embroidered, 1800s, PersianPurse, plain weave silk embroidered with silk and metal thread in tambour stitch or chain stitch with small opaque glass beads and lined with plain weave silk.
The purse is basically a rectangular shape with curved corners and lobed slightly at the open end. The main part is white silk covered with tamboured silver thread. Contained within a teardrop shape is a pattern of a simple flowering, leafy plant with 5 blossoms in the centre in three shades of pink, white, light and dark green and light and dark blue. This is repeated on the other side of the purse. The shape is outlined with 4 lines of tamboured silver-gilt, then a row of beads, which resemble pearls, threaded and knotted on white silk, and then 4 lines of silver-gilt cord. The latter decoration is continued around the teardrop, back and front, and the lobed open end which is decorated with 2 large stars in silver-gilt, cord and black thread. The centre of each star had a cluster or beads and the curve of each lobe was also outlined with beads.
At the base are three pairs of lappets 2.5 cm long, of white plain weave silk covered with silver-gilt tambour and outlined with one row of silver-gilt cord.
Embroidery Thread: silk; 2S;
Metal Thread: [1] silver strip close Z-wound on white silk core; [2] silver-gilt strip close Z-wound on deep yellow silk core.
Lining: rose pink plain weave silk.