The Hermès Birkin prototype, originally made for Jane Birkin, sold at a Sotheby's auction in Paris for $10.1 million. What to know about the unique and coveted purse.

Hermès Birkin bags are the most coveted—and valuable—purses in the world. Few accessories have held such a firm grip on pop culture and fashion. As the Sex and the City character Samantha Jones said in an episode with an entire subplot dedicated to her mission to procure one: “It’s not a bag, it’s a Birkin.”