DALLAS, TX.- On May 8, some of Chanel’s most striking, wearable pieces of art found new homes when Heritage presented the World’s Greatest Chanel Handbag Collection Luxury Accessories Signature® Auction. The incomparable single-owner assemblage featuring Chanel’s most coveted and collectible minaudières realized $811,062.

Combined with the $2,555,099 realized in Heritage’s Spring Luxury Accessories Signature® Auction, also held May 8, the two events totaled more than $3.36 million.

Amassed by Jeff Pryor, a lifelong musician and the CEO of a California-based medical equipment company, the Chanel collection began as a nice gesture for his wife but ended up a worldwide quest to find the rarest Chanel handbags ever created. Unlike Chanel’s iconic and classically elegant bags, the spirited and whimsical minaudières in Pryor’s collection are highly stylized, intricately designed accessories made of unexpected materials such as Lucite, resin, crystals and feathers. Typically seen on the runway or in Chanel’s annual Métiers d’Art collections, the lavish, captivating pieces are produced in exceptionally limited quantities.

Leading the collection was a Paris-Shanghai Métiers d’Art Matryoshka minaudière that sold for $50,000. A twist on a traditional Russian nesting doll, the bag hails from Chanel’s Pre-Fall 2010 Collection and features black Lucite and brushed gold hardware.

Other highlights included the Lucite, crystal and faux fur Ice Cube minaudière that realized $38,750, the exceptionally rare Shopping Basket minaudière from Chanel’s Fall 2014 Supermarket Collection that sold for $30,000, the rare Ancient Egypt-inspired Scarab Beetle minaudière from the Pre-Fall 2019 Collection that fetched $27,500 and the Paris-Shanghai Métiers d’Art Chinese Takeaway Box Bag that also sold for $27,500.

As Diane D’Amato, Heritage Auctions’ Director of Luxury Accessories, Private Sales & The Boutique, noted before the auction, “It’s extremely rare to see so many special minaudières and runway pieces in a single collection. In fact, I’ve never seen such an extensive collection of Chanel bags before. It’s truly spectacular and a testament to how much Jeff appreciates, understands and genuinely loves the craftsmanship, artistry and intricacy of Chanel.”

That remarkable Chanel collection wasn’t the only exceptional offering Heritage presented that day. Also on May 8, the Spring Luxury Accessories® Signature Auction featured an extraordinary selection of the most sought-after bags by Hermès, Chanel and Louis Vuitton, including vintage, runway and exotics.

Leading the auction was one of the most special handbags ever created: the Hermès Exceptional Collection 35cm Shiny Black Porosus Crocodile Diamond Birkin with 18k white gold and diamond hardware. Bejeweled with nearly 11 carats of pavé-set diamonds, the raven-hued beauty is stunning, rarely offered at auction and highly coveted by collectors. The bag became the auction’s top lot when it sold for $112,500.

Hand-stitched and finished by a single artisan using one individual skin of the Porosus crocodile, the Exceptional Collection 35cm Shiny Black Porosus Crocodile Diamond Birkin is the epitome of luxury. “The Exceptional Collection by Hermès is where luxury handbags meet fine jewelry, making this bag an extraordinary masterwork of sophistication and elegance,” says D’Amato. “Beyond that, it is undeniably beautiful.”

Also dazzling bidders was the rare 25cm Ombre Salvator Lizard Birkin made from a single lizard skin. That piece realized $75,000.

Other Hermès highlights included the striking 32cm Shiny Geranium Porosus Crocodile Kelly Sellier Bag that realized $45,000, the 25cm Matte Jaune Bourgeon Alligator Birkin that realized $42,500, the 25cm Vert D’aeu Matte Alligator Kelly Retourne Bag that sold for $40,000, the luminous 20cm Metallic Doré Chevre Chamkilight Mini Kelly that brought $35,000, the 30cm Matte Fauve Alligator Birkin that also realized $35,000 and the 35cm Shiny Bourgogne Porosus Crocodile Birkin that sold for $32,500.