Antique Crochet Beaded Purse - Turkish Beadwork

If you like little antique purses and bags or love hand beaded items this little early 20th Century beaded bag could be for you. Here is a genuine antique small, brightly coloured and intricately designed coin purse in hand crocheted beadwork.  The purse is in excellent order, clean and robust with only a small cluster missing on its centre on one side. To be honest if the thread wasn’t there I probably would never have noticed! This antique hand made purse has been made up of little round seed beads, all of them glass.  We have the black beads which look like little lumps of caviar and then there are opalescent white beads which have a moonstone effect.  These are worked into a geometric pattern made up  of rectangles with bright tomato red, moss green, peacock and royal blue plus white  also featuring.  This lovely old purse is round in shape.   The purse has the same pattern on both sides so is decorative on each face - one side only having two larger white beads and two amber orange beads to the design centre. The colours of the beads plus yellows and purples are repeated on both the handle and  the decorative tassled top piece which is a triangular shape.  It must have taken hours of patience to create this little gem! I do not claim to be an expert on beadwork but I wouldn't be suprised if this little geometric patterned early 20th Century purse was made in Turkey.  It has similar designs and colours to the famous beaded snakes which were prisoner of war work. There is a very “snake-like” head to the top of the handle.  Is this a red eyed snake head or just part of the design?

Wherever this small gem originated it is in lovely order with bright beads and would be a perfect addition to a collection of antique beadwork, crochet beading and vintage purses. 

Now crochet beadwork was very much a hobby in the 19th Century and into the early 20th Century too in Great Britain, Europe and all over the globe. Mademoiselle Riego de la Branchardiere was credited with the introduction of crochet as a craft into Britain.  She could be described as  a 19th Century  journalist, writing for  ladies magazines of the period.   She brought out 'The Needle' publication between 1852 and 1853 and published instructions and patterns for all kinds of needlework.  Crochet work ,like this little antique purse ,required beads to be threaded onto crochet silks and then worked into a design.

Measurements are a little over 2.5 inches in diameter for the body of the purse with the handle and decorative triangle and tassle making the purse have a total length of 7 inches.


ACCESSORY DETAILS

Designer or Brand: None, this is a hand made antique purse.
 
Condition: Excellent

Country of Origin: I think Turkey
 
Decade: 1900s
 
Era: Antique ( pre 1910)
 
Type: Beaded Purse

Material: Fabric and Glass Seed Beads