PHOTO – ‘Handbag for Ants’: Purse the Size of a Crumb Sells for $63K

A purse called “Microscopic Handbag” that is the size of a crumb was auctioned Wednesday for more than $63,000.

The handbag is “657 by 222 by 700 microns (or less than 0.03 inches wide)” CNN reported Thursday, adding it was inspired by a Louis Vuitton design.

An image of the green purse shows it sitting upright on a human’s fingertip:

MSCHF'S microscopic handbag sold for $63,750 USD 😳 pic.twitter.com/vDTDqho38Y

— HYPEBEAST (@HYPEBEAST) June 28, 2023

Its creators are a New York art collective group based in Brooklyn called MSCHF that said it is tiny enough to pass through the eye of a needle.

One of MSCHF’s images of the purse shows it being displayed on the screen of a microscope:

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A post shared by MSCHF (@mschf)

Social media users shared their thoughts on the microscopic bag, one person writing, “It’s a hand bag for ants.”

According to MSCHF’s Instagram post, “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 post read.

The online auction house, named Joopiter, listed the bag’s final price as $63,750.

“Microscopic (657x222x700μm) tote bag created using 2-photon polymerization printing methods. The bag is viewable through a microscope, which also features a built-in digital display,” the purse’s description reads.

MSCHF’s microscopic handbag sold for $63,750 at Pharrell Williams’ ‘Just Phriends’ auction pic.twitter.com/dDV9vYKSgn

— Drip💧 (@DripRapTV) June 27, 2023

Small handbags have become popular among celebrities and those who love fashion, per a Smithsonian Magazine article published June 21.

The article noted that MSCHF’s previous creations include items such as fake Andy Warhol prints, shoes containing human blood, and giant red rubber boots, the magazine said.

“This time around, MSCHF’s artists decided to focus their attention on luxury purses, some of which have gotten so small they no longer serve their intended purpose of holding items,” the article said.

Some social media users appeared to poke fun at the tiny bag while others seemed more interested in the creation process.

“I’m gonna steal it and eat it so no one can have it,” one person wrote, while another said, “Actually incredible. I’d love to see how the absolute tiniest details were done.”