A Very Old Beaded Purse

Years ago, when I found this purse, I knew it was from the early days of Berlinwork (circa 1850). The shape of the bag, the tiny beads, the little piecrust bottom and use of some cornflower blue beads were all clues. But, I had never seen a bag of this era with such large and graphic images. This one also has a touch of humor.  I love that the “prey” hides so comfortably out of sight of the hunter and his hound. (I really don’t want him to be found by those two!)

I had quite a thrill the day I found a hint at the provenance of this bag. In a beautiful book by Raffaella Serena titled Animal Embroideries and Patterns from 19th Century Vienna, on page 122, there are photos of another bag most certainly created from the same chart, and owned by this author who is an authority on Berlinwork. Her book contains a gorgeous variety of domestic and wild animals in lush surroundings charted for use in slippers, pillows, bellpulls, carpets and more. There is also a tantalizing bit of history for anyone interested in this era of needlework.

For more information about my purse, visit this link.