1950s Compact Purse Minaudière Volupté Gold & Black Faille Vintage UNUSED
This marvelous little compact purse minaudière by Volupté dates to the 1950s. I think it may have been called a "Sophisticase".
A goldtone metal compact fits into a black fabric case with a handle that turns it into a tiny little purse. The little gold handle holds the case closed by swinging over and clipping onto the back side. The interior is very clean and shows no sign of ever having been used. The pink square powder puff is clean as well as the white powder screen. The little metal band that serves as a sort of spring to hold the lipstick in still has spring, but there is no lipstick included. The doors to the powder well and the miscellaneous well both clasp soundly. The mirror is clean and shiny except for some very minor vertical marks that may have been the way it was made. On the reverse side of the mirror, there is a small area with a blemish - almost as if something adhesive was there (maybe a label?) and has fallen off over time.
The black fabric cover has a snap front compartment has sort of a sleeve you could put something small and flat, like a ticket.
Label: Marked VOLUPTÉ U.S.A. on the interior, outside the powder compartment door.
Measurements:
4 5/8" wide 1 3/8" high and about 1 3/8" deep.
Without black case, 4 3/16" wide 3 1/8" high and 1 1/16" deep.
Condition:
In very good condition. Interior is almost perfect and very clean. There is some marring to the goldtone finish on the ribbed side that faces outward, and some minor marring to the other, brushed side. The faille handle is crinkled and the bottom of the faille case has scuffed, rough edges.