Mesh purse

1890-1930

Measurements

3-3/4 in x 1 in x 7/8 in (dia)

Materials

Silver

Credit Line

Historic Odessa Foundation, gift of Sara Corbit Reese Pryor

Accession Number

2004.19.5

Inscription

"SCC" in engraved into the cap.  “STERLING 5942” is stamped into the bottom.

Provenance

The purse descended from Sara Corbit Curtis to her granddaughter Sara Corbit Reese Pryor, the donor.

Comments

The mesh purse, made of interwoven silver wire (like chain mail), has an accordion-action neck that allows the user to expand it to access the bulbous shape of the purse body.  A hinged cap, bearing the initials of its first owner, Sara Corbit Curtis (1871-1952) of Odessa, secures the neck and therefore the contents.  A ring and chain allows the user to attach the purse to clothing.

Mesh purses have a centuries-long history, but they became especially stylish in the late 19th century.  Manufacturers developed mesh-making machinery in the 1910s, thus allowing them to offer these stylish accessories at lower prices.  The Whiting & Davis Co. of Attleborough Falls, Massachusetts (est. 1876), was a leading manufacturer.