Hermes and Christies are to hold an auction of unique handbags. The House of Hermes has created a series of four out of the ordinary handbags to celebrate their Leather Forever exhibition which opens in London in May 2012.

The luxury handbags at auction are of the Passe-Guide style and represent England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales. The auction is to be held online only and will run throughout the exhibition with each of the handbags being sold to the highest bidder and the proceeds of the sale going to the philanthropy organization Royal Academy of Arts.

The Passe-Guide style was chosen for this particular auction to celebrate the world of equestrian. The metallic fittings are a superb expression of craftsmanship from one of the leaders in fashion handbags and took its inspiration from the harness making tradition. The clasp on the front of each of the luxury handbags represents the ring which was on the front of Roman chariots and each of the handbags has a sense of playfulness and its own lucky charm, which is a tribute to the each of the countries.

The Passe-Guard England has been designed in calfskin which is considered the very best and is elegant and hard wearing with a shine that is delicate. The fittings in silver form an armature on the handbag and down one side hangs a black fur charm which represents the iconic bearskin hats belonging to the Queens Guards.The Passe-Guide Ireland has been designed to capture the Emerald Isle perfectly in vivid green crocodile skin that was developed for the auction and sits against the silver fittings of the handbag which is decorated with a four leaf clover charm. The Passe-Guide Scotland is designed is a new tartan which was created by Scottish weaver Johnstons of Elgin and is framed in calfskin and comes decorated with a large kilt pin. Passe-Guide Wales comes with a dragon charm and has been designed in a luxury dark green box calfskin which has been embossed with gold with a second dragon embossed onto the front of the handbag and finished with gold fittings and lambskin lining.

The online only Hermes auction will build upon the success of their first online sale which was held in 2011 when they held auctions for the collections of Elizabeth Taylor over a number of days. Fans of Hermes handbags around the world will have the chance to view the handbags and bid on any of the four one of a kind designs in their own time and from the comfort of their own homes. All of the luxury handbags will be revealed when the Leather Forever exhibition is opened to the public in May 2012 at the galleries in Burlington Gardens London. The exhibition is to celebrate the relationship that Hermes have with leather, which was the first material that the auction house tamed.

Editorial | Image Courtesy Of Christies