A 'Louis Vuitton Bag' Smaller Than a Grain of Salt... Surprising Auction Price

Artist Group MSCHF Creates
Controversy with Past 'Satan Sneakers'

A miniature "luxury bag" so small that its shape can only be recognized under a microscope, smaller than a grain of salt, was sold at a high price at an auction.

The appearance of the 'Micro Handbag' created by the artist group 'Mischief' in New York, USA [Image source=Yonhap News]

According to foreign media reports such as the UK's BBC and the US CNN on the 29th (local time), the "micro handbag" created by the artist collective "MSCHF" based in Brooklyn, New York, was finally sold for $63,850 (about 84.05 million KRW) at an online auction hosted by the auction company Jupiter the day before. The initial bid for this bag was $15,000 (about 19.77 million KRW), and the final winning bid easily exceeded four times the initial bid.

Made using 3D printing technology, this handbag is not made of leather but of a fluorescent green photopolymer (a type of photosensitive resin and polymer compound). The bag measures 657 μm in width, 222 μm in height, and 700 μm in depth (micrometers, one-millionth of a meter), with the longest side less than 1 mm. It is difficult to see properly with the naked eye, but when viewed through a microscope, the "Louis Vuitton" brand's monogram logo and pattern can be seen.

MSCHF claimed in the auction item description, "This bag is narrow enough to pass through the eye of a needle and smaller than a grain of salt," calling it "the pinnacle of bag miniaturization." This satirizes the trend among luxury brands of releasing tiny handbags that hardly serve the original storage function of handbags. Practicality has disappeared, leaving only the symbolic value of the brand.

A micro handbag viewed under a microscope. The Louis Vuitton logo can be seen.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

Jupiter was founded by pop star, producer, and designer Pharrell Williams. Williams currently serves as the creative director of Louis Vuitton's menswear. However, MSCHF previously stated that they did not obtain permission from Louis Vuitton to use the brand. MSCHF's CCO Kevin Wiesner told American media such as The New York Times, "We tend to ask for forgiveness rather than permission."

Founded in 2016, MSCHF also caused major controversy in the past with the "Satan Shoes." In 2021, the group collaborated with rapper Lil Nas X to create 666 pairs of custom Nike "Air Max 97s" sneakers that contained a drop of blood from an employee in the sole, which led to a lawsuit. Nike, which filed the lawsuit at the time, stated, "Although we did not produce them, the misunderstanding that we did has damaged our brand value." The lawsuit was settled when MSCHF recalled the products.

In addition, MSCHF dismantled four famous luxury brand Herm?s bags called "Birkin bags" to make "Birkinstock" slippers, and introduced the "Big Red Boots," nicknamed "Atom Boots," which became a hot topic on social media.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.