This antique travel suitcase in vulcanised fibre is a rigid piece of luggage with metal corners and lever clasps, a rectangular body and a central handle. It originates from Czechoslovakia, from the first half of the twentieth century, when vulcanised fibre took hold as a sturdy, light travel material.
Fibre suitcases accompanied the train and ship journeys of interwar Central Europe. Robust and easy to carry, they were an everyday object of modern mobility.
The body is vulcanised fibre over an internal frame, braced at edges and corners with metal pieces and strips, and closed by metal catches. The interior keeps its original checked textile lining.
The patina is warm and lived-in: the chestnut-toned fibre shows scuffs, traces of travel labels and edge wear that attest to its journeys. The surface reads as an authentic, unrestored object.
Today it serves as a piece of character, as a tidy box or stacked to gain height beside a sofa. It fits vintage, industrial and eclectic interiors, where it brings narrative and a period accent.
Details
- Dimensions: Length 60 cm – Width 41 cm – Height 18 cm
- Style: Vintage travel
- Materials and techniques: Vulcanised fibre; metal corners and braces; wooden strips; metal catches; checked textile lining.
- Place of origin: Czechoslovakia
- Period: First half of the 20th century
- Date of manufacture: Circa 1930
- Condition: Good. Scuffs and traces of labels consistent with use; one of the catches does not work. Wear consistent with age and use.
This piece is part of the curated collection of Amaru Antiques, Barcelona.
ONE OF A KIND PIECE
