This purse tale illustrates how knowledge of jewelry can help you find and identify purses. Plus, who doesn’t love looking at beautiful jewelry, right?
Our story begins on Ebay. I spotted this purse on a listing. It was labeled a “Very Old Sterling Silver English Hallmarked Coin Purse Pendant.” Well, it is sterling silver, and English and a purse, but it isn’t a necklace.
See I was lucky. About 15 years ago I got very interested in Art Nouveau and Arts and Crafts jewelry. It’s actually how I got involved in purses because in collecting jewelry I purchased some sterling silver chatelaines.
To educate myself on Art Nouveau and Arts and Crafts jewelry, I read lots of books, auction catalogs and more. Plus I constantly trolled antique jewelry websites to look at pieces. One of those websites would become very useful in identifying this purse – the website for Van Den Bosch jewelry in England.
So imagine how I felt when I looked at this “necklace” and I recognized it. It contained an image known as the “Puritan Maid” by Kate Harris and done for William Hutton & Sons.
Kate Harris was a staff designer at William Hutton & Sons in Sheffield, England. William Hutton opened his silversmith firm in Birmingham in 1800 and transferred it to Sheffield in 1832. After William Hutton died, the business was run by his sons. Eventually the firm's name was changed to William Hutton & Sons in 1865.
In 1898, the company opened a small London factory to produce Art Nouveau silver. They would go on to become a major supplier to Liberty & Co. and Citroen in Amsterdam.
Harris' design work for William Hutton & Sons, done in the Art Nouveau style, was well received. "The Studio," a fine arts and decorative arts magazine published in London from 1893 until 1964, described Harris' work as "gracefully conceived and executed." Harris' designs also received recognition at the 1900 Paris Exhibition. The Puritan Maid is one of her recognized designs. (Victoria and Albert Museum)
I was able to recognize the “Puritan Maid” because I had seen the design on Van Den Bosch on a buckle and buttons. Once I knew this, I was able to do more research on Kate Harris and William Hutton & Sons.
After I purchased the purse, I found all the hallmarks to confirm it was manufactured by William Hutton & Sons in 1899. I also was able to see that someone had put this purse (which was a chatelaine or small coin purse) on a modern, heavy silver chain to make it into a necklace. It is so pretty I guess someone wanted to wear it every day.
I was able to restore it to a period correct chain and ring.
So if you like jewelry, keep an eye out. You never know when your jewelry knowledge will help you score a great purse.