1950s Gold Seed Beaded Handbag

When you see bags like this one, you really understand why vintage is the best.  It isn't just that they don't make 'em like they used to, it's that they can't make 'em like they used to. Vintage beaded bags were beaded by hand, and excluding the slave labor trade employed by many manufacturers today which produces merchandise of dubious quality, bags like this just are too expensive to make.  This bag is solidly beaded in a gold floral motif with tube beads on a bronzy gold background of seed beads on pale gold silk. And we do mean solid -  this baby weighs over one pound.  The quality of the workmanship in bags like this is really astounding.  The bag itself hangs from a gold toned metal frame with a beaded and scalloped hinged top that lifts up in its entirety to open the bag.  The strap is a beaded cord and attaches to the body with swivel rings. The interior has a yellow silk lining, with a slip and a zippered pocket.  Measuring 10" wide across the bottom, 7" high and roughly 1.5" deep, the strap has about a 5" drop to the top of the bag. Made in British Hong Kong, the bag is in excellent condition except for a few light red marks on the lining, and some scattered bead loss. $160