Even Nita Ambani doesn’t have it: This old bag becomes most expensive handbag ever sold at Rs 887624060, it is bought by…
Most Expensive Handbag Ever Sold: We have all read news stories of precious and unique things whose bidding went into millions of dollars. The collectors and the world’s wealthiest people buy these precious items for their collections. Similarly, an old black leather bag made headlines across the world in July this year when it was put up for auction, becoming the most expensive handbag ever sold. It fetched €8.6 million (Rs 86.19 crore) including fees at a Sotheby’s auction. The successful bid of €7 million ended a ten-minute auction battle that involved nine collectors and was ultimately secured by a private buyer from Japan, as reported by Sotheby’s.
Why Did An Old Black Leather Birkin Bag Become The Most Expensive Handbag Ever Sold?
The old black leather bag is the original – very first handbag which was specially designed by Hermès in the year 1984 for British singer and actor Jane Birkin. The actor used the handbag almost every day during 1985 to 1994.
Talking about the auction of the handbag, Morgane Halimi, Sotheby’s global head of handbags and accessories, said, “an important milestone” in the history of fashion and luxury, saying it showed “the power of a legend and its capacity to ignite the passion and desire of collectors.”
Though the bag was full of imperfections like it was scratched, stained, and scuffed during the time of the auction but these imperfections only enhanced its appeal.
A pair of silver nail clippers is still attached to the handbag’s shoulder strap because Birkin used to trim her nails. Her initials ‘JB’ was also stamped on the front flap.
Not The First Auction The Handbag Has Witnessed
It is worth mentioning that it is not the first time that the handbag has changed hands and put in the auction.
Birkin herself auctioned the bag in 1994. The reason for the auction was to raise funds for the research of AIDS. The accessory was put for auction in public exhibitions at New York’s Museum of Modern Art and London’s Victoria & Albert Museum.
People who raise questions on the handbag’s price should understand that its worth comes from its story, not its luxury. In 1984, actress Jane Birkin was on board a flight bound from Paris to London when her wicker basket spilt its contents onto her seatmate, who was Hermes chairman Jean-Louis Dumas.
Nita Ambani Owns World’s Most Expensive Bag
One of the world’s richest man, Mukesh Ambani’s wife Nita Ambani also owns an expensive Hermes Birkin special edition miniature bag. Hermes Kellymorphose bag is not just a bag but an artwork. It is one of the rarest bags in the world and was crafted from 18k white gold and decorated with 3,025 diamonds.
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