<I>Les Amériques </I>
date: label: Date
content: 1992-1993
name: label: Designed by
content: Kermit Oliver, American, born 1943
label: Manufactured by
content: Hermès International S.A., French, founded 1837
label: Subject of
content: Christopher Columbus, Italian, 1451 - 1503
notes: label: Description
content: A framed Hermès silk scarf titled “Les Amériques” designed by Kermit Oliver and manufactured by Hermès Soie et Textiles. The scarf was commissioned by Hermès and first issued in 1992 to coincide with the 500th anniversary of Christopher Columbus’s voyage. The colorful and detailed scarf depicts the “Old World” and the “New World” with Columbus on the right and a stereotypical image of a Maya person on the left. Columbus is holding a staff, with a white scroll with a red cross behind his left shoulder, possibly referring to the Spanish Requirement. Underneath Columbus are the three ships from his first voyage, the Niña, Pinta, and Santa María. The Maya is wearing a Maya Quetzal feather headdress with a jadeite necklace (of Guatemalan origin) with the Tikal Temple I (Guatemala) behind them.
label: Description
content: At the top center of the scarf is an embellished banner with the text [COLUMBUS] and flanked by [1492] on the left and [1992] on the right. Underneath the banner is a world map only of Europe, Africa, and Asia. At the center of the scarf is a gold compass above an ocean where the three ships are. At the bottom of the scarf is another banner with the text [Les Amériques] flanked by fruits and vegetables. In the upper right corner is the variation of the coat of arms of Spain and to the right are the first letter initials of the Spanish monarchs [f [image of a knight helmet] y] for King Ferdinand II of Aragon and Queen Isabella I (spelled Ysabel in Spanish) of Castile. In the bottom right corner is a gold sundial nautical compass. In the upper left corner is a jaguar holding a horizontally striped green and white flag and a bird holding a horizontally striped red and white flag. In the bottom left corner is the Maya Calendar. The left border has other images inspired by or from codices. The lower right quadrant is stiched with [Oliver].
label: Statement
content: Objects depicting racist and/or stereotypical imagery or language may be offensive and disturbing, but the NMAAHC aims to include them in the Collection to present and preserve the historical context in which they were created and used. Objects of this type provide an important historical record from which to study and evaluate racism.
place: label: Place made
content: Walco, McLennan County, Texas, United States, North and Central America
label: Place printed
content: Rhône-Alpes, France, France, Europe
label: Place depicted
content: Europe
label: Place depicted
content: Africa
label: Place depicted
content: Asia
topic: label: Topic
content: African American
label: Topic
content: Art
label: Topic
content: Catholicism
label: Topic
content: Clothing and dress
label: Topic
content: Colonialism
label: Topic
content: Design
label: Topic
content: Fashion
label: Topic
content: Fashion design
label: Topic
content: Spanish colonialism
label: Topic
content: Stereotypes
setName: label: See more items in
content: National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection
label: Classification
content: Visual Arts
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of the Estate of Carroll Parrott Blue
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of African American History and Culture
identifier: label: Object number
content: 2023.39.34ab
objectType: label: Type
content: scarves (costume accessories)
objectRights: label: Restrictions & Rights
content: © Kermit Oliver
label: Restrictions & Rights
content: Permission required for use. Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
physicalDescription: label: Medium
content: silk (textile)
label: Dimensions
content: H x W (unframed): 36 × 36 in. (91.4 × 91.4 cm)
label: Dimensions
content: H x W (framed): 38 1/2 × 38 in. (97.8 × 96.5 cm)