You can now transport your favorite frocks just like a certain stylish sovereign.
A late-18th-century royal traveling trunk with ties to Marie Antoinette is heading to auction via Sotheby’s this week, with an estimate of $80,000 to $120,000. The exceptionally rare memento offers up a link to the famed Queen of France’s life at Versailles and a connection to the queen’s influential wardrobe and taste, too.
The traveling trunk is believed to have belonged to Marie Antoinette’s own suite in Versailles. Made from oak and cypress, it features studded leather and wrought iron mounts alongside twin locks and folding iron handles, details that Sotheby’s says show off the grandeur of life at the palace while remaining practical for daily use. The domed lid, meanwhile, has an inscription that reads “Garderobe de la Reine N° 19,” or “Queen’s Wardrobe No. 19.”
Each trunk was numbered to keep track of the royal garments inside.
Sotheby’s
