Edition #29: Wicker Animal Purses
Wicker? I barely know her.
Made from weaving bamboo or rattan plants, wicker was popularized in the western world in the 1800s with its roots in Southeast Asia and Egypt before that. The woven style took hold in the US during the 1950’s and thanks to a woman named Jane Birkin and her infamous basket/bag in the ‘70s, wicker became a focus for a lot of designers, eventually turning to PVC instead. These days, Kate Spade has practically cornered the market, but back in the early 1900s and into the mid-century, there was a smattering of brands crafting novelty bags with wicker. What lead me down this specific rabbit hole (no pun intended) was the first purse listed, the kangaroo with its joey. Then, the frogs started to appear. These wicker bags all feature incredible detail including marble eyes and hand-painted features. Some of the rarer animals like the horses and fish can top thousands of dollars.
RARE Vintage 1950s Wicker Novelty Animal Figural Seated Kangaroo and Joey Basket Purse Handbag in Natural Brown on Etsy: What can I say about this silly little guy and his mom. I just love that the “pouch” really is where you keep your things.
1950s 1960s Green Brown Wicker Woven Marble Eye Novelty Frog Purse on Etsy: If you’re in the market for a frog bag, they were plentiful and in a few different shades of green.
Large Vintage Monkey Wicker Purse Animal Basket Figural Unique VLV on eBay: The monkeys are my favorite, I think. I love their blank stare. It’s like that vintage cymbal-playing monkey toy except without all the nightmares and noise.
60s Vintage Wicker Animal Purse / Figural Wicker Teddy Bear Handbag / Rare Collectible Novelty Straw Panda Purse / Wicker Novelty Bear Purse on Etsy: Okay, this is supposed to be a teddy bear or panda, but I see a capybara.
Extremely Rare 1970s Black Vinyl Wicker Horse Head Marble Eye Handbag Designed by Marcus Brothers on Etsy: The horse head bags were by far the most expensive and I get it. These things are gorgeous and the examples I’ve found are in incredible condition.
Vintage Wicker Animal Novelty Elephant Purse Clutch Handbag Basket Figural on eBay: I could really see someone walking around the DUMBO Flea with this bag (I’ll be here all week).
Novelty Fish Shaped Figural Handbag Vintage Wicker Tropical Parrot Fish OOAK Animal Purse on Etsy: The fish examples were consistently the most elaborately decorated (see Honorable Mentions) but this one felt right.
RARE Vintage 1950s Faux Wicker Dog Novelty Purse Basket Bag Handbags Excellent on eBay: A tiny dog on a tiny chain is really the perfect bag for going out in my opinion.
VINTAGE Wicker Cat Novelty Figural Purse Basket Bag RARE on eBay: This cat looks so distraught but the details on its face are just so good.
RARE Vintage 1950s Wicker Novelty Animal Figural Dog Basket Purse Handbag in Natural Brown on Etsy: Now this is the kind of dog I’d want at my side all day.
Honorable Mentions:
What terms were searched:
Wicker novelty purse
Wicker animal purse
Rare wicker bag
Wicker basket purse
Welcome to Finder’s Keepers
This is the newsletter dedicated to leaving no vintage stone unturned. Each edition will cater to a rabbit hole that I fell down one night and include an assortment of vintage finds that make you question “Why did anyone own this?” followed quickly by “Should I own this?”
My method is simple: I attach a keyword or phrase to the item and go digging, spending hours each week combing through hundreds of pages of Etsy and Ebay bric-a-brac. It’s chaotic but satisfactory, like looking through every rack and bin at a thrift store for those that partake in the more visceral act of going in person. I like to sit on my couch.
**
Don’t forget I have an Etsy storefront: