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Trio of mesh purses by Whiting and
Davis (from l-r) a compact purse
with Guilloche enamel compact top;
iconic skyline of New York; and
enameled color using the Cubist style

Art Deco Purses by Paula Higgins

rt Deco purses are highly sought after, currently among the most beaded, fabric), the Floge sisters (fabric), Bruno Ruffenstein (beaded,
desired of all antique and vintage purses. Their designs can be fabric), Wilhelm Gmeiner (fabric, beaded), Dora Wibiral (fabric),
Adescribed as chaotic, streamlined, graphic, and non-representa- Mathilde Flögl (fabric), Irene Schaschl-Schuster, Fritzi Low (beaded),
tional. Creating a strong visual impact with bold, sophisticated designs Felice Rix-Uno (beaded). Each artist had a unique perspective, and in
and unexpected color combinations, they reflect an aesthetic in direct some cases, a purse is easily identified as belonging to a specific artist.
contrast with traditional artistic concepts. The name Wiener
The Art Deco Period dates from 1910-1935, but the term “Art Werkstatte is synony-
Deco” originates from The Exposition Internationale des Arts mous with elevated
Decoratifs et Industriels Modernes (Paris, 1925). Prior to the 1925 design. If an artist
exhibition, many artists and art movements influenced the Art Deco made a network purse,
Style. Examples are the Wiener Werkstatte and the Vienna Secession, they would incorpo-
the Society of Decorative Artists (France), the Ballet Russes, Cubism, rate cube-shaped beads
Dadaism, and Modernism. Other influences came from archeological as part of the design.
discoveries in Egypt, Greece, Mesoamerica, Africa, and Asia. Fabric purses made by
Art Deco design impacted architecture (Berlin, London, Chicago, Bruno Ruffenstein
Detroit, New York), metalwork (Despre), sculpture (Chiparus, Erte), were large, ruffled, and
multi-disciplinary decorative arts (Wiener Werkstatte), furniture occasionally fringed.
(Ruhlmann, Saarinen, Dufrene), jewelry (Lalique, Cartier), painting His purses were never
(de Lempicka, Icart) and fashion (Erte, Poiret, Delaunay, Chanel, Two purses designed by artist Maria Likarz-Strauss an after-thought and
Lanvin, and Bakst). and produced by German Werkstatte were an integral part
of his fashion design – not to be overlooked. Artists of the Wiener
Art Deco Beaded Purses Werkstatte designed different types of purses including misers, coin
Art Deco beaded purses were designed by artists in purses, framed handbags, reticules, and wallets.
Maria Likarz-Strauss was the most prolific of the Wiener Werkstatte
Austria, Germany, and Switzerland. Artists were inspired purse designers. An example can be seen in this article. While Maria was
by each other and to some degree, there was “cross- known for geometric designs, she also designed beaded purses with
pollination.” For example, Sophie Taeuber-Arp, a unusual figures, often including fanciful scenes and castle-like buildings.
Swiss artist, studied art in Munich, Germany. Her scenic designs were always intriguing and thought-provoking.
The Wiener Werkstatte was founded by Wiener Werkstatte purses can be seen on the MAK Museum website
Koloman Moser, Josef Hoffman, and Fritz online. Navigating via the German language is easiest (click on “De” and
Waernedorfer in Vienna, Austria. The workshop then “Sammlung”). Type in words such as “Taschen” and “perlenbeutel”
was open from 1903-1932. Artists from the and you will see examples of their purses. You can also type in the
Wiener Werkstatte were very influential across names of individual artists under “Sammlung.” The Nue Gallerie in New
all design spectrums. Existing pieces are avidly York also has a display of Wiener Werkstatte fashion accessories online,
collected and bring very strong prices. including beaded purses. Examples can be seen on Pinterest as well.
Purse designers at the Wiener Werkstatte included: It is important to note that auction houses, online sites, and
Maria Likarz-Strauss (beaded,
This unique form features a rare beaded museums have wrongly attributed purses as designed by the Wiener
wooden handle and is attributed to leather, fabric), Josef Hoffman Werkstatte, when they were actually made by German Werkstattes and
Wiener Werkstatte from the 1920s (leather), Dagobert Peche (leather,
possibly by the Swiss artist, Sophie Taeuber-Arp.
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