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Forest Craft Guild page 9 -- Purses / Handbags
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Forest Craft Guild Bags |
Leatherwork was a small but important part of the Arts & Crafts movement. The Kalo Shop is said to have sold leather items when they first started, but none have surfaced. Mary Knight worked with leather during her early days, and later used leather punches to chase her silver items. And sisters Rose and Minnie Dolese formed the Wilro Shop which produced handsome leather objects. While the Forest Craft Guild focused on metalwork, they did sell a line of ooze leather handbags, decorated with the same kind of metal ornaments sold as individual jewelry pieces.
An advertisement for Forest Craft Guild Productions "Ooze Leather Hand Bags and Purses, with Metal Fixtures in Copper and Silver" reprinted in Don Marek's Grand Rapids Art Metalwork, mentions these:
"The Guild bags are well known. They are executed from our own designs and embellished with hand-wrought ornaments, making a combination of metal and leather distinctly characteristic and always in excellent taste. They may be obtained in the following colors: black, gray, brown, blue, tan, green, purple, lavender and dark red. Sample colors sent on request. All bags have silk cords. When ordering, always give color of leather, color of lining and color of enamel. When enamel is used, the following colors may be chosen: coral, amethyst, jade, topaz and garnet."
The "ooze leather" (another name for suede, derived from its preparation technique of oozing chemicals through the surface) was available in either ooze sheep or ooze calf. The ornaments listed in the catalog were German silver, oxidized German silver, or pierced bronze brass. Most were silk lined. Prices varied from $6.30 to $10.
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Typical FOREST CRAFT GUILD mark:
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Typical GERMAN SILVER mark:
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Typical combined mark:
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Item |
Description |
Size |
Marks |
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Handbag, ooze leather, lined, trapezoidal, with riveted cutout and repousse brass hardware at top centering diamond-shaped square pink bezel-set stone on each side. Original twisted silk cord handle. |
5-1/4" W at top and 9" W at bottom and 7-3/4" H |
[unmarked] |
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Close-up of metalwork showing typical Forest Craft repousse geometric decoration, use of stones, and cutouts |
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Handbag, ooze leather, trapezoidal, with hammered copper hardware at top. One side has riveted triangular copper form with many cutouts. Other side has simpler copper riveted form. Original twisted silk cord handle. |
9-1/8" W at bottom and 8-1/8" H |
[unmarked] |
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Close-up of metalwork showing typical Forest Craft hammering and cutouts |
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Handbag, ooze leather, with triangular white metal hardware at top with abstract acid-etched windmill scene, centering oval bezel-set iridescent stone on each side. Silk lined. Original twisted silk cord handle. |
5-1/8" W at middle and 5-1/2" H |
[unmarked] |
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Close-up of metalwork showing typical Forest Craft acid-etched decoration and use of stones |
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Handbag, ooze leather, lined, trapezoidal, with riveted cutout and repousse brass hardware at top centering an oval purple bezel-set stone on each side. Original twisted cord handle. (This actual purse appeared on page 101 in Grand Rapids Art Metalwork 1902-1918 / Marek) |
7-1/8" W and 4-3/8" H |
[unmarked] |
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Close-up of metalwork showing typical Forest Craft repousse geometric decoration, use of stones, and cutouts |
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Handbag, ooze leather, with flat top and rounded body and curved copper hardware at top plus separate large riveted round very detailed and elaborate repousse copper decoration below one front with geometric floral design. Original braided cord handle. |
6-1/4" W and 6-1/2" H |
[unmarked] |
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Close-up of metalwork showing extensive detailed repousse geometric decoration |
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Handbag, ooze leather, lined, with large riveted and saw-pierced brass hardware on both sides, each centering a green oval bezel-set cabochon bloodstone. Long central handle on top and silk tassel on bottom. |
Body: 8-7/8" H and 5-3/8" W
Including Handle: 14-7/8" H
Including handle and tassel: 20" H |
[unmarked] |
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Close-up of metalwork showing extensive cutout decoration and central bloodstone. |
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Handbag, trapezoidal, blue-grey ooze leather, lined, with large riveted and saw-pierced triangular brass hardware on both sides, each centering a blue-green oval bezel-set cabochon foil-backed glass stone. Twisted silk cord handle. Crack in stone on one side. |
Body: 8-9/16" W and 8" H |
[unmarked] |
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Close-up of metalwork showing extensive cutout decoration and central foil-backed glass stone. |
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