Metal mesh purse

Another find at the car boot. An expanding purse. No idea of age. Looks like silver plate. It was quite heavily tarnished and black, but has come up quite clean.. Some suggestions of France/Germany from Google.

 

With that mesh ‘type’, I wonder if it is not more vintage than really antique? Would have liked to have seen it before it was cleaned. But thinking not antique.

 

I was thinking more vintage myself too and for the same reasons. The older mesh ones tend to consist of just round links like chain mail. I have one photo from before I polished it.

 

Both gate-top clasps and armor/fish-scale mesh were used from the 1910s - personally would think this one circa 1920s and American, but similar were made elsewhere and later too, could be Whiting & Davis, typically their label was sewn to the lining in gate-tops...

~Cheryl

 

Thanks for the photo.

 

It surprises me that it could be that early. So there should be a lining in it? Thanks

 

If Whiting & Davis, definitely lined, and likely others as well because the little prongs inside catch on things, including itself...


1917 retailer's ad, first piece is armor/fish-scale mesh:




~Cheryl

 

It could be German Silver, AKA Alpaca. It tarnishes and polishes up nicely with silver polish. A lot of purses were made of it. In my somewhat limited experience, I haven't come across silver plate purses.

 

It would be nice but wishful thinking perhaps. The advert posted above has some silver plate examples. Also the lid is so worn that you can see the different coloured base metal underneath.

Thanks for your positive vibes though.

Edit: oh you mean nickle silver. Possible.

 

There are lots of names for it, basically it's silver colored metal with no precious silver included

 

The base metal here would be nickel silver (typically around 2/3 copper, the remainder usually nickel and zinc) and unless silverplated, it doesn't produce a dark tarnish like silver, but rather a dull yellowish oxidation. There were mesh purses made of unplated nickel silver, usually marked 'German Silver' until WWI, but period ads like the one posted earlier often also state 'silverplated' for mesh bags...

~Cheryl