This Microscopic 3D Printed Handbag Sold for Over $63,000
Can you imagine having a Louis Vuitton bag that is smaller than a grain of salt? Believe it or not, this is a real piece that is part of the latest project by the art collective MSCHF. Measuring only 657 x 222 x 700 microns, this 3D printed microscopic handbag was created using 3D printing and sold for more than $63,000 in an online auction organized by artist Pharrell Williams. According to the creators of the piece, the bag is narrow enough to fit through the eye of a needle and smaller than a grain of sea salt. In addition, the bag features the typical patterns of the French brand, making this development a unique piece in the world.
The use of additive manufacturing as a method of creating the bag is undoubtedly a highlight of this project. Once again, this type of news highlights the capabilities of 3D printing, including on a microscale. In particular, it shows how AM is increasingly useful for industries such as electronics, where one of the biggest challenges today is still the reduction of component size. Although this application is completely different, it shows another way that art in particular can benefit from the capabilities of 3D printing.
A close-up view of the microscopic 3D printed bag
The so-called “Microscopic Handbag” was 3D printed and created by the Brooklyn-based MSCHF group. It is a unique piece of a yellowish-green fluorescent color, which is barely visible to the human eye. As for the 3D printing technique used, it resorted to two-photon polymerization, a microscale fabrication technique that delivers optimal results despite the size of the parts. It is worth mentioning that, although it has the typical design and appearance of a Louis Vuitton accessory, it does not belong to the luxury brand, but is purely an artistic project.
The auction was conducted through Joopiter, an auction house founded by American musician, record producer and designer Pharrell Williams. The microscopic piece sold for more than 63,000 dollars and the bid included, in addition to the bag, a microscope equipped with a digital screen through which the microscale model can be viewed. As stated in an official Instagram post: “Smaller than a grain of sea salt and narrow enough to pass through the eye of a needle, this is a purse so small you’ll need a microscope to see it. 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.”
The bag was sold with a microscope through which the piece can be seen
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