#6159 $2,500
French hand-embroidered silk purse, c.1750
This charming shield-shape purse from the mid-18th century was purchased years ago at a London auction. The catalog listing described the embroidery as being Turkish for the French market.
The purse is a delightful marriage of sculpture and surface decoration. Curved side panels of green silk damask add three-dimensional shape to the embroidered shields. The purse is lined with pink linen and is suspended from a hinged metal frame.
The exquisite hand embroidery features fruiting vines of bronzed metallic floss and silk floss. The color palette displays a subtle artistry. To take one example: the saturation of the reddish-orange hue gradually intensifies from flower to flower, moving from pink-orange to light-copper to roseate-orange.
The condition is very good. There is a small amount of fraying of the beige silk around the edges. The purse is all original.
The purse is 4 3/4" long from the top to the point. It has a width of 3 1/2" at the top.
