RESTORATION YELLOW VUITTONITE LIBRARY TRUNK

Library trunk , the largest series model produced (double-door model), it was used to transport his favorite books , typewriter , throughout his travels. This incredible orange Vuittonite library trunk hides many mysteries because appearances are deceptive as you will discover.

It is a  fascinating trunk that we discover during the exhibition of the largest collection of Louis Vuitton trunk in the world "Legendary trunk" in Amsterdam. We are a partner and  heritage manager in charge of restoring the entire collection.

Despite a very healthy condition of this trunk: 

• The leathers in perfect condition, very light in color
• The impeccable interior
• Complete, museum condition

The color of the canvas appealed to us , because it could not be original .... Also we could see that the lock had been forced.

Looking closely at the coated canvas , we could see areas where the vuittonite induction was scratched and the frame of the fabric support could be clearly distinguished, but this was covered with an orange paint. ..  The canvas had been repainted in ORANGE!

Repainting is an unconventional practice , practiced by novices or malicious merchants in order to hide poverty. This is detrimental to the value of the trunk . This make-up is reserved for canvases damaged or in poor condition, on low value trunks. But the condition and the rarity of this baggage were not in accordance with the practice of repainting ... What did we want to hide?

Nous avons donc effectué un essai de décapage pour ôter cette "repeinte" et alors que nous nous attendions à mettre à jour la toile d'origine orange... stupeur ! dessous la toile était Jaune citron !! La toile jaune est beaucoup plus rare que la toile orange ! Cette toile Vuittonite Jaune a une particularité qui la rend UNIQUE. C'est l'ignorance qui explique la repeinte de cette malle !

The yellow Vuittonite canvas has a photosensitivity which makes the pigments unstable. The areas exposed to light (UV, moon) keep their lemon yellow color, on the other hand all the areas hidden from the light, turn orange, more or less intense, according to the exhibition ! This particularity, specific to yellow canvas trunks, makes them unique, creating incredible gradations depending on the exposure of light from lemon yellow to orange!

Once the stripping was completely accomplished, we could enthusiastically find the original color and texture of this canvas, slightly cracked over the years.

The canvas not exposed to light, like the cover joints, hotel label and the interior had turned orange while the lemon yellow exterior had taken on an uplifting PATINA with fascinating gradations , making each side unique.

The label was not original but in this place one could distinguish the many traces of moving old labels, the remains of the last mysteries of his many travels.

The interior color explains why the condition is also perfect. It had been stored closed. Against all expectations we thought that the initial "M" was fanciful, but this one was very original and the one who had repainted the exterior had taken care to spare it.

The broken groove lock is then dismantled and the damaged parts replaced by an identical original part from the same period . At Malle2Luxe, we have one of the largest collection of spare parts for antique Louis Vuitton trunks. Allowing to repair virtually any old trunk with original parts (nails, locks, clasps, etc.). There are a multitude of different versions per model depending on the year, era and store address.

For this library trunk, we will have to dismantle a good part of the interior of the trunk to access the rivets of the lock. The riveting is done with old nails, coming from a trunk which could not be saved. This long work is the only solution to guarantee a perfect restoration.

Like many restorations, it is a quest full of emotions and twists to understand what brought this trunk to us and revealed some mysterieseven if it will still take many with it. And it is with great pride that we have breathed new life into it.