Designed by French artist Christian Astuguevieille, the "Geranium Porosus" includes five crocodile-covered feet attached to the handbag.
The one-of-a-kind Hermès geranium porosus handbag sold for $125,000 at Heritage Auctions' Holiday Luxury Signature Auction in Dallas earlier this month. Photo courtesy of Heritage Auctions
Although the geranium porosus handbag sold for an astonishing amount, this handbag — which features solid 18-karat white gold and diamond hardware — sold for $203,150 in 2011, making it the most expensive Hermès bag sold. Photo courtesy of Heritage Auctions
According to the Guinness Book of World Records, Mouawad's "1001 Nights" purse — crafted from 18-karat gold and 4,517 diamonds — is the most expensive purse in the world, valued at $3.8 million. Photo courtesy of Mouawad
A one-of-a-kind Hermès handbag, crafted from crocodile and Togo leather, recently sold for $125,000 at a Dallas auction. The bright red and black handbag, called the "Geranium Porosus" — a version of the legendary Kelly — is part of the Petit H collection which began as a traveling exhibition at various Hermès stores, starting in Paris in Nov. 2010.
The collection used leftover pieces of other Hermès items to create what they call "unidentified poetic objects."
The handbag originally retailed for around $60,000 and was expected to sell for "only" $50,000.
Designed by French artist Christian Astuguevieille, the "Geranium Porosus" includes five crocodile-covered feet attached to the handbag. The auction house, Heritage Auctions, described the piece as "probably the most collectible Kelly ever to come out of Hermès."
The handbag, which measures 12.5 inches across, originally retailed for around $60,000 and was expected to sell for "only" $50,000 at the Holiday Luxury Signature Auction. But an unidentified buyer purchased the one-of-a-kind handbag for a whopping $125,000, making it one of the most expensive handbags ever sold.
While the "Geranium Porosus" sold for a truly astonishing amount, it isn't the single most expensive handbag ever sold, despite claims from some news outlets.
A red crocodile Birkin called the "H Porosus," which features solid 18-karat white gold and pavé diamond hardware, is actually the most expensive Hermès handbag sold. It went for an unbelievable sum — $203,150 — at a 2011 Heritage Auction in Dallas.
While these two Hermès handbags are especially pricey, even they aren't the most expensive handbags in the world. That honor — as recorded in the Guinness Book of World Records — goes to the "1001 Nights" diamond purse from Mouawad.
The heart-shaped purse, handcrafted from 18-karat gold and features 4,517 diamonds — a total of 381.92 carats — is valued at $3.8 million.
Source: Culture Map Houston