Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Independent UK
The Independent UK
National
Holly Bishop

‘T-rex leather’ handbag made with collagen from dinosaur fossil goes up for auction

A handbag made out of material fragments derived from Tyrannosaurus rex fossils has gone up for auction in Paris.

Auctioneers Giquello had expected the “one-of-a-kind” piece to sell for more than $500,000 (£374,500) on Thursday (11 June), however, bids failed to break the $150,000 (£112,000) mark.

The material was created using ancient protein fragments taken from T-Rex remains that had been found in Montana 25 years ago. It was then inserted to an unidentified animal’s cell to produce collagen that was turned into leather.

Auctioneer Alexandre Giquello said the bag is “a mix between a dream, a scientific reality, and a bit of a grand fantasy, but an absolutely serious fantasy”.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.