Art Price Index: The Birkin Bag by Hermès, a Solid Investment

Published on 22 September 2023, by Sophie Reyssat

The memory of Jane Birkin, who died on July 16, lives on in each variation of the in-demand bag inspired by the artist.

€124,800 2016, 35 cm Himalaya Crocodylus niloticus bag, palladium-plated silver metal... Art Price Index: The Birkin Bag by Hermès, a Solid Investment

€124,800
2016, 35 cm Himalaya Crocodylus niloticus bag, palladium-plated silver metal fasteners and clasp, double handle, keys enclosed in a clochette, covered padlock.
Live auction, 22 rue Drouot, October 19, 2021. Gros & Delettrez OVV. Cabinet Chombert & Sternbach.

It all began when the actress and singer Jane Birkin exclaimed “ Hermès needs a bag with pockets!” as she gathered the contents of her overstuffed bag strewn across the floor of an airplane, on a flight from Paris to London. Her seatmate, Jean-Louis Dumas, president of the luxury brand house, seized on the idea and invited her to design the lines of the rectangular "tote bag" bearing…

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