Need help with Japanese bathing geishas leather wallet

[cmpollack]

Any idea of date on this printed (?) leather wallet? (I'm assuming it's a transfer or screen print, as there aren't any brush strokes...)

It's very, very soft, with no markings of any kind. Any idea what kind of leather (or leather treatment?)

Also, I'm wondering if what's depicted on it is a classic Japanese painting, and if anyone recognizes it. (Gotta love those peeking boys...)

And would this have been a domestic or export/souvenir item, do you think?

Thanks for any help you can offer!

 

[Leisa]

Hi Carrie - can't say for sure about yours in particular, but I used to buy those in the Asian shoppes starting in the 70s and all through the 90s. Some of them had the pleather inside like yours, but most of mine were all fabric - silk and/or silk & poly blend.

They were very inexpensive and I'd bet they're still available at any Asian shoppes around.

Sorry I don't have better news.

 

[cmpollack]

Thanks much for taking a look, Leisa, and narrowing the potential date!

I'm fairly certain that neither the interior or exterior of this is pleather, though, as there is a suede backing to any of the pieces that aren't satin-lined.

Italso "feels" like leather--very, very supple, like glove leather.

 

[MyVintageCocktail]

Carrie, I have a very similar wallet (different print), but the bill pockets on mine are fabric on the side you see when you open it. However, I'm sure the lining is a very subtly pebbled, soft leather, except the part that forms the back part of the zippered pocket. That is smooth vinyl--and you can defintely tell the leather from the vinyl. So, if you think yours is leather, I would agree! Because of the nylon zipper, I figured mine was 60s or 70s. It feels/looks too old to be any newer. Mine has Japanese printing on it, so I initially assumed it was made in Japan for actual use rather than a souvenir--that and it was found with a couple of other ones that I passed up because they were beat. Definitely had been used. So, if they are souvenir/export items, people had used the ones I found....

Can't help on the print, though. Sorry....

 

[cmpollack]

Thanks, Anne! It's good to know there are more of these out there!

The zipper in mine is metal, and the wallet looks as if never used.

The method for printing on the leather stumps me... I know with jewelry that something that has a transfer print (vs being handpainted) will show up as tiny dots under magnification, but that doesn't happen here... That's why I thought maybe screenprinted. (But I don't really understand how screenprinting works and if it would be possible to do it on leather!)

I was told this was 50s when I purchased it (off eBay), but of course that doesn't mean a thing! (Which is why I'm hoping to learn more about this type of item now...)