Beaded silk purse, France, 1780-1800 Many workshops in early eighteenth century France produced small purses. The finest French work was in beadwork. Beads were often used in conjunction with other techniques, to highlight parts of a knitted pattern or to form a solid base for soft purses. Very fine, multicoloured bead knitting was popular for purses, in which there was a single bead for every stitch, producing a dense beaded surface. This purse depicts a figure of a woman in a garden, leaning on a plinth with a rolled parasol in her right hand and a small dog at her feet Beaded purse made in four sections and hemispherical. Each section bears an allegorical female figure. One represents Justice in a landscape in theatrical-classical dress. The design is worked in coloured beads. Lined with silk. With pink silk cords at the top with tassels and bobbles of yellow beads.