A tiny handbag comparable to the size of a grain of salt has sold for a seriously steep price tag after going up for auction.
The minuscule handbag, which is less than 0.03 inches wide, and is hardly perceptible to the naked eye, ended up fetching a massive $63,000 at an online auction on Wednesday.
The vibrant yellowish-green bag pays homage to an iconic Louis Vuitton design. It's worth noting, though, that this miniature wonder is the brainchild of a New York art collective, MSCHF, not the legendary luxury brand.
The Brooklyn-based art collective MSCHF christened this minute masterpiece the "Microscopic Handbag." Remarkably, this bag is slim enough to slide through the eye of a needle and is touted to be even smaller than a grain of sea salt.
It is a product of two-photon polymerization, a production methodology employed for 3D printing of micro-scale plastic components. The sale also included a microscope with a digital display to admire the micro-bag, because - let's face it - you're going to need it.
The brand had shared photos of the minuscule bag on social media, including one anxiety-inducing snap showing it balancing on the tip of someone's finger.
One microscopic image gave a closer view of the bag's intricate design, showcasing Louis Vuitton's signature "LV" monogram. The design of the micro-bag is largely inspired by Louis Vuitton's popular OnTheGo tote, which is priced between $3,100 and $4,300 at full size.
The auction was facilitated by Joopiter, an online auction house launched by renowned American musician and designer, Pharrell Williams. Despite serving as Louis Vuitton’s creative director of menswear, MSCHF's chief creative officer Kevin Wiesner confessed that neither Williams' nor Louis Vuitton's permission was sought for the use of the logo or design.
Since its establishment in 2016, MSCHF has been turning heads with its unique, satirical "drops," often poking fun at and capitalizing on consumer capitalism.
The art collective has dabbled in the luxury fashion space previously, with the creation of sandals from four torn Birkin bags, tagged as 'Birkinstocks,' and its internet-breaking rubber boots, known as 'Big Red Boots.'
While MSCHF didn't offer comments to CNN prior to the sale, the auction listing was accompanied by a statement suggesting that the evolution of small handbags into brand signifiers within the fashion industry inspired the creation of the "Microscopic Handbag."
The bag may be cute - if you have a spare $63,000 burning a hole in your pocket - but it's not exactly usable. It definitely won't fit your phone, wallet, or keys and god forbid you should ever drop it and have to hunt down your $63K investment in a thick-pile carpet before it's vacuumed up.
Featured image credit: Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images
