They wanted to make a buck off a Hermès purse, but instead a famed photographer and his wife got stuck holding the bag.
The purse — a 1992 Hermès Black Salvator Lizard Mini Constance — was appraised by Sotheby’s at $30,000, and consigned to the famed auction house in September by shutterbug Henri Dauman, according to Manhattan Supreme Court papers.
The handbag was “in perfect condition,” Dauman said in the legal filing.
The 1992 Hermès Black Salvator Lizard Mini Constance was consigned to the auction house by Dauman in September in “perfect” condition. Henri Dauman: Looking UpBut instead of caring for the item, Sotheby’s damaged it, Dauman charged.
“The purse handle tore,” said Dauman’s lawyer, Stephen Weingrad. “It was given to them in pristine condition and then they couldn’t show it to sell on his behalf.”
The item is now a total loss, the lawyer added.
Dauman claimed that the purse’s handle was torn after it was given to Sotheby’s. Henri Dauman: Looking UpDauman worked for LIFE magazine, photographing everyone from Marilyn Monroe to Elvis Presley to Jacqueline Kennedy.
“Sotheby’s looks forward to finding an amicable solution with the client,” a Sotheby’s spokesperson said in a statement.
