Microscopic Louis Vuitton handbag auctioned for $63,750
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Last month we brought you news of a microscopic handbag that was smaller than a grain of salt. Now, the item has sold at auction for a whopping $63,750.
This is according to a report by the BBC published on Thursday.
The object measures 657 x 222 x 700 micrometers and was created by art collective MSCHF, based in Brooklyn.
“There are big handbags, normal handbags, and small handbags, but this is the final word in bag miniaturization. As a once-functional object like a handbag becomes smaller and smaller its object status becomes steadily more abstracted until it is purely a brand signifier,” said MSCHF in an Instagram post at the time of the bag’s unveiling.
The fashion accessory boasted luxury handbag designer Louis Vuitton branding, but has no connection to the brand.
Permission however was asked of the fashion brand. MSCHF's chief creative officer, Kevin Wiesner, told the New York Times earlier this month: "We are big in the 'ask forgiveness, not permission' school.”
The bag is made of photopolymer resin and was produced using a 3D printing technology often employed in the creation of tiny mechanical models and structures.
Some of the first tiny bag samples created and sent to Louis Vuitton for approval were so small that they were lost by the MSCHF team.
At auction, however, a microscope with a digital display was included in the purchase to try and avoid a similar fate for the item. The bids for the bag started at $15,000 but quickly grew.
The only worry for the buyer would be not to lose the expensive tiny object. A small gesture can lead to the bag falling down and being lost forever.
No details were given as to who bought the item and what they plan to do with it. Aside from being put in display at a museum we cannot see any other useful applications for the bag.
The art collective behind the bag has produced other highly controversial pieces such as shoes that contain human blood, trainers with holy water in the soles, a cologne that smells like WD-40, and giant red rubber boots, according to the BBC.
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