Featured Beaded Evening Purses with Wi Co Zippers

Not long ago a query was posted about a lovely beaded purse. It peaked my interest for I have 2 beaded purses of my mother’s that are in need of better dating or more probable a verification of the timeframe. I don’t know when or where she got them. As well as date/timeframe and a possible maker, I certainly would appreciate the correct terminology for the beads, style, etc. Please forgive the terminology used for I don’t know the correct names/terms for the beads, etc

1. Pre-WWII Czechoslovakia ivory/cream rectangular beaded evening finger purse.
5¾" x 4 1/8 x ½" Done in white/cream/ivory and gold seed/micro beads. Some of the gold beads are tubes/elongated. Across the back is a 3½ l x 5/8 w inch beaded finger band. Interior has a creamy faille? lining and a small mirror pocket. It still has the original “Made in Czechoslovakia” label just above the pocket. It has a zippered closure. The zipper is stamped “Wi Co.” Condition: very good; clean, zipper works well, a few beads missing at top edge near the start of the zipper. The finger band on the back is loose at one end where it attaches to the purse.

It is definitely pre-WWII. I have found a few other Czech beaded purses with Wi Co. zippers that the sellers described as Art Deco with a timeframe of the 1930s. Do you agree on the dating? If the 1930s, mother may have gotten it as well as the next purse as accessories to evening gowns for her honeymoon (1937). Here are a couple of the online ones:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Antique-WIC...se-/401242416431?_trksid=p2141725.m3641.l6368

https://www.etsy.com/listing/472483954/vintage-czech-beaded-purse-with-handle?ga_order=most_relevant&ga_search_type=all&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_search_query=Wi Co zipper&ref=sr_gallery_2

I don’t think this purse is handmade. Do you agree?








2. Pre-WWII Belgium black handmade pouch type beaded evening purse.
5½" long, 5¾" across the top and 6½" wide across the widest part of the pouch. Black seed/micro beads and black tube/bugle/elongated beads on a soft black material. The bottom of the purse has a flower design that radiates up the purse. The top of the back has a beaded 2½” finger loop/band. Interior has a black satin lining and a small pocket with the original label still attached, "Handmade in Belgium." It has the same “Wi Co” zipper closure as the above. Condition: excellent. No beads appear missing, zipper works well, lining intact. The label is only attacked on one side.

It is definitely is pre-WWII. With the same zipper, I suspect it dates to the same time frame as the above. Do your agree?









TIA.

---Susan

 

I believe I just dated the above purses to no earlier that 1931. Just now after posting the above query, I did a quick search for a Wi Co. zipper company. It seems the WiCo was founded in 1931 by an Erich Wittenberg and Herman Duchrow "as a two-man company which produce zip fasteners ... marked WICO zippers are manufactured only until 1945." I know my mother or most everyone else wasn't buying ornate evening purses during WWII. Also from 1931 to c1936 with the country in the deep depression, and she struggling to pay for her college education, she didn't buy the purses during those years. I suspect she bought them or got them sometime around her wedding 1937 to 1941.
http://www.wehrmacht-awards.com/forums/showthread.php?t=431098

--- Susan

 

They're still nice purses. I have a couple of those types in my collection.

 

I would agree that the cream one is 1930's and not hand made.

The black one too 1930's but the style is reminiscent of the Edwardian period.

Hope that helps

 

I like them too. Mother had a few other beaded purses and clutches that I know the makers and are newer. I have no idea what will become of them all for our daughter and my nieces have no interest in them. The prices for most of these online is ridiculously low that it doesn't seem worth trying to sell them. Anyways, I hate to part with them at this time.

Thank you, it certainly does help! Before noticing the zippers were by the same maker, Edwardian as well as the 1890s did pass through my mind on the black one. I would have bet money that it was at least 20 years older than the cream one; however, its condition did seem a bit too good for the turn of the century. Again thank you for your input.

BTW, does anyone know what the elongated beads are called? I've seen mention of tube and bugle beads. Are the elongated beads on these purses one of those? Also are the tiny beads called seed beads? I've seen mention of micro beads. Are they one and the same?

--- Susan

 

You're very welcome Susan, Glad to help

 

Beautiful purses -- I like both of them.

 

Tube beads and bugles are the usual names for foil-lined glass beads; they come in varying lengths. Seed beads come in multiple sizes too. The Czechs made a ton of both; they're still finding pre-WWII stocks in odd corners. On that note, both of them could also be early 50s. The zippers could have been made pre-War and used later, just like the beads.

 

Talking of beads, I have drawers and drawers full of Victorian beads, I have several full hanks as they would have been bought too.
I collected them for a long time mainly by buying Victorian Bead work items that were past their best and stripping them off, All are sorted into collectors cabinets. To say I have millions is no exaggeration.

I used to love repairing Beadwork and still do the occasional piece, My walls are jam packed now so I don't buy so much as I did.

 

care to show and tell.......old beads are cool...

 

I'll try and take some photos.

 

Thank you, evelyb, for the tube, bugle and seed beads info! I'll go on calling the narrow long beads on these purses as elongated. Yes, these purses could easily be post WWII, early 1950s; however, I know my mother wasn't going to dances, balls or even nightclub hoping in the 50s. By 1950 I was aware of my mother's clothes, purchases, etc.. because my father had died and we were close confidants. Now... there is always the possibility she bought them later then the 1950s after I was off to college then married and she had remarried. She did like the interesting and the unusual - in other words eye candy.

Gee, wish you were a neighbor of mine!

--- Susan

 

I reorganized them today so I could take some photos.

 

I realised there are far too many to put in here but here are a small selection of my stash

 

WOW!

 

Thank you

 

Great color combination.

 

That was a Victorian table cloth, I tried to repair but as fast as I repaired one area another area fell apart.....I gave up eventually and dismantled it.