Edwardian (?) Stamped Leather Whatsit... (Lingerie Roll?)

cmpollack

cmpollack

VFG Member
I'm thinking this is teens to early 20s based on the clasp design and way the leather is stamped. Does that seem right to you? And what is it? A lingerie roll? It's 14" high and about 24" unfolded.

Also, I cannot for the life of me get a handle on the theme of the motifs... I see hunting and medieval castles, but I also see guys on camels, fighting lions, and an Alpine gentleman climbing in the vicinity of mountain goats... What's going on? Anyone? (Sorry for the number of pictures, but I really wanted to show the chaos in detail...)

I'm assuming it's a ladies' item--please correct me if I'm wrong.

TIA!

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it is beautiful, Carrie.. and i agree, its really confusing. like it wants to be Swiss, with the little Alpine guy and the castle, but the camels and lions dong mix.

hmm..

could it possibly be a travel case for jewlery?

Suzanne could be on to something too, maybe for passports, or other travel documents? Perhaps from traveling Europe, thus all the different designs representing each area??

i love the clasp.. and the tooling is incredible!
beautiful piece, what ever it is. :)
yvonne
 
Thanks, Nicole and Von! And though I wish someone had weighed in with a definitive "aha!", I'm glad you find it confusing, too, Von--it makes me feel a little less clueless... :)

I've been weighing the possibilities mentioned so far--documents, jewelry, lingerie--and am trying to factor in the way the three compartments are organized, as well as that they're soft and satin-lined. I'm thinking that maybe they would have been an awkward fit for documents, and also not very secure?

Now I'm trying to envision what the way they're organized suggests... The one on the left has a center opening (like a Kleenex box!), and two flaps that expand and raise slightly on a pleated fold; center one also expands and has a flap; same on the right, except without the flap.

So--maybe not for tiny items, but definitely for more delicate ones...

Hmm...
 
That is a stumper, Carrie! Sans the satin lining, I would have guessed at a man's document case or travel valet case. However, given the padded (it does look padded, or is it merely thick?) satin lining, I'd guess that you're right with a lingerie roll or Von's idea of a jewelry case. If meant to carry jewelry, perhaps it was made to look like a man's case, to avoid being grabbed while its owner was on the train or something. Definitely looks like something made for traveling.
 
The masculine subject matter of the leather patterning suggests to me a masculine purpose for the case. The length would be right for a travelling case for men's soft collars, ties, and handkerchiefs.
 
Thanks so much for your sleuthing expertise, Anne, Mary, and Jonathan!

I had considered it might be a gent's item, but couldn't figure out what might go in it--hankies, ties and collars make absolute sense... thank you, thank you, thank you! :bouncy:

(I've had this for a year and a half now, have taken it out from time to time to admire, but haven't had a clue what it might be for till now!)
 
Hi Carrie,

I hope you don't mind, since this is on the public side, I copied two of your pictures and asked my friend Tom, who has been doing leather work for over 40 years (www.almostanythingleather.com) and his opinion was a grooming case, because of the plush interior. (to carry toiletries)

also, he said the leather does not appear to be hand tooled, but pressed in a die or with a roller.

thus the intricate, full design filling the leather.

Jonathan's opinion makes alot of sense; the masculine subject matter...

hope you can figure out what it does, i thought that one area looked to be for kleenex as well. Is the far side a compartment for glasses/sunglasses perhaps?

von
 
I don't mind at all, Von--thanks so much for asking your friend! I had a feeling it was decorated through a different technique than what you'd see on a tooled Arts & Craft bag--best word I could come up with was "stamped", so it's great to know the actual method...

I think Jonathan's theory (of men's cloth-type accessories) is the best fit, due to the expandable nature of the pockets (ie if you had a stack of ties or whatever) as well as the length. But if someone comes along with a specific term to describe items like this,, I'll be thrilled of course!
 
Carrie, I have always heard this type of thing referred to as valet travel cases, or travel valet case. Or just "travel valet." But it may not have been called the same thing that far back. Because of its age, I expect it's not the same as a modern one and meant to carry different items. Some are meant to carry toiletries, others jewelry, still others hankies, ties, etc. This one looks like it would have/could have held soft goods as Jonathan mentioned. Also maybe a watch?
 
Also maybe a watch?
Click to expand...

What an interesting suggestion, Anne! If you look at the right compartment,, you can see the pair of small "pockets" on top of it, which are open at either end and would have been ideal threading something long and skinny through and keeping it in a flat,, secure position.

And whether or not they were called "travel valets" back then, it's a perfect description/KW now! Thanks!
 
I feel it may be older than you think. That type of clasp I have seen on older items and the type of decoration on the cover is so florid, it looks more 1890s in style to me than 1910s or 20s. That fuchsia coloured lining is also a very popular colour in the late 1890s.
 
My first impression was that it is Arts and Crafts. The dates for the Arts and Crafts movement are from 1880 until WWI - so it could definitely be late 19C. or very early 20C.

Linn
 
"Florid" decoration--that's exactly the way to describe this!

And thanks for the fine-tuning on date, Jonathan and Linn--late 19th C it is!

I hadn't thought of it as Arts & Crafts, Linn, because the late teens purses with lily motifs and turnlock Jemco frames are so different. So thank you for jogging my vision to see it as same stylistic school, much earlier example!
 
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