DUBAI: One of only four Birkin handbags ever owned by British actress and singer Jane Birkin will be offered at auction as part of the inaugural Abu Dhabi Collectors’ Week. The program of auctions, masterclasses, panel discussions, and exhibitions at the St. Regis Saadiyat Island Resort in Abu Dhabi is all set to take place from Dec. 2-5.
Gifted to Birkin by Hermes, the black bag was one of four the artist used after she sold her beloved Original Birkin, the prototype.
This one-of-a-kind bag will be sold in a live auction on Dec. 5 under the name Le Birkin Voyageur — a reference to a message inside the bag written by Birkin herself — with an estimate of $230,000–$430,000.
Following the record-breaking sale in July of Birkin’s original Hermes Birkin — a unique and iconic prototype that fetched $10.1 million at Sotheby’s Paris, becoming the most valuable handbag ever sold at auction — global interest in both Hermes Birkins and the actress’ personal collection has surged to unprecedented heights.
Birkin sold her original Hermes Birkin in 1994 to raise funds for a leading French AIDS charity, which prompted Hermes to offer the artist a new Birkin, similar to the prototype she had inspired and helped design.
