This whimsical clutch has been made for a fashionable Parsi woman (also spelt Parsee) to match here similarly embroidered sari (known by the Parsis as a gara.) It is covered in black silk and embroidered on both sides in cream silk stitching with an elaborate dragon, as well as flower blooms. Inside, the purse is lined in black silk and has two open compartments. Embroidered garments imported from Canton became popular with the Parsis of Gujarat in the nineteenth century. Many Parsi merchants had agencies and trading houses in Hong Kong and Shanghai as they did elsewhere in Asia, so it was a relatively simple matter for the Parsi community to access Chinese embroidered items for the market back home. The popularity of these Chinese-made textiles became such that the Parsi community began to embroider their own silk garments in the Chinese style. The town of Surat in western India, which had a significant Parsi population, was also home to a long- established embroidery industry, and so Surat became the centre of Parsi embroidery in the ‘Chinese’ style. The purse here is in Good Vintage condition. There are no losses of thread, slight wear at corners, and slight markings on the bottom (the bag would do well with a professional cleaning and is priced accordingly) – please see photos. This is from the collection of a Parsi family originally from Bombay, India and was originally purchased in Gujarat, India. Measures 9.5” x 5.5” x 1” and clasp has strong closure. BM-21-10 P - 819