Antique Chainmail Mesh Purse
Very cool 1904-1920’s chainmail mesh purse. The edge has a pretty floral etching. One side has initials on it. Kiss lock top. About 5”x5.75” it’s in great condition! See picsFirst used in the 1820s, the expensive early bags were made of real woven gold or silver. Chain-mesh bags were in style by the 1870s.The first bags were made by hand from interlocking metal rings. Companies sent the links to housewives, who assembled the mesh at home.Early chain bags had handles with a finger-ring attachment so a small purse could be held by a finger while a woman was dancing.Mesh purses were made of nickel silver by 1895. By 1899, some were made of steel with a gold finish.