The leading French luxury house of Hermès is world-famous for accessories and clothing made from fine leathers and luxurious silks. The subject matter of their silk scarves often reference the lifestyle of the typical Hermès customer with motifs based on horse-riding, hunting, shooting and fishing and other country sports. The scarves are designed by a range of highly talented artists, and are marketed as 'carrés' by the house (carré is the French word for square). This carré is shown with the original light folds and creases from having been folded in its presentation box. This is part of the Hermès signature. The superb quality and smoothness of the silk used means that these folds typically disappear within a hour or so of wearing, and visible light creases from correct storage are seen as highlighting the quality of the Hermès product rather than detracting.

This carré was designed in 1960 by Anne Gavarni (1922-2014) and is printed with a design of fish and fowl composed of vegetables and tableware. The surrealist design references the work of the 16th-century Italian painter Guiseppe Arcimboldo (1526/7-1593) who is famous for his portrait heads composed of flowers, fruit, books, fish and other objects. The fish and fowl refer to the country sports of shooting and fishing, while the vegetables and cutlery make reference to fine dining.

Anne Gavarni, who designed the first of her 31 scarves for Hermès in 1959, came from a family of artists. Her grandfather, Pierre Gavarni (1846-1932) was a noted artist, printmaker and sculptor who was particularly known for his paintings of horses, and her father, Jean-Edouard Gavarni Chevallier (1898-1964) worked in artisan ceramics and the applied arts. She produced a number of watercolours, prints and etchings throughout her life.