I don’t buy vintage clothing or personal items at auction. Out of curiosity, I’ll stand back and watch the bidding but I never participate. Until recently, when the auctioneer at one of my favorite auction houses lifted a neat little purse from a glass case. It looked to be tapestry or needlepoint.
I was smitten. I do buy needlepoint kits, crochet and knitting yarns and threads, sewing boxes and related items. That’s probably why this purse appealed to me. The bidding went back and forth among two of us – $5 at a time – until the other bidder backed off. I got the purse for $25, a bit more than I should have spent.
I didn’t examine it before the auction, which is a no-no. You should always preview and handle an item before bidding on it to make sure it’s in good condition. Because once you buy it, it’s usually yours (sometimes, the auctioneer will allow you to renege on a sale and he’ll re-start the bidding).
The purse had a multicolored floral design with roses and other flowers on front and back. The floral pattern continued around the bottom and the sides. The purse had a lovely gold-toned frame with engraving and a chain handle. The clasp was a black onyx in a gold filigree casing.
The lining wa
s an off-white satin, with two pleated pockets on each side. One held a double mirror. An inside label was marked “Made in Austria.” While the outside was in good condition, the inside had some stains from use.
When I got the purse home and did my research, I came across something called petit point purses. I had never heard of this style of needlepoint. At first, I thought I had a petit point purse, but as I looked closer, I saw that the stitches on those purses were finer. I believe that I have a needlepoint purse.
The petit points I found on the web were beautiful. The website, Morning Glory Antiques and Jewelry, which sells them and provides some background on them, explains this style of needlework. The site, along with another, Antiques Off Broadway, have some lovely fabric purses for show and sale.
“Needlepoint and its smaller-stitched cousin, petit point, are both worked on a canvas or cloth backing, as opposed to tapestry, in which the stitches themselves create the fabric. The images are created by tiny stitches and intricate coloring, and jeweled and enameled frames often add to the design. In the late 1800’s and early 1900’s, ladies “fancy work” included the making of needlepoint and beaded bags, and illustrations and directions could be found in ladies magazines of the time. These bags were also imported from Europe, especially Austria.”
Tapestry, needlepoint or petit point? Either way, it’s a lovely little purse, the right size for traveling light and looking chic.
