Maker: Whiting & Davis ~ El-Sah
Material: Enamel Flat Armor Mesh
Size: Frame Width ~ 4 inches, Length ~ Clasp to Bottom 7 & ¼ inches,
Chain
~ apx. 13 inches overall w/ 5 & 1/2 inch drop,
Overall Length Purse & Chain
~ 12 & 1/4 inches
Quantity: 1
This is a large vintage Whiting and Davis top of the line El-Sah mesh purse, with
Van Dyke style fringe, enameled in a very Deco design, using vibrant colors of lavender,
yellow, orange and black, on a gold ground, c. 1920-30.
The deco frame is formed with bold lines and geometric shapes, using a kiss style
closure and a fancy link chain.
The original W & D tag remains affixed inside, however the El-Sah hang tag is missing.
I was able to confirm that this is in fact an El-Sah bag (as I had suspected) due
to stumbling across the exact bag on the web; although it was seriously damaged,
it still retained both tags and was identical to this bag, not just similar, verifying
that even though this bag has lost it's tag, it is in fact one of the high end El
Sah purses. I'm sure that one of the better informational purse books that features
more of the upscale bags, can provide additional independent confirmation. This
purse is in fact pictured on page 177 of Holinger's Revised 2nd edition book on Handbags,
however he does not provide any particulars (other than maker & size) on any of
the purse featured.
The high quality flat armor mesh, with Vandyke style fringe is fine and smooth; no
lining.
This purse is in very nice estate condition. I examined the links with a magnifying
glass and believe that every single link remains securely in place around entire
frame perimeter. Links are also quite close to the hinges, slightly more on one
side than the other, so I suspect that an interlocking link may have loosened there,
however none appear to be missing. Additionally, I see no loose or missing links
to body, or fringe.
Enamel remains quite bright, with some wear to the black links, particularly the
9 single tiles that run vertically down lower purse center.
There is also some light generalized wear to high points on purse frame. These are
certainly not glaring concerns, or even unexpected on an enameled vintage purse,
but worth mentioning.
Hinges operate properly, as does clasp, which aligns well and snaps securely shut,
with frame perfectly aligned. All parts appear to be original.
The El Sah handbags were Whiting and Davis' top of the line and that certainly shows
in the excellent quality, fine construction and unique flapper era aesthetics of
this early bag.
