Louis Vuitton Red Monogram Yayoi Kusama Neverfull MM Tote
About the Item
- Designer:
- Brand:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Condition:Light Wear.
- Seller Location:Scottsdale, AZ
- Reference Number:Seller: 132772049-W2381stDibs: LU67532663223
Yayoi Kusama
Widely inspirational and innovative artist Yayoi Kusama has a body of work that is exceptionally varied, ranging from graphic prints and paintings to polka-dot pumpkin sculptures, hypnotic collages, large-scale installations and fashion design.
Even if you don’t know her name, you’ve likely experienced Kusama’s art — or have seen it on Instagram. Her soft sculptures and dazzling “Infinity Mirrors” are the stuff of selfie-takers’ dreams, but Kusama’s impressive decades-long career certainly holds far more cachet than it does fodder for today’s aspiring social-media influencers.
Born in Matsumoto, Japan, in 1929, Kusama has worked with her signature polka dots since the age of 10, when she began to experience vivid hallucinations and claimed that patterns and dots were moving around her, swallowing up everything in view. She started to incorporate them into her paintings as a child. Kusama saw circular forms and nets on every surface and became especially fascinated with the pebbles that lined the bottom of the creek near her childhood home. Her family was sternly opposed to her art and her mother physically abused Kusama and discouraged her at a very early age. She has suffered psychological turmoil her whole life and is vocal about her mental illness. Today, Kusama is a voluntary resident at a psychiatric facility in Tokyo, and she calls her work “art medicine.”
At the Kyoto School of Arts and Crafts, Kusama trained in Nihonga, a traditional style of Japanese painting that originated during the Meiji period. On advice she solicited from painter Georgia O'Keeffe, a pioneer of modernism in America whom she greatly admired, she subsequently moved to New York City in 1958. There, Kusama flourished, creating prescient sculptures and large-scale monochrome paintings that bridged current styles with minimalism, which hadn’t yet achieved any kind of prominence as an art movement. She pushed boundaries with her “Accumulations” series, which saw her transforming found furniture pieces into sexualized objects, as well as with an avant-garde staging of theatrical orgies on the street — both stemming from her anxieties about sex as well as an endeavor to make a feminist statement about patriarchal authority and sexism.
Kusama was captivated by Surrealists as well as the Abstract Expressionists and greatly influenced the Pop artists who followed, befriending such icons as Donald Judd — who called her work “the best paintings being done” — and Andy Warhol, with whom she exhibited and later accused of stealing her ideas. Kusama moved with ease through artistic circles and made a point to draw attention to her “otherness” as a Japanese woman by wearing kimonos to her openings.
In 2021, Kusama brought her floral and vegetal sculptures to the New York Botanical Garden and her works can be found in the collections of many of the world’s top museums, including the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Centre Pompidou in Paris and the National Museum of Modern Art in Tokyo. She famously collaborated with Louis Vuitton in 2012, and she created a 34-foot-tall balloon for the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in Manhattan in 2019, becoming the first female artist to design a work for the event. In addition to her visual artwork, Kusama is a writer, publishing poetry, novels and an autobiography.
Find a collection of Yayoi Kusama art on 1stDibs.
Louis Vuitton
The story behind iconic luxury brand Louis Vuitton — best known for its esteemed handbags, crossbody bags, leather goods, ready-to-wear clothing and more — is one of craft and innovation in the worlds of fashion, jewelry and furniture.
The company’s modest origins can be traced back to when its founder, Louis Vuitton (1821–92), wishing to free himself from the conventional lifestyle in his provincial French city of Anchay as well as a difficult stepmother, left in the early 1830s to make a new life in Paris. The young Vuitton was 13 at the time and would need to travel on foot to get to the capital, which was hundreds of miles away. With stops along the way to make money so that he could forge ahead, the journey took a couple of years, but reward was close at hand.
When he arrived in Paris, Vuitton made a living with his hands. He toiled as a box maker and packer for more than a decade and built relationships with royals and members of the upper class while working for the empress of France, Eugenie de Montijo. In 1854, Vuitton launched his namesake company. The craftsman opened a humble workshop on rue Neuve des Capucines and advertised his services with a small poster that read: “Securely packs the most fragile objects. Specializing in packing fashions.”
