1970s CHRISTIAN DIOR SILK BOHEMIAN PAISLEY BAMBOO CLUTCH BAG

This clutch bag was made for Christian Dior between the late 1960s and the early 1970s. It is covered in multicolour paisley silk, edged in bamboo, lined in linen and fitted with an inside pocket, and it measures 35 by 19 by 7 cm. It is marked Dior Paris New York, a reminder of the house's strong American presence. Under Marc Bohan, artistic director from 1961, Dior absorbed the new freedoms of the period while keeping its sense of refinement.

In the late 1960s paisley returned to fashion as part of the wider fascination with India, travel and psychedelic colour. The motif appeared on shirts, dresses, scarves and accessories, worn by both men and women. Couture houses translated it into silk, giving a popular pattern a luxurious form.

Alongside paisley, the period valued natural and handcrafted materials: wood, cane, bamboo, raffia and linen. Bamboo had been used in luxury accessories since the post-war years, and in the late 1960s it suited the mood for organic, exotic and travel-inspired design. Combined with silk and linen, it gives this bag a sense of leisure and warm climates.

The bag uses three natural materials, each with a role. The silk carries the colourful paisley design; the bamboo edges give structure and frame the pattern; the linen lining is practical and light. The hook-and-loop closure and inside pocket make it easy to use. The clutch form, held in the hand or under the arm, suits both day and evening.

Dior accessories from the late 1960s and early 1970s that embrace the bohemian style are less common than the house's classic designs. With boho dressing back in fashion, this paisley and bamboo clutch, in very good condition, is both a collector's piece and a wearable statement.