Key facts
- A handbag made from laboratory-grown Tyrannosaurus rex skin is being auctioned in Paris.
- The material is derived from collagen traces found in a T. rex femur discovered 25 years ago.
- The bag was created using biotechnologies to produce T. rex skin in a laboratory setting.
- The auction house Drouot estimates the unique item could sell for over $500,000.
- The creators describe the bag as a scientific feat and an object without precedent in luxury.
A handbag crafted from laboratory-grown Tyrannosaurus rex skin is set to be auctioned in Paris by Giquello on Thursday, with an estimated sale price exceeding $500,000. The unique piece was created using biotechnologies that instruct cell cultures to produce T. rex skin from collagen traces found in a 67-million-year-old T. rex femur discovered in the United States.
Iacopo Briano, a palaeontology expert involved in the sale, explained that the material is derived from cell cultures, making it 100% skin from an extinct animal, differentiating it from plastic-based vegan leathers. The auction house Drouot described the handbag as an unprecedented object in the history of luxury and a significant scientific achievement.
The bag was first presented in the spring in Amsterdam and is now displayed in Paris ahead of its auction. The estimated price for the item ranges between €300,000 and €500,000.