THE LEGEND RETURNS: The Ultra-Rare Louis Vuitton × Takashi Murakami Panda Pendant (2002, Limited to 150 Worldwide)

There are items in the fashion world… and then there are artifacts. Pieces so culturally significant that they transcend categories, becoming museum-grade relics of an era that shaped modern style.

The 2002 Murakami × Louis Vuitton Era

This pendant was born from the collaboration that forever altered the trajectory of Louis Vuitton. Murakami’s whimsical characters and hyper-saturated palette fused with LV’s heritage craftsmanship, ushering in a new era where pop art and high fashion collided spectacularly.

The collaboration was the idea of Marc Jacobs, then Louis Vuitton's creative director, who invited Murakami to reimagine the house's monogram. The result, unveiled in Paris in October 2002 for the Spring/Summer 2003 season, was the Monogram Multicolore canvas, with the classic LV initials and flowers printed in 33 colours on white or black. Alongside it came the Cherry Blossom smiling faces, the "eye" motifs and characters such as the Panda, who appeared on bags, accessories and a small number of precious jewels.

The partnership ran for well over a decade, ending in 2015 with the retirement of the Multicolore canvas. It changed how luxury houses thought about artists, and it introduced Murakami to an audience far beyond the art world. In 2025 Louis Vuitton released a re-edition of the collaboration, bringing renewed attention to the originals.

Only 150 Pieces Worldwide

Only 150 Panda Pendants were ever produced. In the global secondary market, they surface perhaps once every decade, igniting intense competition among collectors, archivists, and fashion historians.

Crafted Like Fine Sculpture

Made of 18k white gold and pavé-set with diamonds, sapphires, rubies, and green garnets, the Panda showcases Murakami’s iconic smiling aesthetic executed through the lens of haute joaillerie.

Pavé setting places many small stones close together so that metal almost disappears beneath them. On a figurative piece like the Panda, the jeweller must choose each stone's colour and size to follow the character's outline and expression, so that the eyes, ears and smile read clearly from a distance. The coloured stones listed here, sapphires, rubies and green garnets, give the jewel the saturated, cartoon-like palette of Murakami's painting.

Investment-Grade Art

Since Louis Vuitton's 2025 re-edition of the Murakami collaboration, early-era jewels like this are rapidly becoming investment-grade cultural assets, coveted for their rarity, craftsmanship, and historical importance.

A Once-in-a-Generation Find

This specific pendant—serial AB024, weighing 14.3g—was found in Japan and represents a museum-quality acquisition for any serious collector.

Interested in acquiring this piece?

If you feel drawn to this extraordinary artifact, we welcome your inquiry via the Contact Us section below. We will provide personalized updates regarding availability, valuation, and acquisition pathways.

If the piece has already found its next custodian, we can add you to our Private Collector’s List and discreetly search for either this exact pendant or curated equivalents tailored to your collection.

Our aim is always to help you secure what is rare — and what is rare and right for you.

What to check on Louis Vuitton fine jewellery

• Hallmarks and stamps: metal purity marks, the maker's marks and any serial or reference number should be present and consistent.
• Stones: examine settings under magnification for missing or loose stones and even pavé.
• Weight and dimensions: compare with the known specifications for the model.
• Documentation: original boxes, pouches, certificates and receipts add confidence and value.
• Professional opinion: for a piece of this importance, an independent jeweller's or the house's own examination is worth having.

Glossary

• Monogram Multicolore: the 33-colour monogram canvas created with Murakami for Spring/Summer 2003.
• Pavé: a setting technique in which many small stones are set close together.
• Haute joaillerie: high jewellery, the most elaborate tier of a house's jewellery work.
• 18k white gold: 75 percent gold alloyed with white metals.

Questions collectors ask

When did the Louis Vuitton × Murakami collaboration begin?

It was presented in Paris in October 2002 for the Spring/Summer 2003 collection, under creative director Marc Jacobs, and continued until 2015. A re-edition followed in 2025.

Why are the Murakami jewels so rare?

They were produced in very small numbers, at a far higher price than the canvas bags, and many have stayed in private collections since. Pieces in good condition with their documentation seldom appear.

Can you search for Murakami × Louis Vuitton pieces?

Yes. Our Hunting Salon™ searches Japan for specific pieces from the collaboration, including bags, accessories and jewellery, and examines them before purchase. For high-value pieces, our high-value payments and shipping page explains how we handle the transaction.

Continue reading

• Collecting Takashi Murakami.
• Paradise in Bloom: a signed Murakami flower print.
• Louis Vuitton: the collection.
• Takashi Murakami: the collection.
• Gucci 17AW and the Floating World: Italian couture meets ukiyo-e.
• From Kimono to Couture: antique silk as wearable art.
• Japonisme: how Japan changed Western art.