CHANEL Paris-Bombay Métiers d’Art 2012 Matryoshka Doll Minaudière

CHANEL Paris-Bombay Métiers d'Art 2012 Matryoshka Doll Minaudière

Wearable sculpture from Karl Lagerfeld's most ambitious cultural synthesis. The 2012 Paris-Bombay Métiers d'Art collection collapsed two decorative traditions into a single runway—and this minaudière captures the contradiction precisely. The form is Russian: a nesting doll silhouette, solid and symmetrical. The ornamentation is strictly Indian: a Maang Tikka headpiece constructed from Chanel's signature woven chain and pearls, centered by an enamel Camellia. Two vocabularies, one object.

The body is sculpted from high-gloss black Lucite, its surface carved in a diamond-lattice pattern and punctuated by hand-set crystals. The face is hand-painted, a crystal Bindi at the forehead. Access is through a push-lock mechanism disguised as a crystal-encrusted CC logo, from which hangs a burgundy silk tassel. This is a heavy, substantial piece—less handbag than artifact. It marks a specific moment in fashion history when Lagerfeld treated accessories as cultural commentary rather than functional objects.

Condition: 2 – Excellent
Collection: Pre-Fall 2012 (Paris-Bombay Métiers d'Art)
Model: Matryoshka Doll Minaudière
Material: Black Lucite, Enamel, Crystal, Faux Pearl
Hardware: Aged Gold & Silver Tone
Dimensions: 16.5 × 8 × 6 cm | 6.5" H × 3.25" W × 2.5" D

JaneFinds Collector's Insight:
Chanel minaudières occupy a different asset class than leather Flap bags. Produced in extremely limited quantities for Métiers d'Art presentations, they function as conversation pieces rather than daily carriers. The Paris-Bombay doll is particularly coveted—it represents Lagerfeld's thematic storytelling at its most elaborate. Unlike the Lego Clutch or Perfume Bottle bags which saw wider distribution, the dolls remain exceptionally scarce. At over a decade old, examples may exhibit minor shelf wear on the Lucite base; this is consistent with age and does not diminish the piece's collectibility.

JaneFinds Market Insight:
Runway Lucite pieces represent the most valuable segment of the Chanel secondary market. They don't fluctuate with trend cycles—they appreciate like contemporary art. A Paris-Bombay doll in excellent condition typically trades at a significant multiple of its original retail price, driven by demand from institutional archives and top-tier private collectors who acquire it as sculpture rather than accessory. The 2012 vintage places this firmly in the Lagerfeld canon, before the 2019 transition.

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