I'm confused by the interior of the purse, does it open that easily all the way? It would be difficult to place things into it if it does.
Interesting piece. What are the dimensions, please? It is odd the way it is made, as if when you opened it everything would fall out. Is it a small thing? It may be for a document of some kind? It reminds me of some small purses of the Edwardian to WWI era, but those did not open like yours.
thanks to you both! it's 6" by 6.5". I included a pic of it open from the side, it has kind of an interior shelf when open. A tiny document holder of some sort might make sense though. One more neat thing- the latch is an airplane latch! the markings indicate it is this: http://www.satair.com/products/aircraft-parts/hartwell-latching-systems/hartwell-trigger-lock-latch
This takes me back to shopping in our local Art and Craft galleries in the 1990s and early 2000s. It really reminds me of art/craft pieces for wear made of unusual or recycled materials at that time. The number also makes me think that.