Persian Motif Gold Lamè Faux Leather Handbag. 1960s. Maker: Unknown. Huge, shiny gold faux leather purse with gold clasp, gold feet and tapestry front. The tapestry features a design of four men and (possibly; it’s hard to tell) three women, dressed in ancient Middle Eastern or Persian garb. It’s adorned with faux gems including coral, Persian turquoise, rhinestones and gold beads. No maker tag, but I’ve seen Persian-motif bags made by Sourè and Delill.

Not surprisingly, I found this wonderfully gaudy purse in a Las Vegas antique mall. Most of the items were terribly overpriced (and many were reproductions being sold as vintage—a major peeve of mine), but this bag was a good deal. And I don’t already have one like it!