Exceptional Pieces From Chanel And Hermès
Extremely Rare Aluminium Explorer Trunk By Louis Vuitton
12 December 2018, London
A leading lot of the sale is an extremely rare aluminium Louis Vuitton explorer trunk (estimate £50,000-100,000, illustrated above right). Dating to 1892, this extraordinary trunk was created at a time when the production of aluminium was so complex it was more expensive than gold. Following its appearance at the “Exposition Universelle” in 1855 the demand for this precious metal soared. The immense shine of the metal combined with its incredible lightness made it ideal for jewellery design and soon became the material of choice for the French elite, becoming known as ‘the white gold of Napoleon’. Louis Vuitton produced explorer trunks in a range of metals including Zinc, Brass and Copper however, due to exceptionally high production costs, only a very small quantity of aluminium trunks were crafted. These were coveted by explorers and high-society alike due to their resistance, weight and rarity.