Art Deco Whiting and Davis enamelled metallic mesh bag or evening purse

A pretty and charming 1920s flapper era metallic mesh bag in a stylized Art Deco design. It is made in a high quality flat armor mesh which is fine and smooth. The purse is marked with the Whiting and Davis stamp on the inside edge of the frame. The design is a classic geometric one of diamond or lozenge motifs set upon a white enamel ground. The diamond shapes are executed in blue and gold each with a red spot in the centre. There is no lining in this style bag. It has what is known as a Van Dyke style fringe at the base and a kiss style closure which fastens firmly. The frame is a hammered gold tone with an attractive floral design. This stunner has a fancy “figure 8” link chain Whiting and Davis has been known for its high quality and striking handbags since the 1890s. The company began by making high quality chain mesh bags from silver, gold and gin metal. However in 1912 they developed a process for machine made mesh which dramatically cut the price of making the bags. By the 1920s, the enamel decorated bags with which we are nowadays familiar were being mass produced. Bags were then made of base metals, silver or gold plated brass, copper, and nickel silver (a form of imitation silver), and the frames were machine stamped rather than hand engraved. The flat mesh bags made during this period were painted with vivid patterns, while the fine mesh bags, also known as Dresden mesh had softer hues and a more muted appearance. By the mid-1930s, however, the company stopped