The $1.2 million bag is the surprise star of Miami Art Week

Dropping $1.2 million during Miami Art Week isn’t all that unusual. At Art Basel, which is just one of 20+ Miami fairs running through Sunday, Picasso’s “Couple with Cup” has a $30 million price tag — and the festivities kicked off with the $4.75 million sale of a David Hammons painting.

But Evens Saint Clair is asking $1.2 million for what he calls an “art sculpture.” Others call them handbags.

The artist and diamond mine developer’s big ticket hit, dubbed “La Reine,” should come with a global travel itinerary.

Saint Clair traveled to Japan for two years to meet with local artisans about the stunning land, including a famous woodworker known as Mr. Kyoto. The Japanese hand-crafted wooden frame is upholstered in Italian leather and pieces of rare silk kimono fabric dusted with gold leaf and strengthened by mother-of-pearl. There are over 18 carats of diamonds set throughout – from the porcelain plate front badge to the bag’s gold-plated “legs” to the multiple strands of ornate gold chains, which also boast emeralds and pearls.

“I’m bringing back the art of craftsmanship,” Saint Clair told The Post. “Nowadays everything is sent to China to be made as cheaply as possible, but true luxury is not mass produced. I have invested years of travel, research and innovation into these pieces and the accompanying luxury boxes because I believe in beauty, happiness and return.”

Each bag takes up to a year to make and passes through Japan, Guinea, Italy and Turkey before arriving in Saint Clair’s hometown of Bal Harbour, Florida, where the final embellishments are added.

For Wicked fans, there’s a $670,000 green alligator edition with a circular jade symbol surrounded by sparkling diamonds.

One of Saint Clair’s lowest-priced bags ($110,000) is the Pangea, which features lacquered bamboo from Japan, a glittering gold chain encrusted with diamonds, and python skin from Miami’s Everglades ecosystem, which is being invaded from the invading serpent.

Saint Clair says its bags are smart investments with gold, diamonds and precious stones that go up in value. As such, each bag includes a personalized fingerprint-activated storage box. Saint Clair designed these unique biometric wood veneer safes himself, inspired by collector cigar boxes from the Dominican Republic, which he sent to his woodworker in Japan for inspiration.

While expensive handbags are being launched at Miami Art Week with a fabulous party in St. Regis Hotel in Bal Harbor on Saturday night, Saint Clair has privately sold some of the expensive handbags to well-heeled women in Guinea, where he develops diamond and gold mines (He would not reveal the names of the customers due to privacy issues and security.)

Saint Clair’s journey to luxury began far from the glittering world he now inhabits. Born in Haiti and raised in New York and Chicago, he faced bullying, gang violence and poverty. A scholarship to St. Thomas University in Miami became the turning point that led to a career in nightlife promotion.

In 2008, Saint Clair switched gears and moved to Guinea to develop gold and diamond mines.

Coming from poor beginnings, Saint Clair is determined to make a difference. Ten percent of the proceeds from his bags and artwork will be donated to many charities, including Best Buddies, Make-A-Wish, Saint Jude and Big Brothers Big Sisters of America.

The emerging artist is also exhibiting four paintings at Red Dot, one of the art fairs surrounding Art Basel in Miami, through Agora Gallery. Next February, his mixed media artwork – which uses Urushi lacquer paste and resin – will be featured in a special exhibition at the Grand Palais in Paris.