A Brief History of Beaded Handbags

For about 200 years handmade beaded handbags have been among the most expensive and most sought after handbags on the market. But beaded handbags have a much longer history than that.  Beaded handbags made from glass beads date back as far as the earliest artifacts of Western culture that you'll find in any anthropology museum; at least as far back, in fact, as ancient Egypt, 2500 B.C.

As far as history can tell, glassmaking was first invented by the Ancient Romans.  Glass beads were one of the first components of the glass industry's great revival in 13th century Venice.  These glistening beads were stitched onto clothing and accessories, including purses, and voila beaded handbags.  In the early 1800's it was most common to see funeral scenes depicted on European  handmade beaded handbags, but after about 1820, the somber, morose images on beaded handbags changed to beautiful outdoor landscapes, images of historical sites, and romantic scenes.  Valuable beaded handbags, such as those produced during the 1800s, usually had about 1,000 tiny beads per square inch. 

The Lenape Indians were found to have sown European glass beads, which they valued like we value diamonds, into their pouches, moccasins, clothing, ritual garb, war instruments, and ceremonial objects, mainly in floral patterns.  In the late 19th century, having been driven from their native hunting lands, many Native American tribes produced beaded handbags and other beaded items for sale to the white consumer.  These beaded handbags initially mimicked European beaded handbags design, but not for long; soon the Native American clans developed their own unique styles and designs of beaded handbags.In the meantime, glass beaded handbags became a major component of the textile industry in Victorian America.  Ladies' fashion magazines often included detailed instructions and patterns for producing beaded handbags.

Beaded handbags suffered a brief decline in popularity in the final days of the 19th century, but quickly recovered, experiencing a booming revival in popularity, from Paris to New York as World War I raged through Europe.  Vintage beaded handbags can generally be identified by certain similar patterns in the beadwork.  In vintage beaded handbags there were usually three distinct rows: a bottom, fringed layer (if square-bottomed), or with a tassel hanging from the middle; a center layer that comprised the bulk of the bag and usually consisted of an identifiable scene; and a top layer composed of a stylish design that complimented the image and completed the overall effect.  These vintage beaded handbags usually close at the top with a clasp or a drawstring.