Ceramic Purse with Shell Crumbs?

So what is this made of? Whatever it is, it is crumbling and falling off of it. Like crushed shells or sugar....Took a not so good phone pic, hope it helps. Era? It is about 3 3/4" high and the "purse" is open.

 

More photos needed, always show bottoms (marked or not) and additional sides plus the inside would help

 

Thanks Marie, will have to do that later, as our camera finally died and my phone is not so great. Was hoping someone here had one just like it! Darn.

 

The *stuff* on it sorta, kinda, reminds me of those vintage Japanese sugar beads.
But I don't recall the beads having a problem with shedding.

 

If it was made cheaply the beads might have been glued on rather than sewn. That could cause the shedding.
Don

 

Don, these *beads* are on a ceramic thingie, not cloth.

 

Oh, sorry - I missed that part. How strange! Still, though, if they're glued rather than fired on...

 

Is this coralene? Claudia

 

"Imitation" coralene, I think.

 

Well, or old camera got major case of the shakes. Finally our new one came in, so, if anyone is still interested, here are more pics. I am using this bad condition item as a learning piece.

When I first posted, I was afraid to touch it, since it seemed to be disintegrating. Have since figured it out, I think? This was in a lot of other items. Evidently something in the lot was made of salt, as the crumbling stuff tastes salty. I show some of the large pieces below. They had gotten caught under the bottom lip where the hole is.

Since the pieces do not match this piece in color (white) or where parts are missing, I think they have nothing to do with this piece. Just transference from something else in the lot.

So I felt all over, and whatever treatment is adhering well and not flaking off. So it may be coralene?

The corners used to have a gold-look that has worn off. Thought that was started around the 1920's or 30s through the 50s.

Below is a picture of the base and the marking. Could it be reading "it" for Italy? Or "41"?

 

Here's google images for Nippon coralene for comparison: https://www.google.ca/search?q=cora...CQoQT5kILwBA&ved=0CAgQ_AUoAQ&biw=1366&bih=655

 

Thanks, Kent, yes, I enlarged several from Google images. Compared to the second picture above, I think it is coralene. But I have never held coralene, so hoping someone can confirm it.