Academician's swords
Lorenz Bäumer has created 4 academician's swords, for Gabriel de Broglie, Jacques Taddéi, François Girod and Xavier Darcos.
It is customary for friends of a future academician to gather within a "sword committee" to offer him his sword. Far from being a weapon, it is a work of art, a manifesto in which the events, ambitions, loves, and convictions that have shaped or punctuated the journey of the one who gains access to the immortality of men can be read in symbolic terms.
For Lorenz Bäumer, each of these swords allows him to enter a fascinating world, where he tries to express himself with his own means.
GABRIEL DE BROGLIE'S SWORD
On the sword of Gabriel de Broglie, a great bibliophile, Lorenz Bäumer used blue and gold, reminiscent of his family's coat of arms.
On the scabbard's ring, books appear, as well as an oil lamp, the emblem of Madame de Genlis. Below are engraved the arches of the Palais-Royal, recalling both the Conseil d'État, of which he has been a member since 1960, and the Orléans family, to whom Madame de Genlis was attached.
Finally, on the blade, the title of an essay by the academician rings out like a credo: "Le français pour qu’il vive" (French, so that it may live).
THE SWORD OF XAVIER DARCOS
Xavier Darcos was elected to the Academy of Moral and Political Sciences on June 26, 2006, and to the French Academy on June 13, 2013.
Xavier Darcos's sword is an allegory of the Arcachon Bay, where blue represents the sky and sea, white for the clouds, yellow for the sand of the Dune du Pilat, and finally the star as celestial light. Through this sword, Lorenz Bäumer represented everything that is dear to Xavier Darcos.
Xavier Darcos' three children are represented on the sword's pommel by three stars, as well as a large star for his wife Laure. On the twisted grip, two quotes are inscribed in blue letters: "Per aspera ad astra" and "Tibi or not to be". On the wavy feather-shaped guard are marked the names of ancient authors: Ovid, Tacitus, and also Prosper Mérimée and Oscar Wilde, on whom the academician has written. The blue leather scabbard, embellished with stars, features two winks.
On the gilded chape, an organ pipe recalls his passion for opera, and on the locket, a glass and cutlery are a reminder of his membership in the Club des 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 Médoc and the Opus One estate.