Our Legacy
« The most precious legacy is example. »
[Joseph Michel Antoine Servan ; Extrait d’un portefeuille (1807)]
Temyris was born from a legacy
A legacy from a grandfather to his granddaughter. From Henry to Aurore. A concentration of beauty and ingenuity, and of love and passion.
A reflection of the feelings that Henry and his wife, Lucienne, felt for each other. It was for her that Henry was inspired to create an exceptional gift with his own hands. In the social whirl of pre-war balls and socialising with friends. It was a particularly carefree time – after the Great War – when happiness was possible once again.
Henry imagined an ultra-compact beauty minaudière featuring a lipstick, face powder and fragrance spray. Moulded and machined in galalith, the minaudière was decorated with delicate mother-of-pearl marquetry. Calling on craftsmen he knew to help him, it became the symbol of Henry’s love for his wife.
A reflection of the feelings that Henry and his wife, Lucienne, felt for each other. It was for her that Henry was inspired to create an exceptional gift with his own hands. In the social whirl of pre-war balls and socialising with friends. It was a particularly carefree time – after the Great War – when happiness was possible once again.
Henry imagined an ultra-compact beauty minaudière featuring a lipstick, face powder and fragrance spray. Moulded and machined in galalith, the minaudière was decorated with delicate mother-of-pearl marquetry. Calling on craftsmen he knew to help him, it became the symbol of Henry’s love for his wife.
But this legacy was in danger.
Like the rest of their generation, Henry and Lucienne were struck by the ravages of the Second World War and together, they joined the Resistance. Intrepid, they listened to Radio London with bated breath, waiting for their orders. When the crackling voice uttered “Coco needs oxygen”, the were spurred into action. Coco was Henry’s nickname. Oxygen (AuxiGennes) was the contraction of the names Auxi le Château, where Henry was born and Gennes-Ivergny, the birthplace of Lucienne. The coded message had a single purpose. It confirmed that Henry must dynamite a bridge during the fast-approaching invasion. Victory was in sight. Henry and Lucienne had a life planned for their future family. The beauty minaudière was forgotten. But, towards the end of his life, Henry remembered it.
Upon his death, he bequeathed the minaudière to Aurore, his granddaughter.
Aurore was fascinated by the object, and even more impressed by its history. Yet, it wasn’t until many years later that she had the courage to mention it to her partner Paul. Their past is different, but they imagined a future for the minaudière together: a luxurious accessory oozing sensuality, made in France by exceptional craftsmen and radiating modernity. A new showcase for women nomads and crusaders: a 3-in-1 beauty accessory with interchangeable and refillable makeup capsules.
The beauty minaudière bears the seal of Temyris, the last Queen of the Amazons to illustrate that women are eternal crusaders.
And as a reminder of her history, Temyris wears a castle on her body armour and an eagle lands in her hair.
