Exceedingly rare official 1992 Albertville Winter Olympics presentation torch, consisting of a bulbous steel alloy body, measuring 16.5″ long and 3″ at its widest point, designed by Philippe Starck and familiarly known as 'La Corne,' or 'The Horn.' The sleek, modernist design resembles a bull's horn or flame when turned upside down, and is engraved at the top with golden lettering, "XVIes Jeux Olympiques d'Hiver 1992," followed by a small emblem of the five Olympic rings and serial number, "V:XXX." Complete with its burner, lacking its shroud.
One day after the Olympic flame was lit in Olympia, Greece, on December 13, 1991, it was taken from Athens to Paris via supersonic Concorde. The relay route aimed to cover as much of France as possible by passing through all regional capitals, and the 57 days of the French leg echoed the 57 events of the Albertville Games. Carried by 5,500 torchbearers, the flame passed down the iconic Champs-Elysees and made a stop at IOC founder Pierre de Coubertin's childhood home during its 5,700 km trek through the nation. Unlike many relays where each torchbearer carries their own torch, the Albertville torches were passed from bearer to bearer and thus manufactured in extremely limited quantities. Albertville is easily the rarest and most sought-after torch of the last thirty years, and examples are seldom offered on an international stage.
