Antique Armor Mesh Bags

Normally I avoid the girlie jewelry cases because I lack deep pockets and I fear having my heart broken. But this Saturday at the auction was different. Not only did I look, linger, and love, but I won a number of beautiful pieces, including several antique purses.

One of the pieces was something I’d only known about, never really seen, so it was like a dream come true: this metal mesh bag.

Antique Metal Mesh Bag

When I first spotted the round top above the pool of slinky metal mesh in the locked glass jewelery case at the auction, I wasn’t quite sure what it was — but I knew I wanted it! When it was held up for auction, I only wanted it more. When I won it I was bare able to contain myself. I won something from the locked jewelry case! And for a paltry $12 yet.

But I still wasn’t sure exactly what I had…

While the round ornate embossed top (complete with blue ’stone’) suggests a compact, there are no compartments for makeup; just a mirror inside the lid, where unfamiliar markings lay.

Armor Mesh Mark By Mirror Inside Vintage Mesh Bag

Marked only with “armor mesh” and an ‘M’ in a diamond trademark between the words (so “armor M trademark mesh”), it took me some time to identify the maker; ‘Armor Mesh’ produced meaningless search engine results, so I needed more info to narrow it down.

Because of it’s long cylindrical pouch (4 1/2 inches of metal mesh hanging from the lid), I thought it might be an Chatelaine purse. Further investigation shows otherwise. As noted in Ladies’ Vintage Accessories by LaRee Johnson Bruton: “Chatelaines can be differentiated from other types of purses because of the hook attachment (see left photo on page 227).”

Illustration Of Chatelaine Hook Attachment, p 227 Ladies' Vintage Accessories

This in and of itself wouldn’t be of much help to identify my mesh bag, as it is missing it’s chain and so I cannot see if it ever had hook attachment. So I continued researching, trying to narrow down the period from which this purse came.

This mesh bag also has plenty of roaring 20’s style, including the Art Deco influences, and this was the time that small purses were becoming vogue. From Antique Personal Possessions:

Metal mesh bags and purses were used at the end of the century; and in gold or silver, as evening bags until well into the 1920s. Before the twentieth century, evening bags or reticules were seldom used — what with wielding fans, bouquets and dance programs it would have been difficult. Though make-up was, if not the rule, at least a very frequent expectation, it was certainly not done to repair one’s face anywhere but in the privacy of a bedroom, and there was therefore little need of a case to carry powder and lip rouge. But as soon as making-up was no longer supposed to be secret, and running repairs were considered necessary during the course of an evening, then, of course, a suitable container became a matter of importance…

Eventually identifying the maker mark as that of Mandalian Manufacturing Company North Attleboro, Massachusetts, I was able to discover a bit more. Sahatiel G. Mandalian worked with at least two partners (Casper and Mandalian , then Mandalian & Hawkins; first producing jewelry and novelties, then mesh bags) prior to 1915, but it wasn’t until 1915 that the Mandalian name was incorporated on its own and so I would imagine the trademark was assigned at or after that date.

So from all this, I’m guesstimating this vintage cylindrical mesh bag to be circa 1915-1930.

Armed with some good words to put into search engines, and hours to exhaust myself searching all the possible combinations of words and names, I set out to find a relative of my Mandalian armor mesh bag.

Searching for Mandalian mesh bags or purses didn’t help me immediately find a similar looking mesh bag; I consoled myself by learning about the history of the Mandalian Manufacturing Company and the history metal mesh bags in general.

But eventually I found some old mesh bag relatives — though none are identical. In this case, the seller incorrectly attributes this Armor Mesh blue & silver tasseled mesh bag to Whiting & David ($195).

Art Deco Armor Mesh Bag With Tassel

This vintage Armor Mesh purse has a lightly different top — note the different way the top secures (but still with a faux blue gemstone!).

Vintage Armor Mesh Greek Key Flapper Metal Mirror Purse

Vintage Mandalian Armor Mesh Purse

This Burchard Galleries listing of a past auction for a Chatelaine Armor Mesh Bag, “Adorned with floral motif, many decorative drops, hanging adornment,” item 133C (sold for $175 in 1998) can’t be seen, but the use of ‘Armor Mesh’ would indicate the mesh bag was made post Chatelaine days. (I mention this not to be snarky, but to point out that even experienced sellers can make mistakes — and that I, possibly, wasn’t a complete idiot to think my vintage mesh bag was a Chatelaine purse.)

And this R & G mesh compact purse has a sterling silver top with enameling — and a whopping $1,250 price tag.

Antique R & G Mesh Compact Bag, Sterling & Enameled Top

Antique R & G Metal Mesh Compact Purse

Because we arrived to the auction after bidding began, I hadn’t the time (or the access) to properly view the items in the case, and so my antique mesh bag isn’t perfect.

Considering that many mesh bags were lost during WWII when they often wound up substituting for unavailable metal scouring pads, I’m just thrilled to have one at all! Besides, all these things can be quickly and properly repaired, restoring this antique mesh bag to its near-original beauty.

Metal Mesh Can Be Repaired By Sliding The Armor Back Onto The Rings

• It’s missing it’s chain; easily remedied by a purchase from a reputable antique purse restoration professional.
• A few pieces of the metal links have slipped from their rings; easily slipped back in place by hubby — or a jeweler could reset them (approximate cost for sliding 15 pieces back into place $35).
• The mirror inside the lid could be re-silvered; but I’ll leave that along with the over-all tarnish for it’s authentic charms that serve as proof of its age.
• The lid needs a ‘lip’ to securely close it (latching over the round blue jewel); now that I’ve seen similar tubular mesh bags, I can show a photo to my jeweler and can craft a replacement for $15 or $20.

Overall, I’m still flipping my lid over this unusual antique mesh bag I scored for $12.

Ornate Embossing On Mandalian Armor Mesh Bag

If you’re looking for more on mesh, the largest mesh handbag collection
to come to auction, the Dennis and Terri LaMothe Collection, will be featured in the Collect.com Collectibles Auction that runs from November 23 through December 12, 2009. Amazing, stunning, mesh bags! The eight-page PDF auction catalog is available too. I didn’t see anything listed quite like my mesh bag; but then I’ll admit, I don’t know everything about these beauties. (But I’m oh-so willing to learn!_