Can you help with age on this little beaded purse?

It's only 4" wide and 3 1/2" tall. It has some bead loss, especially at the top. I was wondering how old it might be. Is it an evening bag? It seems too ornate to be change purse. The frame may have been silver coated at one time as there are still spots of bright silver. Should I clean up the frame with a sunshine cloth? Is there a market for this in its condition? So many questions! Thanks in advance for looking and any advice or opinions.

 

I've sold a few vintage beaded evening bags on eBay, and yours looks to be circa 1920s-30s because of the small size and the Art Deco design on the silver-plated frame. It would have been used for evening occasions or possibly afternoon tea parties. The condition would make it difficult to sell, even for a few dollars, especially since the frame isn't the type that could be reused, and the beads are plain. However, someone may want to use the white beads to restore another bag from the same era. The dark beads look like they were originally clear glass with silver lining (now tarnished).

 

Great information, thank you. It cost me less than a dollar and I purchased it to learn. It must have been adorable when it was new.

 

If you ever run across another one for a bargain price, and the bag is sewn to small holes around the frame, even if the bag is beyond repair someone would buy it to reuse the frame especially if it's in good condition, ornate, "jeweled", silver, or celluloid. If you google "antique purse frame" you'll see many examples of frames alone. [edit] I've seen some antique purse frames sell for well over $100 on eBay.

 

That's good to know for the future. I may still try to sell this one for a low price. As you said, someone might buy it for the beads. I am undecided. By the way, your assessment of the "gray" beads was very helpful. I thought they were just gray beads. I try to learn something new every day and I am grateful that today I learned some very valuable information. Thanks again Joan.

 

You're welcome.

 

I zoomed in on some of your photos again to see if the bag could possibly be sewn to the frame. Maybe my eyes are deceiving me, but there seems to be little indentations along the edges of the lining. If you're curious, you could try pulling gently on the lining or the beaded part at the frame to see if there are any hidden stitches. Some frames have two sets of holes one for the beaded fabric and another for the lining.

 

I can see some tiny stiches where the beaded part is attached to the frame if I gently pull it away from the frame. I can also see some stitched on the inside but they appear to be further apart than on the outside. I can pull (gently, of course) the whole inside lining out of the body of the piece while the beaded outside retains its shape. I think the inside might be silk as I can see some evidence that might be close to shattering but is intact for now. I can take more pictures of how it attaches to the frame but it will have to be tomorrow afternoon. I appreciate your time in taking a closer look.

 

Interesting. Yes, I'm sure the lining is silk. You could try polishing the frame without removing the bag. However, the dark parts might be corroded, but if just tarnished they may brighten up with a sunshine cloth (maybe the chain too) and where the brass is showing through, it would brighten up too. If you sell it, you'd want to mention that the bag is handsewn to the frame. Or, if you decide to remove the bag you could more easily polish the frame, assuming it's not corroded...but probably not worth your time (in terms of what it would sell for) even if it could be brightened up.

 

I will try cleaning it with a sunshine cloth and try to get some pictures of the stitching. Many thanks.