A minuscule handbag measuring less than 0.03 inches wide − or 657 by 222 by 700 microns − sold for more than $63,000 at an online auction this week.
Aptly dubbed the “Microscopic Handbag” by creator MSCHF, the fluorescent yellow-green tote appears to be based on a popular Louis Vuitton design, and is “smaller than a grain of salt.”
The bag was created using 2-photon polymerization printing methods, according to Joopiter, a digital-first auction house founded by musician, record producer and designer Pharrell Williams.
Made of photopolymer resin with a gel case, the bag is viewable through a microscope and features a built-in digital display, Joopiter reported.
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‘Narrow enough to pass through the eye of a needle’
“Narrow enough to pass through the eye of a needle, this is a purse so small you’ll need a microscope to see it,” MSCHF posted on Instagram. “There are big handbags, normal handbags, and small handbags, but this is the final word in bag miniaturization. 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.”
Bidding on the bag, produced in 2023, began last week at $15,000 and it sold for $63,750 on Wednesday, the auctioneer reported.
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Natalie Neysa Alund covers breaking and trending news for USA TODAY. Reach her at nalund@usatoday.com and follow her on Twitter @nataliealund.
