Sotheby’s and Abu Dhabi Investment Office Partner for Abu Dhabi Collectors’ Week

Sotheby’s has announced the auction of one of Jane Birkin’s personal Hermès handbags — a rare black Birkin 40 — as part of the inaugural Abu Dhabi Collectors’ Week, presented in collaboration with the Abu Dhabi Investment Office (ADIO). The exclusive event will take place at the St. Regis Saadiyat Island Resort from 2 to 5 December, marking Sotheby’s debut marquee auction series in the region.

Titled “Le Birkin Voyageur,” the handbag holds deep sentimental and cultural significance. Personally inscribed and lovingly worn by the late artist and style icon, it was gifted to Jane Birkin by Hermès in 2003 and used as her daily companion until 2007. Inside the bag, Birkin left handwritten messages and drawings, including the poignant note: “Mon Birkin bag qui m’a accompagné dans le monde entier” (“My Birkin bag, my globetrotting companion”). The bag is expected to fetch between $230,000 and $430,000 when it goes under the hammer on 5 December.

The auction follows the record-breaking sale of Jane Birkin’s original prototype Hermès Birkin at Sotheby’s Paris in July, which achieved $10.1 million, setting new world records for the most valuable handbag and fashion item ever sold in Europe. Global demand for Hermès Birkins has since surged, underscoring the cultural and collectible power of Birkin’s enduring legacy.

Morgane Halimi, Sotheby’s Global Head of Handbags and Fashion, commented:

“To present not one, but two of Jane Birkin’s personal Hermès bags in a single year is nothing short of historic. This rare example offers collectors an intimate connection to the woman at the origin of the world’s most iconic handbag.”

Beyond the sale of “Le Birkin Voyageur,” Abu Dhabi Collectors’ Week, held in partnership with ADIO, will feature a series of auctions, exhibitions, and masterclasses across luxury categories — from high jewellery and rare timepieces to fine art and collector cars — reflecting Abu Dhabi’s growing influence as a global cultural and investment hub.

With the St. Regis Saadiyat Island Resort as its backdrop and the emirate’s world-class institutions — including Louvre Abu Dhabi and the upcoming Guggenheim Abu Dhabi — nearby, the event cements Abu Dhabi’s position at the crossroads of art, culture, and luxury investment.