Page 32 - joa-1-22R

Swabian (German) beaded purse expert, Sabina design and the top was enameled. They have a unique
Schurenberg, in her book, Perle fur Perle, identifies look that is delicate, but distinctly Art Deco.
purses designed by Swabian beaded purse manufacturers, Condition is important and mesh purses can have
which were formerly thought to be by the Wiener their share of problems. Disconnected links, missing
Werkstatte. The Swabian/German Art Deco designs paint, and damaged frames are common concerns for
stand on their own for creativity and artistic merit. collectors. The Antique Purse Collector’s Society site has
Swabian/German Art Deco Purses—especially those a list of people who repair mesh purses and other types of
produced by the Johannes Harter Co.—are excellent purses (www.antiquepursecollectorssociety.com).
examples of the Art Deco style. Harter hired the Swiss
artist, Louis Camille Graeser, to create beaded purse Art Deco Vanity and Compact Purses
designs. Graeser’s designs are a mix of lines, angles,
and circles – all on one purse. A lot is going on design- Art Deco vanity and compact purses, at their most
wise, but they are visually striking and clearly not exquisite, were made in the workshops of Henri
generic in nature. Husson, Duval, Lacloche Frères, Van Cleef and Arpels,
The Gumunder Perl-Industrie in Germany also Mauboussin, and Cartier in Paris. In New York,
produced some unique and beautiful Art Deco purses. Tiffany catered to the rich and famous as well. The
As design preferences changed from the romantic, At left, Galalith inset with book, Masterpieces of French Jewelry, by Judith Price,
rhinestones and clock, perfume
18th century-inspired figurals and scenics, companies bottle in tassel rouge and powder shows some of the most beautiful vanity/compact
transitioned to the more sophisticated, fashion-forward pots and mirror. At right, celluloid purses ever made. Decorated with gemstones, enamel
Art Deco designs. inset with rhinestones, mirror, work, and 18 karat gold, they are works of art. One
German Werkstatte artists in Dresden and Munich and spot for coins. example, made by Lacloche Frères, is enameled with
created some exceptional Art Deco beaded purses. One of the most Enrico Caruso’s image. These purses are a feast for
prominent designers was Berta Senestrey. Her purses are unique in their the eyes and reflect the very high end of vanity and compact purses
overall design and execution. Squared or rectangular, some are attached during the Art Deco Era.
to fine brass chains. One example depicts numerous figures and objects, Celluloid vanity purses, decorated with rhinestones and containing
and another is designed like a Mondrian painting. Berta’s designs are areas for powder, a mirror, and a lipstick in the tassel were very popular
unlike any other artist in the Deco Movement. A recent retrospective in as well. They came in a variety of shapes.
Germany celebrating women artists included Berta Senestrey. In the USA, vanity and compact purses were made by Whiting and
Sophie Taeuber-Arp, a Swiss artist, was married to Jean Arp, the Davis, Evans, Elgin, Voluptè, and R&G. Varying in price, they were
founder of the Dada Movement. She was an artist of consequence made to be affordable for most women.
herself, and is only now being accorded the respect she deserves. A The Evans brand produced reasonably priced flat mesh bags with
recent exhibition in Basel, Switzerland at the Kunstmuseum highlighted an enameled compact top and carryalls fitted with places for powder,
her work, which included a selection of rouge, and a comb. R&G was at the higher
beaded purses. The examples in the exhibition end of the vanity purse market with finely
are attributed to her because of their known made mesh bags attached to sterling and
provenance. It is a certainty other purses beautifully enameled, round, compact tops.
designed by Sophie are in collections world- Whiting and Davis also produced quality
wide, but identifying them is difficult as her vanity/compact purses. Enameled spider mesh
work is only now being seriously examined. purses were attached to rectangular, heavily
Examples of her purses can be seen online. jeweled, and enameled compact tops. The
R&G and Whiting and Davis compact purses
are worthy additions to any collection.
Art Deco Mesh Purses
During the Deco Period, mesh purses were Art Deco Galalith and Bakelite Purses
made in the USA, France, Portugal, and
Germany. The purses that most typify Art Celluloid was invented in the 19th century
Deco design were made in the USA and France. and Bakelin in 1907. Celluloid was typically
The Whiting and Davis Co. (USA) used to make frames for fabric and beaded
1920s French celluloid and leather purse.
was responsible for the largest output of The opening of Tutankhamun’s tomb in 1922 inspired purses, although there are examples of
Deco-designed mesh purses. Using bright Egyptian designs on purses. full-bodied celluloid purses. The frames were
enameled colors and geometric patterns with made in France and were limited in design
coordinating enameled frames, their designs were very successful inter- only by the designer’s imagination. Some were painted and others left
pretations of the Art Deco Movement. At their very best, they were iconic plain. Egyptian themes, inspired by the opening of Tutankhamun’s
(skyline design of New York picture). Others were more transitional and tomb in 1922 by Howard Carter, were a frequent design source. Asian
incorporated traditional designs with Art Deco design elements. In order and mythological figures, elephants, lions, and peacocks also featured
to capture wider markets, the fashionista and the classic dresser, they heavily as design ideas.
covered both design styles on one purse. Galalith and Bakelite were used for bag fittings and vanity purses in
Paul Poiret was hired by Whiting and Davis in 1925 to create the 1920s and then as full-bodied purses in the 1930s. Heavier and
designs for a flat mesh, pouch-style purse. The Poiret name added more stable than celluloid, it became the favored plastic for purses.
cachét to the American-made mesh purses and provided Poiret with There are so many more types of Art Deco purses that deserve to be
badly needed income. Whiting and Davis even paid actresses to pose in mentioned. For example, a leather purse in the shape of an ocean liner,
print ads with their purses. Based on the numbers still out there, their British embroidered silk purses, Austrian petit point purses by Hilde
advertising was clearly successful. Wagner-Ascher and more, are examples of purses that deserve attention.
Purses came in spider/flat mesh, ring mesh, and Dresden mesh. The Hopefully, the reader of this article will be inspired to further explore
flat mesh was the most effective surface for Art Deco designs. Art Deco purses.
The advent of the flapper girl and cosmetics meant purses were being
used for more than decoration. Whiting and Davis added compact
mirrors to their purses to accommodate the modern woman and in the About the Author
case of the Delysia compact purse (named after actress Alice Delysia), Paula Higgins has been collecting purses for 30 years. She is a
they added space for powder and rouge. member of the Antique Purse Collector's Society (www.antiquepurse-
French mesh purses have a fine ring mesh bottom and a hard top collectorssociety.com) and a co-author, with Lori Blaser, of the book
enclosing a mirror. The ring mesh body was stenciled in a geometric A Passion for Purses, available at Amazon and AbeBooks.

30 Journal of Antiques and Collectibles