One of Jane Birkin’s iconic Hermès Birkin bags was sold for €2.45 million at an auction in Abu Dhabi, Sotheby’s announced. The piece, known as the “Birkin Voyageur,” far exceeded expectations, selling for six times its top estimate of €370,000 after an intense 11-minute bidding battle among six collectors.
Gifted to Jane Birkin by Hermès in 2003, the black leather bag—worn, handwritten on, and carried by the British singer and actress until her passing in 2023—was one of four bags she received after selling her original prototype Birkin in 1994 for AIDS charity support.
The bag is distinguished by its unique details, including closed bridge elements reminiscent of the prototype, and Birkin’s handwritten note: “My Birkin bag that travelled the world with me,” which inspired its nickname. The item had previously been sold at auction in 2007 to benefit a human rights organisation before entering a private collection.
According to Sotheby’s, selling her Birkin bags to support charitable causes had become a tradition for Jane Birkin, with Hermès replacing each one she donated. In July, the very first Birkin designed specifically for her in 1984 sold in Paris for €8.6 million, becoming the most expensive handbag ever sold at auction.
A third personal Hermès bag belonging to Jane Birkin will go under the hammer on 15 December at Hôtel Drouot in Paris. The piece, entrusted to her friend and biographer Gabrielle Crawford, is being auctioned to help fund a future Jane Birkin Foundation. Adorned with the star’s personal charms—including bells and Japanese talismans—the black leather bag carries an estimate of €100,000–€120,000.
Also offered at the sale is the original English typescript of the cult film “Je t’aime moi non plus,” annotated by Serge Gainsbourg and Jane Birkin, valued at €15,000–€18,000.
