Look up at the rooftop of Ginza Maison Hermès, where you will see a statue affectionately known as the artificier. Back in 1987, Hermès celebrated its 150th anniversary with a pyrotechnics show launched from a majestic floating stage on the Seine in Paris. The colourful fireworks were shot from hand cannons held up by six artificer statues. The idea of mounting these statues on rooftops began right here in Ginza where one of the six was brought in 2001 for the opening of Ginza Maison Hermès. Instead of wielding a hand cannon, he now carries two silk scarves that flap in the Tokyo breeze like flags.

Since then, the rest of the artificiers have traveled to other parts of the world, where each one watches over a different Hermès Maison. If you’re in Shanghai, Seoul, New York, or Paris, you might be lucky enough to meet him!