'Louis Vuitton' microscopic handbag sold for Rs 51 lakh, can pass through needle’s eye The remarkably small neon green bag is modelled after Louis Vuitton (LV) Monogram’s OnTheGo tote handbags. It has been created via a 3D printer using 2-photon polymerisation printing methods

 The devil is in the details’, they say. MSCHF, the popular New York-based art collective just proved them right. In a move determined to shock people globally, a handbag ‘smaller than a grain of salt’ and ‘narrow enough to pass through the eye of a needle’ was sold at a price of $63,000 or Rs 51.7 lakh at an auction in New York. Merely 657 by 222 by 700 micrometers in size, the remarkably small neon green bag is modelled after Louis Vuitton (LV) Monogram’s OnTheGo tote handbags. It has been created via a 3D printer using 2-photon polymerisation printing methods, as per The Guardian.

Ever since the microscopic bag came into public view, it has created a roar of controversy. The recent auction was held by Joopiter, an online auction house founded by Pharrell Williams, an American record producer. It claims the item’s selling price to be $63,750. However, MSCHF has not sought permission from Louis Vuitton to use their logo or design for the handbag.

While describing the teeny bag, the collective, which specialises in re-appropriating works of art or commercial objects, said: “As a once-functional object like a handbag becomes smaller and smaller its object status becomes steadily more abstracted until it is purely a brand signifier.”

Microscopic bag announcement

MSCHF announced the handbag launch on their Instagram account. They wrote: “There are big handbags, normal handbags, and small handbags, but this is the final word in bag miniaturisation.”

Check out the post:

The post was shared 2 weeks ago and attracted over 86,000 likes. It also attracted humorous comments, due to its size. Check out the responses below:

One Instagram user described it as the perfect bag for all this cash. Another dreamed of stealing it before anyone could have it. A third user described the collective as brilliant, hilarious and creative.

Clash with Nike

Created in 2016, MSCHF stands for ‘mischief’. The Brooklyn-based advertising collective is best-known for its offbeat and zany ‘The Big Red Boots’ and Lil Nas X’s ‘Satan Shoes’, among others. The shoes made headlines for an apparent drop of human blood in their midsole. With the release of its tiny handbag, the multi-billionaire company aims to comment on the increasing focus on brand promotion rather than functionality.

The collective was sued by Nike for trademark infringement. It was in jeopardy for the release of 666 pairs of black Nike Air Max 97s customised with a bronze pentagram. In addition, they put a Bible verse referring to Satan’s fall, and a drop of human blood mixed with red ink in the midsole.

Later, however, MSCHF struck a deal with Nike under which it issued a voluntary recall of the sneakers.