DALLAS, TX.- Amid a burst of color reflective of blooming spring flowers everywhere,
Heritage Auctions' Luxury Accessories Auction May 2 will offer a trove of extraordinary handbags for collectors of all tastes.
"This auction is one of the prettiest sales I have ever curated at Heritage Auctions," Heritage Luxury Accessories Director Diane D'Amato said. "Spring auctions tend to reach people who want a choice of brightly colored options, and that may be even more true this year. This sale offers a range of extraordinary bags, with color bright enough to match the exceptional craftsmanship that went in to them."
An Hermès 30cm Matte White Himalayan Niloticus Crocodile Birkin Bag with Palladium Hardware (estimate: $75,000-80,000) is the most expensive and iconic bag offered by the Parisian company. The bag's extraordinary coloration is created through an exceedingly time-consuming process that achieves the desired gradient of color that sets this bag apart through a palette of color designed to mimic the snow-capped Himalayan Mountains, offering a rare intersection of artistry and craftsmanship.
An Hermès 35cm Special Order Horseshoe Matte Black Alligator & Rouge H Chevre Leather Birkin Bag with Palladium Hardware (estimate: $30,000-40,000) measures 14 inches wide, and is done in Black Alligator with Palladium Hardware. It includes two rolled handles and a flap top with a turnlock closure. The interior, in bold Rouge H Chevre Leather, features one zip pocket and a slip pocket.
Extreme rarity has only added to the demand for an Hermès Limited Edition 35cm Fauve Barenia Leather & Osier Wicker Kelly Picnic Bag with Palladium Hardware (estimate: $30,000-38,000), which has soared in popularity in part because it was created in such limited number. This 14-inch bag is done in Fauve Barenia Leather and Osier Wicker with Palladium Hardware, and boasts a top handle and a flap top with a turnlock closure. The Fauve Chevre Leather interior includes three slip pockets.
The sale includes an impressive number of bags created in vibrant, bold colors, including an Hermès 40cm Shiny Blue Electric Porosus Crocodile Birkin Bag with Palladium Hardware (estimate: $30,000-40,000), an Hermès 24cm Shiny Rose Poupre Alligator Double Gusset Constance Bag with Palladium Hardware (estimate: $20,000-28,000) and a stunning Hermès 30cm Violine Ostrich Birkin Bag with Gold Hardware (estimate: $18,000-26,000).
Also featured is a selection of bright-colored Kelly bags. The offerings include Kelly clutches, among them an Hermès Shiny Blue Abysse Niloticus Crocodile Kelly Cut Clutch with Palladium Hardware and an Hermès Shiny Black Porosus Crocodile Kelly Cut Clutch with Gold Hardware, each of which carries an estimate of $20,000-28,000, as well as options like an Hermès Limited Edition 20cm Rose Jaipur & Rouge Vif Epsom Leather Mini Kelly II Bag with Palladium Hardware, an Hermès 25cm Rose Extreme Epsom Leather Sellier Kelly Bag with Palladium Hardware and Twilly Scarf or an Hermès 25cm Cactus Epsom Leather Sellier Kelly Bag with Gold Hardware and Twilly Scarf, each of which carries a pre-auction estimate of $10,000-14,000.
From the 2016 Hermès Menswear Collection comes an Hermès Limited Edition 45cm Blue Nuit Togo Leather Shark Mou Bolide Bag with Palladium Hardware (estimate: $14,000-18,000), a large (18-inch) versatile selection designed by Véronique Nichanian that can be for a man or woman. Done in Blue Nuit Togo Leather with Palladium Hardware, it includes two rolled handles and a top zip closure. The interior is done in Blue Nuit Togo Leather and Toile.
One popular design is the Chanel So Black Quilted Aged Calfskin Leather 2.55 Reissue -226 Double Flap Bag with PVD Hardware (estimate: $3,500-4,500), an 11-inch beauty done in black aged calfskin leather with PVD hardware, featuring a rear slide pocket, a long chain shoulder strap that can be worn long or doubled over, and a flap top with a Mademoiselle turnlock closure. The interior also is done in black calfskin leather, and features a slip pocket in front of the main compartment and two slip pockets. So Black collectors also will want to consider an assortment of So Black Rodeo Charms, each of which carries a pre-auction estimate of $1,000-1,200.
Louis Vuitton has a strong presence in the auction, thanks to 41 LV lots. The list includes:
A Damier Ebene Monogram Coated Canvas Steamer Trunk, Late 19th Century (estimate: $8,000-10,000)
A Limited Edition Blue Monogram PVC Keepall Bandoulière 50 (estimate: $4,000-6,000)
A Limited Edition Blue Tropical Epi Leather Petite Malle Bag (estimate: $3,000-5,000)
A Black Alligator Evening Clutch (estimate: $3,000-5,000)