Hermès traveling case created for Louis XIII cognac
Louis XIII de Rémy Martin’s collaboration with three fellow French heritage brands has fetched a record price of $558,000 at a Sotheby’s auction.
Louis XIII’s “L'Odyssée d’un Roi,” or “An Ode to Adventure” in English, brought together leather goods maker Hermès, silversmith Puiforcat and crystal brand Saint-Louis to create the “ultimate masterpiece,” a travel cognac case. The concept was inspired by Louis XIII’s presence at travel milestones such as the bar car of the Orient-Express, the cabin of the Concorde jet and global shipment beginning in the late 1870s (see story).
Traveling cases for good
Louis XIII’s collaboration with Hermès, Puiforcat and Saint-Louis is an example of the finest French craftsmanship. The creation of the three trunks took more than 1,000 hours and the skill of more than 50 individual artisans.
L'Odyssée d’un Roi includes a hand-stitched Hermès travel case, an Art Deco-style pipette by Puiforcat and a mouth-blown crystal decanter and four serving glasses provided by Saint-Louis. Louis XIII includes its Grande Champagne cognac, a blend that has been passed down by the distiller’s cellar master for generations
Prior to being put on the auction block at Sotheby’s this fall, the three cases traveled to cultural capitals such as Beijing, Hong Kong, New York, Paris and London. The tour was concluded with three separate auctions, beginning with New York in September, Hong Kong in October and London in November.
Louis XIII'sL'Odyssée d’un Roi was auctioned by Sotheby's in New York, Hong Kong and London
Sotheby’s New York auction of L'Odyssée d’un Roi topped the record sale of a Louis XIII decanter before the Hong Kong sale surpassed that total. In November’s auction, the decanter sold for $235,000.
Together, the three auctions raised $558,000 for Martin Scorsese’s The Film Foundation.
“Louis XIII and The Film Foundation are both committed to preserving a cultural legacy, honoring the past while ensuring that films survive into the future,” Mr. Scorsese said in a statement. “The work of the foundation has helped restore more than 700 films, from the 1880s onward, encompassing well more than 100 years of this extraordinary art form.
“We are grateful for our partnership with Louis XIII, and its generous and continuous support for the foundation’s mission,” he said.