Clou De Selle
1990s Cufflinks
Gold, 18k Gold
2010s French Gloves
21st Century and Contemporary French Belts
21st Century and Contemporary French Chain Necklaces
20th Century French Clip-on Earrings
Gilt Metal
21st Century and Contemporary French Caps
2010s French Jeans
Late 20th Century French More Rings
Silver
21st Century and Contemporary French Riding Pants
21st Century and Contemporary French More Jewelry
21st Century and Contemporary French Other
21st Century and Contemporary French Caps
Mid-20th Century Decorative Boxes
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary French Vests
21st Century and Contemporary Berets
2010s French T-Shirts
2010s French Collars
21st Century and Contemporary French For The Desk
21st Century and Contemporary French Other
21st Century and Contemporary French Wallets and Small Accessories
21st Century and Contemporary French Beachwear
21st Century and Contemporary French Swim Trunks
21st Century and Contemporary French For The Desk
21st Century and Contemporary French For The Desk
21st Century and Contemporary European Other
21st Century and Contemporary French Swim Trunks
2010s French Lever-Back Earrings
21st Century and Contemporary French Other
21st Century and Contemporary French Other
21st Century and Contemporary French Swim Trunks
2010s Tech Accessories and Cases
21st Century and Contemporary French Other
21st Century and Contemporary French Beachwear
21st Century and Contemporary French Gloves
2010s French Blouses and Tops
21st Century and Contemporary French For The Desk
21st Century and Contemporary French T-Shirts
2010s French Berets
21st Century and Contemporary French Decorative Objects
21st Century and Contemporary French Caps
21st Century and Contemporary French Swim Trunks
2010s French Shirts
21st Century and Contemporary French Structured Shoulder Bags
2010s Top Handle Bags
21st Century and Contemporary French Structured Shoulder Bags
21st Century and Contemporary French For The Desk
21st Century and Contemporary French Swim Trunks
2010s French Children
2010s French Blouses and Tops
2010s French Other
21st Century and Contemporary French Swim Trunks
21st Century and Contemporary French Swim Trunks
21st Century and Contemporary French T-Shirts
21st Century and Contemporary French Tote Bags
21st Century and Contemporary French Boots
21st Century and Contemporary French Decorative Objects
21st Century and Contemporary French Decorative Objects
21st Century and Contemporary Unknown For The Table
21st Century and Contemporary French T-Shirts
21st Century and Contemporary French Decorative Objects
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Clou De Selle For Sale on 1stDibs
How Much is a Clou De Selle?
Hermès for sale on 1stDibs
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.
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