Lab-Grown T. rex Collagen Handbag Heads to Paris Auction with €300,000–€500,000 Estimate

A handbag made with collagen from lab-grown Tyrannosaurus rex fossils will be offered at auction on June 11 at Hôtel Drouot in Paris. The sale estimate is €300,000 to €500,000, or $347,081 to $578,469. Auctioneer Alexandre Giquello is handling the sale.

“This T. rex leather bag marks a defining moment in my career: a one-of-a-kind piece that stands as a historic milestone,” Giquello said in a statement. ” The handbag was produced from collagen extracted from Tyrannosaurus rex fossils exhumed in the United States.

Che Connon, a professor of tissue engineering at Newcastle University, led the project with researchers from ad agency VML, genomic engineering firm The Organoid Company, and Lab-Grown Leather Ltd. The process began with harvesting T. rex DNA, followed by phylogenetic analyses, insertion of the material into a specialized bio-leather cell line genome, transformation of the cells into skin, and sustainable tanning.

“The hard bit is making leather from cells, and we’ve done that,” Connon said. ” Connon addressed doubts about the material’s legitimacy. “Some people have got the wrong end of the stick saying, ‘Well, you can’t do it,’” he said.

The T. 5 million paid on June 1, 2026, for Marilyn Monroe memorabilia that included a Christian Dior suit.