Hermes 3i
Early 2000s French Wrist Watches
Gilt Metal, Steel
Late 20th Century French More Rings
Silver
Vintage 1960s French Mid-Century Modern Sterling Silver
Sterling Silver
Vintage 1930s French Art Deco Desk Sets
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Abstract Sculptures
Concrete, Cement
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Figurative Sculptures
Concrete, Cement
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Abstract Sculptures
Concrete, Cement
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Abstract Sculptures
Concrete, Cement
Vintage 1980s European Clip-on Earrings
Gold, Enamel
21st Century and Contemporary Belts
2010s Contemporary Color Photography
Paper, Archival Ink, Archival Paper, Photographic Paper, C Print
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Color Photography
Paper, Archival Ink, Archival Paper, C Print
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Color Photography
Paper, Archival Ink, Archival Paper, Photographic Paper, Digital, Archiv...
2010s Contemporary Color Photography
Paper, Archival Ink, Archival Paper, Photographic Paper, Digital, Archiv...
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Color Photography
Paper, Archival Ink, Archival Paper, Photographic Paper, Digital, Archiv...
2010s Contemporary Color Photography
Paper, Archival Ink, Archival Paper, Luster, C Print
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Color Photography
Paper, Archival Ink, Archival Paper, Photographic Paper, Digital, Archiv...
2010s Contemporary Color Photography
Paper, Photographic Film, Archival Ink, Archival Paper, Photographic Pap...
2010s Contemporary Still-life Photography
Paper, Archival Ink, Archival Paper, C Print
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Black and White Photography
Paper, Archival Ink, Archival Paper, Photographic Paper, Digital, Archiv...
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Black and White Photography
Silver Gelatin, Paper, Platinum, Digital Pigment, Archival Pigment, Digi...
2010s Contemporary More Art
Paper, Archival Ink, Archival Paper, C Print
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Black and White Photography
Paper, Archival Paper, Silver Gelatin
2010s Contemporary Color Photography
Paper, Archival Ink, Archival Paper, C Print
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Animal Prints
Paper, Archival Ink, Archival Paper, Luster, C Print
Vintage 1980s French Dangle Earrings
Gold
2010s Contemporary Color Photography
Paper, Archival Ink, Archival Paper, C Print
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Black and White Photography
Archival Ink, Archival Paper, Photographic Paper, Archival Pigment
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Color Photography
Paper, Dye, Archival Ink, Archival Paper, Photographic Paper, Dye Transf...
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Color Photography
Dye Transfer
21st Century and Contemporary Modern Landscape Photography
Archival Pigment
1990s Modern Photography
Paper
1950s American Skirt Suits
2010s Italian Modern Photography
Aluminum
Antique 19th Century French Renaissance Cabinets
Ormolu
Mid-20th Century French Mid-Century Modern Chairs
Sycamore, Straw
Antique 19th Century French Renaissance Revival Cabinets
Bronze, Ormolu
20th Century Other Art Style Interior Drawings and Watercolors
Watercolor
Antique 1830s French Classical Greek More Necklaces
Agate, 18k Gold
Early 1600s Figurative Prints
Engraving
20th Century French Edwardian Platters and Trays
Sterling Silver
Vintage 1950s French Boxes and Cases
Blue Sapphire, 18k Gold, Gold, Rose Gold, Yellow Gold
Vintage 1950s French Decorative Boxes
Gold
Late 20th Century French Briefcases and Attachés
1970s French Handbags and Purses
Early 2000s French Top Handle Bags
21st Century and Contemporary French Shoulder Bags
Early 2000s French Top Handle Bags
Late 20th Century French Shoulder Bags
1970s French Shoes
2010s Crossbody Bags and Messenger Bags
Early 2000s French Top Handle Bags
Early 2000s French More Bracelets
Palladium
21st Century and Contemporary French Top Handle Bags
1980s French Handbags and Purses
21st Century and Contemporary French Top Handle Bags
1990s French Scarves
Early 2000s French Shoulder Bags
21st Century and Contemporary French Belts
21st Century and Contemporary French Briefcases and Attachés
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Hermes 3i For Sale on 1stDibs
How Much is a Hermes 3i?
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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