PARIS.- Christie's France announced the largest private collection of Louis Vuitton trunks ever offered at auction. This exceptional sale will be presented from June 19 to July 3 during an inaugural online auction entitled Legendary Trunks : A European Private Collection. Brought together by a passionate collector, featuring over 100 examples, each piece is emblematic of an era or a style. The collection constitutes a true anthology of the Louis Vuitton trunk. The sale is estimated between €1.4 million and €2.1 million.
AN ANTHOLOGY OF STYLES AND GENERATIONS OF EXPERTISE
For almost two centuries, a trunk has been an invitation to travel. A unique traveling companion, the object evokes adventures, discoveries and distant connections. In the history of trunks, one House quickly rose to the rank of myth. By adopting a flat shape allowing luggage to be stacked and favoring lightweight, waterproof coverings, Louis Vuitton brought the first luxury trunks to life. From its founding in 1854, to contemporary iterations, including creations designed during the tenure of the late, celebrated Virgil Abloh, these trunks bear witness to the exceptional know-how of more than five generations of expert craftsmen.
The trunks in the collection bring together materials as diverse as zinc, copper, wood, leather and canvas. Combining robustness and timeless sophistication, they are each designed to respond appropriately to the travel needs of their time. The diversity of models presented illustrates the evolution of design, meeting the changing demands of an elegant clientele in constant search of practicality. The work of the slats and the rounded brass nails makes each trunk as unique as the lock it is equipped with. Intended for travel, the trunk rises to the rank of luxury object.
Among the most remarkable pieces of the sale, a Wardrobe Trunk, from 1900, is crafted with a Copper exterior. This rare and exquisite material was utilized in order to offer protection from the elements – including heat, humidity, and moisture – while the traveler journeyed to far-flung locations. The famous Ideal Trunk in cowhide and brass locks stores shoes, hats and scarves in suitable compartments. The compartments within the trunk open to reveal contents like a toolbox -- Perfect or “Ideal” for a week of business travel.
From 1896, the famous Monogram canvas was introduced, succeeding the checkerboard, or Damier, and Rayee, or striped, canvases. La Malle Bureau offers a beautiful illustration of this new motif. This model from the 1920s to 1930s, notably features stationery compartments and a folding table. The legendary model is called the Stokowski Trunk, as it was first designed for the conductor Leopold Stokowski to match his work and travel habits.
Year after year, the appeal of trunks continues unabated, and successive creative directors perpetuate the tradition of the House while adding touches of modernity. Thus, in 2021, Virgil Abloh offers his version of the emblematic Courrier Trunk, with a yellow monogram canvas offered in a limited edition.
UNIQUE PIECES AND LEGENDARY STORIES
Some trunks embody ingenious solutions to cater to luxurious clientele. An alligator trunk opens to reveal a caviar set with four shot glasses; or a Monogram Canvas Malle is equipped to contain a Birthday cake, including a cake cutter and a set of forks; or for the Summer-time, a limited edition, 2004, rare Croquet Malle hides within everything one needs to pay a game of Croquet for eight players.
The collection also highlights collaborations and special editions. Inspired by the concept of the Ideal Trunk, Louis Vuitton created a travelling library trunk for books. The Hemingway Library Trunk, first 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 yellow Vuittonite Library Trunk with drawers and space for a typewriter, is presented on this occasion.
Also among the special orders is a Mail Trunk 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. In the sale is presented one of the trunks acquired by the actor John Moffat, alias Hercule Poirot, from the 1930s. This Trunk Armoire in monogram canvas has six drawers and hangers, and prominently features a Monogrammed exterior.
The Lily Pons Shoe Trunk from 1920 can store 36 pairs of shoes and bears the name of the famous Franco-American opera singer. She was renowned for her performances at the Met in New York, her appearances on the front lines with Marlène Dietrich, and her iconic presence on the balcony of the Palais Garnier on May 8, 1945, in front of a massive crowd.
The collection will be presented to the Parisian public from June 19 to 24 at 9 avenue Matignon. The exhibition, featuring a dedicated scenography, will precede the online sale from June 19 to July 3. Please join us to continue the story of these emblematic pieces and witness the timeless know-how of these exceptional travelling trunks.
