Embroidered Bags and Purses. Embroidery was often carried out by young girls and ladies. There are many different styles of embroidery including bead embroidery and crewel work. Different countries often have their own style.
Below are some examples and price guides of embroidered bags and purses including a velvet money purse embroidered with silver thread and an embroidered silk purse with jade handles.
Purse (da lian) ChineseQing dynasty1880–90
Folding wallet embroidered with dragons
Silk embroidered with silk and couched with gold-wrapped thread
Reference: Museum of Fine Arts Boston
A velvet money purse embroidered with silver thread, Turkey, 18th Century
of flattened baluster form with an ovoid cover held in place by two embroidered strings fastened at top in a round knot, featuring floral designs embroidered with metal threads and sequinned loops against a dark purple velvet background
Sold for 12,500 GBP at Sotheby’s in 2012
Purse 1660-1680 (made)
A clasped frame, or ‘snap-hance’, closes this densely embroidered purse. The leather, now faded, was once a deep purple. The very heavy metal threads and purl (short lengths of metal thread curled tightly together like a minute spring) delineate a vase of flowers on one side and an indecipherable monogram on the other.
This type of fastening, more secure than a drawstring, may indicate that the purse was intended to hold money. In the 17th century gifts of coin were frequently presented in elaborately decorated purses. Such a container added considerable value to the present made, as well as disguising its mercenary nature.
Reference: © Victoria and Albert Museum
AN EMBROIDERED SILK PURSE WITH JADE BANGLE HANDLES Constructed from two cream-colored panels decorated in bird and flower patterns reminiscent of rank badges, sewn together and suspended from a pair of bangles carved in a repeating bamboo-like raised ridges from stone of fairly even whitish hue.
Sold for US$ 2,295 (£ 1,654) inc. premium at Bonham’s in 2019
A bag / purse; small and rectangular, with a long strap. Made from light-weight wood covered with cloth. Front has Arabic script embroidered in white, pink and green cotton yarns on a black twill cotton ground; bordered with six strands of couched gold-coloured metal-wrapped thread. Back; faded pink (originally purple) twill cotton cloth; vestige of small paper label. Weighted flap (including strip of wood to cover bag opening), made from printed cloth with cream/red diamond patterning, bordered with natural cream tabby cotton cloth
Reference: © The Trustees of the British Museum
TWO VINTAGE EMBROIDERED EVENING BAGS FIRST HALF 20TH CENTURY Comprising: a Chinese blue embroidered bag with an 18K gold clasp inlaid with mother-of-pearl and set with eight small diamonds; and a tan embroidered clutch with a gilt-metal studded clasp set with semi-precious cabochons
Sold for USD 2,000 at Christie’s in 2016
