Gray fur handbag

Source catalog description

This description refers to material held by Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture. Visual details below describe the original material.

A gray fur handbag. The purse is composed of three gray plain weave panels – one for each side and one narrow 1.5” wide panel for the bottom. All three panels of dark gray plain weave wool have light gray animal fur applied to the surface, which is mostly patchy. A layer of cardboard stiffener has been applied to the bottom and the sides, and there is buckram stiffener for the front and back panels. The purse closes at the top with a metal frame that is covered in a thin layer of vinyl, most likely adhered into place. At the center of the purse frame is a .75” wide metal clasp and a decorative black leather 2” x 1.5” tab, which is attached to the top center of the bag. Attached to the top of the purse with oblong shaped metal hardware are two 12.5” long leather straps.

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