ACADEMICIAN SWORDS

Lorenz Bäumer made 4 academician swords, for Gabriel de Broglie, Jacques Taddéi, François Girod and Xavier Darcos.

It is traditional for the friends of a future academician to meet in a "sword committee" to offer him his sword. Far from being a weapon, this one is a work of art, a manifesto in which can be read, in symbolic terms, the events, the ambitions, the loves, the convictions which have built or punctuated the course of the one who access to human immortality.

On the sword of Gabriel de Broglie, a great bibliophile, Lorenz Bäumer made azure and gold dominate, reminiscent of the arms of his family. On the ring of the scabbard, the books appear as well as an oil lamp, emblem of Madame de Genlis. Below are engraved the arcades of the Palais-Royal, recalling both the Council of State of which he has been a member since 1960 and the Orléans family to which Madame de Genlis was attached. Finally, on the blade, the title of an essay by the academician sounds like a credo “Le français pour qu'il vive”.

Xavier Darcos was elected to the Academy of Moral and Political Sciences on June 26, 2006 and elected to the French Academy on June 13, 2013.

L'Epée by Xavier Darcos is an allegory of the Bassin d'Arcachon where the blue represents the sky and the sea, the white for the clouds, the yellow for the sand of the Pilat dune and finally the star as the celestial light. Lorenz Bäumer represented through this sword all that is dear to Xavier Darcos.

The three children of Xavier Darcos are represented on the pommel of the sword by three stars as well as a large star for Laure his wife. On the twisted rocket is written in blue letters two quotes: "Per aspera ad astra" and "Tibi or not to be". On the guard in the shape of an undulating feather are marked the names of ancient authors: Ovide, Tacitus or Prosper Mérimée and Oscar Wilde on whom the academician wrote. The blue leather scabbard embellished with stars features two winks. On the golden button an organ pipe recalls his passion for opera, and on the screed a glass and cutlery are a reminder of his membership in the club of 100 which meets on Thursdays for lunch. Finally, on the heel of the blade, an engraved bunch of grapes flowing into wine, seals the collaboration between the Médoc and the Opus One estate.

For Lorenz Bäumer, each of these swords allows him to enter a fascinating world, where he tries to restore the means of expression that are his.