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Posted 2 years ago
FineLines
(69 items)
Found this today at a Flea! in Society Hill (Phila). It is reptile of some sort but without maker's mark anywhere in/on the bag. Inside is flannel-lined. The silver tone panel is tacked to the leather rectangle. I'm not as familiar with bags of this type as my taste is usually drawn to midcentury. A small bag, it is @ 8"Wx6"L.
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Handbags and PursesEven though purses have been around since the 16th century and bags known a…
Hi, I believe this is a snake printed leather bag ca late '20s. You're absolutely right that it is a much earlier example, not mid-century. In the book "Exotic Skin Handbags: Alligator and Crocodile", you can find the actual ad from Montgomery Ward Merchandise Catalog from 1928-1929 that features several handbags very similar to yours. See p. 232-233. The book is available on Amazon, etc. and here:
http://www.exoticskinhandbags.com/main-page#!__main-page/history/vstc1=art-deco-20s
http://www.exoticskinhandbags.com/main-page#!__main-page/testimonials
The original Art Deco pieces like your purse are pretty rare, but unfortunately the market for them is very limited right now. Hope it helped to solve the mystery.
Thank you for your comments, retro-buzz.
DD@Phila