Long before his brand would become known globally for its exemplary top-handle bags and stylish totes, Vuitton produced stackable and rectangular trunks. The most common trunks of the era were round, which weren’t ideal for toting and storing. In 1858, Vuitton debuted his lightweight, handcrafted canvas trunks, which were sturdy, rugged and equipped with convenient compartments. Travel’s popularity broadened in the late 19th century, and Vuitton’s trunks could easily be packed into train cars and ships — upright trunks meant hanging wardrobe storage that would allow his clients to transport their sophisticated garments without worry. Demand increased and the company grew. When Louis Vuitton died in 1892, control of the luxury house was passed onto his only son, Georges Vuitton.
In 1914, a Louis Vuitton store opened at 70 Champs-Élysées. The largest travel-goods store in the world at the time, it became the company’s flagship.
The Louis Vuitton brand embodies all the attributes of luxury, from the craftsmanship, exclusivity and relevance to heritage. It’s only appropriate that it boasts one of the most recognizable insignias — the imaginative interlocking of letters and fleurettes — in the fashion world. The famous LV monogram was first used in 1896 as part of an initiative by Georges to prevent counterfeiting of his coveted new line of travel trunks. It’s one of the earliest examples of fashion branding.
The LV monogram would soon appear on everything from bags and various fashion accessories to alligator-skin champagne cases, from stylish apparel and earrings to teddy bears and airplane models.
On 1stDibs, the unmistakable insignia can be found on both modern and vintage Louis Vuitton shoulder bags, suitcases, original 19th-century trunks, jackets and more.
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Ships From: Scottsdale, AZ
- Return PolicyA return for this item may be initiated within 3 days of delivery.
- Vintage Louis Vuitton Jumbo Red Clear Epi Tote Beach BagBy Louis VuittonLocated in Malibu, CA🖤LOUIS VUITTON EPI TOTE🖤 The perfect bag for all your essentials! Excellent Condition! Jumbo size fits everything you could need. Interior matching pouch...Category
Late 20th Century Tote Bags
- Superb Chanel 27 cm bag in leather and Valentine Red Chevron patternBy ChanelLocated in CANNES, FRSuperb Chanel 27 cm bag in leather and Valentine Red Chevron pattern. Practical with its simple interior flap in black fabric. One zipped pocket for even ...Category
2010s French Tote Bags
- Salvatore Ferragamo Orange Perforated Leather Briana ToteBy Salvatore FerragamoLocated in Dubai, Al Qouz 2Crafted from perforated leather, this orange Salvatore Ferragamo tote has a little lock-in flap and a spacious leather interior. The bag is equipped with two handles and protective m...Category
2010s Italian Tote Bags
- Versace Red Leather Studded ToteBy VersaceLocated in Dubai, Al Qouz 2This stylish and striking tote bag hails from the house of Versace. It has been crafted from quality leather in Italy and is presented in a lovely shade of red. It has a front flap, ...Category
2010s Italian Tote Bags
- Prada Red Saffiano Lux Leather ToteBy PradaLocated in Dubai, Al Qouz 2Meticulously created, this tote by Prada is a style statement in itself. Designed from Saffiano Lux leather into a sturdy shape, it exudes style and class in equal measures. This del...Category
2010s Italian Tote Bags
- Valentino Orange Leather Petale Rose Shopper ToteBy ValentinoLocated in Dubai, Al Qouz 2A chic, casual tote for everyday excursions crafted in leather with a beautiful rose petal design on the front, this tote is by Valentino. It comes with two handles, a shoulder strap...Category
2010s Italian Tote Bags
Recently Viewed
View AllRead More
This Hypnotic Yayoi Kusama Collage Seems to Reach beyond the Canvas
In Repetition GL.A, polka-dotted protuberances rise from a surface of rippling net. Here’s what makes the piece so rare.
How to Spot a Fake Louis Vuitton
What are the telltale signs that you're holding a real Louis Vuitton and not a knockoff? We spoke with expert Diane D’Amato to find out. Of course, you don't have to worry about fakes on 1stDibs, where every seller is highly vetted.