These two drawings are from a product catalogue for horse bits. The left-hand drawing depicts a mouthing bit with keys, which is worn in the horse’s mouth. The bits on the right are snaffle bits, the most common type. These detailed sketches of different models are both technical and functional.

At Hermès, we have long appreciated the beauty of functional, structural, and decorative imagery. In addition to drawings, we also collect vintage harness equipment that is no longer available today.

Artworks, crafts, books, and other items collected by Émile Hermès throughout his life are on display at Ginza Maison Hermès. As the years have passed, Hermès has assembled new collections. Representing different fields of creativity, these more contemporary works illustrate the policy of Hermès to always celebrate tradition and innovation. You can see this in the Hermès Collection of Contemporary Photographs, the silk carrés from Hermès’s illustration and graphic design studio, the decorations for the Faubourg window displays, and—since 2019—the works commissioned to artists by each Maison and flagship store, which make the designs locally relevant and utterly unforgettable.