Handbag
1947-1948 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
Rationing and material restrictions did not cease in the aftermath of the Second World War. Dating from the first years after the war, this bag, made from top-quality lizard skin and lined in silk, would have been viewed as a luxury. It is characteristic of the smart, neat and stylish, but restrained, designs of the immediate post-war period. Styles for handbags at this time were either large and structured, or like this bag, smaller, and casual, to hang at the wrist.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Lizard-skin, gilt-metal, lined with silk |
| Brief description | Square handbag made of lizard-skin and gilt metal, made by Fassbender, Great Britain, 1947-1948 |
| Physical description | Square handbag made of green lizard-skin with a gilt metal clasp and bag frame, and lined in cream silk. The single handle is attached to the top with two square gilt loops. With two pockets and a lip-stick pocket. |
| Dimensions |
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| Marks and inscriptions | 'FASSBENDER MADE IN ENGLAND' [round a gilt circle in which is a capital F] (Stamped in gilt on the inside) |
| Gallery label |
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| Object history | This handbag was displayed with a similar Fassbender handbag (T.43&A-1989) in The Cutting Edge exhibition. |
| Summary | Rationing and material restrictions did not cease in the aftermath of the Second World War. Dating from the first years after the war, this bag, made from top-quality lizard skin and lined in silk, would have been viewed as a luxury. It is characteristic of the smart, neat and stylish, but restrained, designs of the immediate post-war period. Styles for handbags at this time were either large and structured, or like this bag, smaller, and casual, to hang at the wrist. |
| Bibliographic reference | de la Haye, Amy, ed. The Cutting Edge: 50 Years of British Fashion 1947-1997. V&A Publications, London, England, 1997, pp. 153 and 155. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | T.171-1962 |
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| Record created | September 11, 2003 |
| Record URL |
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