CHRISTIE’S FRANCE – LEGENDARY TRUNKS: A EUROPEAN PRIVATE COLLECTION – Online sales until July 3, 2024
LEGENDARY TRUNKS: A EUROPEAN PRIVATE COLLECTION – Online sales until July 3, 2024
AN EXCEPTIONAL SALE:
– THE LARGEST COLLECTION OF TRUNKS EVER PRESENTED AT AN AUCTION
– THE THOUSAND AND ONE LIVES OF AN ICONIC OBJECT
– THE HISTORY OF TRAVEL THROUGH GENERATIONS
Paris – Christie’s France is delighted to announce the auction of the largest private collection of Louis Vuitton trunks ever offered. This exceptional auction runs from June 19 to July 3 in an online sale entitled ‘Legendary Trunks: A European Private Collection’. Assembled by a passionate collector, this collection of over 100 models emblematic of a particular era or style represents a veritable anthology of Louis Vuitton trunks. The sale is estimated at between €1.4m and €2.1m.
AN ANTHOLOGY OF STYLES AND GENERATIONS OF EXPERTISE
For nearly two centuries, each trunk has been an invitation to travel. A unique travel companion, this object evokes adventure, discovery and distant correspondence. In the history of trunks, one Maison has rapidly risen to mythical status. By adopting a flat shape that allowed luggage to be stacked, and by favoring light, watertight linings, Louis Vuitton gave life to the first luxury trunks. From its foundation in 1854 to contemporary creations, including those by Virgil Abloh, these trunks bear witness to the exceptional know-how of more than five generations of craftsmen.
From left to right:
Wardrobe-Secretary Trunk 114, Monogram Canvas, Gold Brass Trim, In The Style Of Leopold Anthony Stokowski
Circa 1920/1930
Estimate: €20,000 – €30,000
© Christie’s Images Ltd 2024
Limited Edition 110 Yellow & White Monogram Canvas Mail Trunk with Silver Metal Trim
By Virgil Abloh, 2021
Estimate: €50,000 – €70,000
© Christie’s Images Ltd 2024
Malle Armoire 110, En Toile Monogram, Garniture En Laiton Doré, Portant Les Initiales “John Moffat” (“John Moffat”)
1930
Estimate: €24,000 – €35,000
© Christie’s Images Ltd 2024
The trunks in the collection combine materials as diverse as zinc, copper, wood, leather and canvas. Combining robustness and timeless sophistication, they are all designed to meet the travel needs of their time. The diversity of models presented illustrates the evolution of design, responding to the changing demands of an elegant clientele in search of practicality. The workmanship of the slats and curved brass nails makes each trunk as unique as its lock. Designed for travel, the trunk has become a luxury item. Among the most remarkable pieces in the sale is a Malle Armoire from 1900 with a copper exterior. This rare and exquisite material was used to offer protection from the elements – including heat, humidity and water – during journeys to far-flung destinations. The famous Malle Idéale, in cowhide with brass locks, features compartments for shoes, hats and scarves. The compartments open like a toolbox, ideal for a week’s business travel. By 1896, the famous Monogram canvas had replaced the checkerboards and stripes of the early days. The Malle Bureau, from the 1920s-1930s, is a fine illustration of this, with its stationery compartments, folding table and central locking mechanism. This legendary model, known as the Malle Stokowski, was designed for conductor Leopold Stokowski to suit his work and travel habits. Year after year, the appeal of the trunks continued unabated, and successive creative directors perpetuated the Maison’s tradition while adding modern touches. Thus, in 2021, Virgil Abloh proposed his version of the iconic Malle Courrier, with a limited edition yellow and white monogrammed canvas.
UNIQUE PIECES AND LEGENDARY STORIES
Some trunks embody ingenious solutions for luxury customers. An alligator trunk reveals a caviar set with four shot glasses; a Monogram canvas trunk is equipped to hold a birthday cake, including a cake knife and forks; a rare limited-edition Croquet trunk from 2004 contains everything needed for a game of croquet for eight players.
The collection also features collaborations and special editions. Inspired by the concept of the Malle Idéale, Louis Vuitton has created library trunks for books. The Malle Bibliothèque Hemingway, designed in 1927 by Gaston-Louis Vuitton for Ernest Hemingway, is the most iconic example of a travel library. Available in several variants, one of these versions, a Malle Bibliothèque in yellow Vuittonite with drawers and space for a typewriter, is presented on this occasion.
Special orders also include a Malle Courrier from the collection of French banker and philanthropist Albert Kahn, who devoted much of his life and fortune to traveling the world to document and promote cultural diversity. The sale features trunks acquired by actor John Moffat, aka Hercule Poirot, in the 1930s. This Armoire Canvas Trunk, monogrammed with his name, has six drawers and hangers. The Lily Pons Shoe Trunk from 1920 holds 36 pairs of shoes and bears the name of the famous Franco-American singer known for her performances at the Met in New York, at the front with Marlène Dietrich and on the balcony of the Palais Garnier on May 8, 1945, in front of a huge crowd.
From June 19 to 24 at 9 avenue Matignon, Paris, the dedicated exhibition will present the history of these emblematic pieces and bear witness to the timeless craftsmanship of these exceptional travel trunks.
From left to right:
Monogram Canvas Bookcase Trunk, Gold Brass Trim
Circa 1930
Estimate: €10,000 – €15,000
© Christie’s Images Ltd 2024
Red Vuittonite Canvas Photography Trunk, Gold Brass Trim & Rope, from the Albert Khan Collection
Circa 1960
Estimate: €20,000 – €30,000
© Christie’s Images Ltd 2024
Malle Armoire Pour Chaussures 114, En Toile Monogram, Gold Brass Trim, Dans Le Style De Lily Pons
Circa 1926
Estimate: €20,000 – €30,000
© Christie’s Images Ltd 2024
From left to right:
Brown Smooth Alligator Caviar Trunk, Gold Metal Trim
circa 1980
Estimate: €30,000 – €40,000
© Christie’s Images Ltd 2024
Rare Casino 110 Monogram Canvas Trunk, Gold Metal Trim, Special Order
2009
Estimate: €50,000 – €100,000
© Christie’s Images Ltd 2024
Monogram Canvas Birthday Cake Tote, Gold Metal Trim, Special Order
2004
Estimate: €20,000 – €30,000
© Christie’s Images Ltd 2024
About Christie’s
Founded in 1766, Christie’s is a world leader in the art and luxury goods market, present in nearly fifty countries (in America, Europe, the Middle East and Asia-Pacific), with international auction rooms in New York, London, Hong Kong, Paris and Geneva.
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