French Art Nouveau Design Leather Clutch Bag by Brevete

A leather clutch bag with Art Nouveau design made by Brevete of France, and which most likely dates back to the period, making this a genuine antique.  The lightly tooled design was originally painted – there are now-faded remnants of colours, pink and green – and features typical flower motifs against a darker background and it has been monogrammed with the letters “NW”. The bag also features a suitably-designed clasp with an orange circular raised “button” in a plastic-type material forming part of the decoration. The underside of the metal half ring which opens and closes the clasp bears the name “Brevete”.

The bag has been repaired in several places in its long history, most recently by us to stabilise and make good the outer binding which runs across the edges of the bag and the flap. An interior fabric compartment would benefit from some attention to re-attach one corner of it to the bag, but the main leather divider inside the bag is in good shape. There are considerable signs of age and wear to the bag, but the leather has been re-conditioned and feels good, and structurally the bag feels sound. The handle is similarly sturdy and feels suitable for continued use.

The bag measures approximately 26cm (10¼ in.) by 16cm (6¼ in.) and without contents is about 2cm (¾ in.) deep, with the sides able to expand to approximately 5cm (2 in.).