Jane Birkin's Birkin to go under hammer

Jane Birkin, the ultimate culture icon, is famous for giving her name to one of the most sought-after handbags around the world, the "Birkin" bag. 

Birkin is also known for rendering to her Birkin bags a strong individual touch. She once told Vogue, "I always hang things on my bags because I don't like them looking like everyone else's. ...There's no fun in a bag if it's not kicked around, so that it looks as if the cat's been sitting on it -- and it usually has. The cat may even be in it."

A Birkin bag once in the personal possession of Birkin will be auctioned at Bonhams' sale in London on July 20. It preserves signs of use by Birkin herself, such as bite marks from her cat on the handle. 

Birkin donated the bag to a charity auction in 2014. It was exhibited at the Bagism exhibition at Shanghai's K11 Mall in 2016, being displayed alongside Grace Kelly's namesake "Kelly" handbag.