The action takes place in 1682. One hazy morning, a Cavalier takes a letter to Louis XI, King of France, in Versailles ; the letter is about Saint-Germain treaty on the Franco-Moroccan friendship. The ribbon wound round the letter is sealed with wax.
	Another time, another scene … April 1814, Napoléon Bonaparte dips his quill in the ink and writes an abdication act that keeps his son’s rights.

The common point between these two scenes : J. Herbin company, created in 1670, whose founder imported his sealing wax formula from his travels in India and started ink production in 1700.
 
The first ink is called Black Head Ink, then Pearl of Inks (its current name) and Vessels’ Ink. The ink’s quality is so high that the company becomes the official supplier of the King of Rome (Napoléon Bonaparte’s son).

For many years now, the ink has been sold in curtains (measuring unit equivalent to 60 ml)… 2007… the “exclusive” J. Herbin glass bottles are called D Bottles (D stands for Demi – half curtain -30 ml-).

 During the 19th century, J. Herbin takes part in large international exhibitions and the firm receives a medal in London (1823) as a reward to the exceptional quality of his inks and waxes.
The manufacture of Indian ink starts in 1824.
J. Herbin invents the glue stick and the famous purple ink used by the French schoolchildren; the firm also invents the first correcting products (ink-eaters) around the end of the 19th century.

In 1911, back from the USA, the company’s manager manufactures the first carbon paper ever made on the old continent, in order to make duplicates.
Wax supplier for Chanel since its creation, J. Herbin is involved in the finishing touches of the perfume bottles of this famous firm.