1980s Ornate Seed Beaded Evening Handbag | Art Deco Revival Formal Purse with Kiss Clasp

DESCRIPTION

An ornate 1980s formal evening handbag densely worked with seed beads in an elegant Art Deco Revival design. The structured silhouette is finished with a framed kiss clasp and an interior magnetic snap closure, creating the decorative presence of an earlier beaded evening purse with distinctly late-20th-century construction.

WORTH NOTING

The interior hardware is marked “U.S. Pat. 4453294 and others.”

U.S. Patent 4,453,294 for the magnetic fastening mechanism was published in 1984, establishing that the purse was made—or substantially reconstructed—no earlier than that year.

Dense seed-beaded decoration gives the handbag a richly textured formal appearance.

Framed construction with a traditional kiss-style clasp.

Interior magnetic snap offers additional closure security.

An excellent example of the 1980s revival of elaborate Art Deco evening accessories.

MEASUREMENTS

Please insert the recorded width, height excluding the handle, handle drop, and approximate depth from the original listing. The patent-label photograph does not provide enough scale to estimate the handbag’s dimensions responsibly.

CONDITION

Pre-owned vintage condition with age-appropriate wear. Examine the gallery closely for any isolated missing or loosened beads, thread wear, discoloration, finish wear to the frame, and signs of use within the lining. The magnetic snap and patent-marked interior label are shown.

FROM THE HOUSE

The pleasure of this evening bag lies in its abundance. Thousands of tiny beads transform a practical framed purse into something closer to textile jewelry—ornate, luminous, and designed to accompany a proper entrance.

Carry it with a column dress or tailored black evening suit and allow the beadwork to provide the ornament. Continue through our storefront for more vintage evening bags and formal accessories, or ask our concierge to assemble a complete occasion edit.

~ Genevieve