Barely Worn, Rich and Vibrant, ‘Feux du Ciel’ (Celestial Fires)

The sheer joy, colour and exuberance of Sefedin! Issued in 2000 to celebrate the new millennium, both ‘Fuex’ and ‘Smiles’ were illustrated in chalk by Sudanese young orphan boy, Ibrahim Alamia Kwumi Sefedin. Feux was subsequently reissued in 2003.

The scarf is inspired by the explosion of fireworks against a starry night sky, or perhaps the aurora, or possibly a combination of the two.

‘Celestial fires’ represent the Holy Spirit, as described in Col CM Bickersteth’s hymn of the late 19th century:

“Come Holy Spirit from above
With thy celestial fire
Come and with flames of zeal and love
Our hearts and tongues inspire”

This example is spotless, and feels barely worn. Condition 9.9/10.

Hermes writes of Sefedin:

“After his parents were killed in 1997, during a civil war, a then-14-year-old Sudanese boy named Sefedin found his way to a base camp for Doctors Without Borders, which placed him in a school for orphans.

While there, he drew colourful chalk sketches of African landscapes, which eventually landed on the desk of Jean-Louis Dumas.

Dumas, the now-retired chief executive of Hermès, had previously visited the school and asked the teachers to send him the work of any promising young artists. Dumas hired Sefedin to design for Hermes. He created six different styles.

‘This boy was born during the war and saw nothing but death around him,’ he said, ‘but all of his designs are very peaceful.’ “