Pochette De Soirée - Soie Et Perles De Verres - Brodé Fils Or - Argent Et Soie - Harrods

Very old champagne coloured silk evening clutch, lining in silk satin, never used, in a perfect state of conservation, entirely embroidered with gold, silver and silk thread, with a multitude of small glass beads representing floral motifs in relief.
Its gold metal clasp is also entirely embroidered with glass beads, some of which form small pink roses.
On opening, it reveals two inside pockets where a small champagne silk purse with a gilded metal clasp has slipped into one, and in the other a delightful little rectangular bag mirror in its silk pocket.

Period: Art Nouveau
Dimensions: Width: 21cm x Length: 14cm
Signature: Harrods 

This beautiful piece comes from the London luxury department stores', Harrods, whose origins date back to 1834, when Charles Henry Harrod opened a small grocery shop. 

In 1849, the shop moved to its present location on Brompton Road in Knightsbridge, just off Hyde Park.  

In December 1883, a fire burnt Harrods to the ground. Soon after, the building was rebuilt on a larger scale. Within days, Charles Digby Harrods was able to replenish its stock and achieve record Christmas sales.

The history of Harrods is full of anecdotes. 

In 1885, Harrods first opened a line of credit to Oscar Wilde, who was in financial difficulties. It was at Harrods that the writer A. A. Milne found the original Winnie-The-Pooh teddy bear for his son Christopher Robin. 

In 1939, Harrods Funeral Services embalmed the remains of Sigmund Freud. And Alfred Hitchcock had herrings sent to Hollywood.

"Everything, for everyone, everywhere' was the motto of Charles Henry Harrods, and to this day you can find everything at Harrods 

The current owner of Harrods is the Egyptian Mohamed Al Fayed.