French gold miniature mesh purse c.1880

This purse-form pendant dates to the 1880s, France, and is crafted in 18k solid gold. The body is hand-woven from densely arranged links, forming a flexible mesh, with a functional opening at the top.

Each link is soldered closed rather than simply looped, allowing the structure to retain flexibility while maintaining stability.

Such dense linkwork requires each unit to be individually formed, assembled, and soldered. The process is time-intensive, particularly at this scale.

The overall size is extremely small, approximately the size of a fingertip.

The piece remains in good antique condition, showing normal signs of wear and oxidation. As condition assessment is subjective, please refer to the enlarged images for further details and make your own evaluation.