Lot 838 | Hermès | Kelly 28

HERMÈS
Kelly 28.

Origin: France.
Date: 1973.
Material: Rouge H, box calf leather, gold hardware.
Description: Rear inner compartment with zip, two front inner pockets without zip, single handle incl. clochette with keys and lock.
Box and dust bag present. With original narrow shoulder strap and a wider canvas strap in matching colour acquired later.

The Kelly Bag by Hermès is one of the most famous and sought-after handbags in the world today. Designed in the 1930s under the name Sac à dépêches, the model shot to fame in 1956 when Princess Gracia Patricia of Monaco wore it in a photo to conceal her pregnancy - a picture that went around the world. The public then began to call the bag "Kelly" - a name that Hermès did not officially adopt until 1977.
The two bags presented here date from 1973 and 1975 and were therefore produced before the official renaming - at a time when the model was still officially called something else, but had long been known as "Kelly".
Both examples are made in the rare size 28 - a variant that was only produced in small numbers in the 1970s, as larger models were considered more practical. The combination of production period, format and state of preservation makes these pieces particularly interesting for collectors and connoisseurs of Hermès history today.