One of the Birkin bags from the French luxury fashion house Hermès, which once belonged to Jane Birkin, was auctioned in Abu Dhabi on Friday for 2.45 million euros (including fees). This was announced by the auction house Sotheby’s. The sale comes a few months after the record auction of the original Birkin bag for 8.6 million euros.
The bag is nicknamed ‘Le Birkin Voyageur’. It was auctioned off to a buyer over the telephone for six times the upper estimate of 370,000 euros. There had previously been “11 minutes of bitter bidding between six collectors,” as the auction house told the AFP news agency.
Hermès gave the black leather bag to Jane Birkin in 2003. The piece shows signs of wear as well as handwritten inscriptions from the British singer and actress, who died in 2023. It is one of four bags the artist received. She had previously sold her iconic prototype in 1994 to benefit an AIDS charity.
This bag is characterized by special details. These include closed bridges that are reminiscent of the prototype. It also contains the handwritten note: “My Birkin bag that has traveled with me around the world.” This phrase inspired the bag’s nickname. It was first auctioned off in 2007 to benefit a human rights organization. It then ended up in a private collection.
“Selling her Birkin bags to raise funds for charity (…) became a tradition for Jane Birkin. Hermès replaced her every time,” recalls Sotheby’s.
In July, the very first Birkin bag, designed specifically for the artist in 1984, was auctioned in Paris for almost 8.6 million euros. This made it the most expensive bag ever sold at auction. A third personal Hermès bag belonging to Jane Birkin will soon go under the hammer.
The Orne Enchères auction house will offer another example on December 15th at the Hôtel Drouot in Paris. The artist had entrusted it to her friend and biographer Gabrielle Crawford. Crawford is selling the piece to help fund a future Jane Birkin Foundation. Drouot announced this in a press release. The black leather bag is decorated with the star’s personal accessories. These include bells or Japanese lucky charms. The estimated value is between 100,000 and 120,000 euros.
“She weighed a ton. But she and the bag were inseparable. She never forgot it,” recalls Gabrielle Crawford.
Another important piece will be sold for the benefit of the foundation. This is the original English typescript of the cult film ‘Je t’aime moi non plus’. It was annotated by Serge Gainsbourg and Jane Birkin. The estimated value is between 15,000 and 18,000 euros.
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