Help dating a Schiaparelli purse

GemGem

GemGem

Registered Guest
Hello all,

I had the wonderful luck of purchasing some Schiaparelli purses,

I have done a little research but still having difficulty, I have seen one label in the label resource which looks identical from a late 50s sweater. The style of the purse looks earlier, possibly 40s to me so was hoping I could get some help from you lovely experts.

This one has pleated fabric (possibly silk or a silky rayon?) to the exterior and silk satin lining, it is a medium sized clutch, approx. 7 inches by 9 inches, with the beautiful faux emeralds and filigree detailing, along with two metal petal shape side parts, though I think they may be purely for decoration. The metal frame looks to be tarnishing like a silver would, did these purses ever have a silver alloy frame? There are no marks to indicate silver and I do think it unlikely.

It is difficult to find many examples of purses from this wonderful designer, the ones I have seen with similar labels are from the 50s. I am most curious to find out if it dates to Elsa's time or is post 1954? I was wondering if the 'Styled by' indicated that it is after the house closed down?

Please do help if you can....
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The shocking pink script signature labels are 1954 and after. She was still involved with the company but her influence gradually declined. I would have thought you purse is early-mid 50s if I hadn't seen the label.
 
Jonathan said:
The shocking pink script signature labels are 1954 and after. She was still involved with the company but her influence gradually declined. I would have thought you purse is early-mid 50s if I hadn't seen the label.
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That's very helpful, thank you! Potentially it could still be mid 50's? Do you have any idea of when this style of label changed? This could give me a ball park.
 
I think it may be a sweater label. It's also got an odd shape, it should be squared off. It really does look like it has been added to that purse, which looks older than mid 1950s to me. Here is a good example of a Schiap purse label:
Code: 
http://www.bagladyemporium.com/BLU/index.php?n=Main.Schiaparelli
Do you have pix of your other purse labels?
 
thespectrum said:
I think it may be a sweater label. It's also got an odd shape, it should be squared off. It really does look like it has been added to that purse, which looks older than mid 1950s to me. Here is a good example of a Schiap purse label:
Code: 
http://www.bagladyemporium.com/BLU/index.php?n=Main.Schiaparelli
Do you have pix of your other purse labels?
Click to expand...

Gosh I hadn't even though of that, the other two I have which have labels also have the same label, there are a couple of swing tags too, though the swing tags oddly each have a price tag of £5000, which seems disproportionate unless it was for a dress set including the bag? I will take pictures and upload them now.
 
Oh also, the first label is squared off but it's on an inside pocket which is elasticated so it looked mis shaped.

Here are some other pics. The inner labels of the two velvet arm bags, a picture of the other four bags. The two smaller purses have no label at all and I was unsure if they were Schiaparelli but as they came together and used the same gold tone metal and aurora borealis detailing and have similar styling plus one of them had a swing tag attached...? I thought they probably were. Also pics of the front and back of one of the swing tags.

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vintagevixen said:
The hangtags look authentic. Could it be £50.00 with a careless decimal thrown in there, between the 5 and the first 0?
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That's a really good point! It would make a lot more sense. I was wondering if maybe the larger labels could be because they are fabric purses with large inner pockets? I am slightly concerned now that they seem to have different labels to other Schiaparelli purse labels. I have seen the same labels on lingerie cloth bags by Schiaparelli but not one on actual handbags-but then again all the handbags I have seen have been leather ones so far so I do not have much to compare with.
 
themerchantsofvintage said:
Great find.

The symbol looks more like the one for Italian lira. 5000 lira was about $8.00 USD back in the day. If it was, as suggested, 50.00 British pounds that would have been the equivalent of $140.00 USD back then - unlikely for a change purse, I think.
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Gosh yes! if the period was indeed the mid/late 1950's £50 uk pounds would have been astronomical. Lira does make a lot more sense, or even 50 francs (with the decimal point being difficult to see) as was suggested by another member.
 
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