocated in Paris, FRLANVIN necklace with LOVE golden pendant in gilded metal, closing ring and faceted crystal stones. Never worn. Size: total length 72 cm - can be worn s...Category
2010s Chain Necklaces
MaterialsGilt Metal
- 18 Carat Yellow Gold set Amethyst Pendant NecklaceBy Esther EyreLocated in London, GBThis is an extraordinary, one of a kind Siberian Amethyst at 28ct set in an 18ct yellow gold coral reef mount with 5 diamonds. The pendant is suspended on an 18ct yellow gold 16” Fox...Category
21st Century and Contemporary British Baroque Revival Pendant Necklaces
MaterialsDiamond, Amethyst, Yellow Gold
- Sacchi 0.64 Carat Ruby and Diamond Gemstones 18 Karat Yellow Gold Wire NecklaceBy Sacchi GioielliLocated in Rome, ITGorgeous Satin Yellow Gold Pendant Necklace embellished with Ruby and Diamonds Gemstones, from Sacchi’s “Klimt” Collection, hand-crafted with lost-wax casting technique. Lost-wax ca...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Contemporary Pendant Necklaces
MaterialsWhite Diamond, Ruby, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
- Sacchi Purple Amethyst Gemstone Pendant 18 Karat Satin Yellow GoldBy Sacchi GioielliLocated in Rome, ITExquisite Purple Amethyst Gemstone Satin Yellow Gold Pendant, from Sacchi's "Spring" Collection, hand-crafted with lost-wax casting technique. Lost-wax casting, one of the oldest te...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Contemporary Pendant Necklaces
MaterialsAmethyst, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
- Sacchi 14.5 Carat Ruby and Diamonds Gemstone 18 Karat Gold Pendant NecklaceBy Sacchi GioielliLocated in Rome, ITLovely Ruby and Diamonds 18 Karat Yellow Gold Pendant Necklace, from Sacchi’s "Universe" Collection, hand-crafted with lost-wax casting technique. Lost-wax casting, one of the oldes...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Contemporary Pendant Necklaces
MaterialsWhite Diamond, Ruby, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
$11,265 Sale Price20% OffFree Shipping - GIA certified 1.00 carat F VS2 emerald cut diamond East-West pendantBy Simon ArdemLocated in New York, NYBezel Pendant Necklace - GIA certified Emerald 1.00ct, F VS2, set in a bezel setting, with 16 inch length, 18 Karat Yellow Gold cable chain. Special order available from 1 - 5ct in ...Category
21st Century and Contemporary North American Contemporary Pendant Necklaces
MaterialsEmerald, 18k Gold
- 2.02ct Heart Shaped Diamond PendantLocated in Armadale, VictoriaEmbrace the timeless elegance of nature's perfection with our exquisite Heart-Shaped Diamond Slider Pendant. Crafted to captivate, this stunning piece features a rare and breath-taking natural diamond, meticulously shaped into a delicate heart, symbolizing love and devotion. Set within a sleek bezel, the diamond glimmers with unrivalled brilliance, drawing admiration with every glance. Effortlessly adjustable as a slider pendant, it gracefully adorns any neckline, making it a versatile and enchanting addition to any collection. Elevate your style and celebrate the beauty of love with this unparalleled expression of sophistication and allure One natural heart shaped diamond...Category
2010s Australian Contemporary Pendant Necklaces
MaterialsDiamond, 18k Gold
Recently Viewed
View AllRead More
This Iconic Hermès Bag Is Made from an Unexpected Material: Wood
From a house that specializes in covetable objects, this version of the Kelly is the rarest of finds.
A Short History of the World’s Most Iconic Designs
Of the million-plus items on 1stdibs, some seem to have transcended time, looking as fresh today as when they were first produced. The pieces highlighted on our new Iconic Designs page stand out for longevity, functionality and quality of design and manufacture — just the tonic for the present unsettled moment.