MetaBirkin NFTs Were Artistic ‘Experiment,’ Creator Tells Jury

The artist behind the “MetaBirkin” nonfungible tokens who is battling the luxury retailer Hermès International SA at a trademark trial in Manhattan federal court took the stand to explain that the NFT project was an artistic experiment.

Mason Rothschild, the 28-year-old Los Angeles-based artist, told the nine-person jury on Wednesday that he decided to sell the MetaBirkin NFTs, which depict Hermès’ iconic Birkin handbags entirely covered in colorful fur, for about $450 each.

Actual Birkin handbags can range in price from $12,000 to around $200,000 and are Hermès’ best-selling product.

“That was part of the experiment,” said Rothschild, whose birth ...