Description: A collection of seven small purses and two beaded collars. Two on top left side are micro beaded and made in Czech. Two on the bottom are made in Japan. Far right center is not marked with a fabric back.


History: Through the years, it's been as small as a deck of cards and as large as a piece of luggage; as soft as velvet and as hard as Bakelite. It's been knitted, crocheted, embroidered, beaded and embossed. Hung from belts, slipped over fingers and slung over shoulders. And, in one form or another, it has been with us since the time of the Crusades. Called by many names, it's a fashion accessory used by both men and women since the Middle Ages: the pocketbook, the purse, the handbag, the reticule or, in today's world of the metrosexual, the man bag. Beaded bags But of all the bags that have waxed and waned in popularity over the years, perhaps none has earned its place in fashion, or been so cherished and sought after by collectors, as the little beaded bag. Combining the look and feel of a jeweled surface with the flexibility of fabric, they are works of art, statements of personal taste, and status symbols. Popular for centuries, beaded bags, whether handcrafted or commercially produced, have been in vogue in North America for well over 200 years and in Europe for much longer. Along with being museum pieces, beaded bags are highly prized in collectors' circles where they command high prices. The greatly coveted beaded works were of such value that, in the early 1800s, the patterns used to make them were jealously guarded as family secrets passed down through generations.

Provenance: FL Estate


Dimensions: Weight (Pounds & Ounces) = 2 | Height(in) = 10 | Width(in) = 8 | Depth(in) = 8

Size of Artwork(in): 11 x 8" largest


Artist Name: Czech, Japan


Medium: Beads, satin


Circa: Circa 1920

Most are in good condition with some age discoloration of fabric. Several purses have beads missing. The two beaded collars, one is in good shape the other is in fair shape.