Judith Leiber
Watermelon-shaped Minaudière with Crystal
Rhinestones & Onyx Details, 1991
3 1/2 x 6 1/2 x 2 1/2 inches
Limited Edition
NOT FOR SALE
Judith Leiber (née Judit Pető), born in Budapest, Hungary in 1921, was a world-renown designer and artist. After moving to New York, she founded her eponymous handbag company in 1963 and grew it into an iconic and globally celebrated brand. Her handbags are cherished, collected, and worn by celebrities, royalty, and First Ladies of the United States of America. Her bags belong to the permanent collections of the Smithsonian Institution, Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Victoria and Albert Museum, and the Museum of Arts and Design, among others. Judith Leiber received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Council of Fashion Designers in 1994 and a Visionary Woman Award from Moore College in 2010.
Judith Leiber died on the same day as her husband, Abstract Expressionist painter Gerson Leiber, in April 2018. Their works remain on view at the Leiber Collection and Sculpture Garden, dedicated to sharing the life and legacy of the two artists through the continuation of their museum and through exhibitions, talks, and presentations showcasing their creative genius.