Info about and help with dating this vintage purse

[Villa]

Hi!
I'm interested in your thoughts about this lovely little bag. It is a navy blue fabric, I don't know what; like a soft flexible felt. Very short nap plush.?
Most interesting is the pretty top. Thick frame top with carved squares. I don't know what they are either, but they are not plastic, so I imagine they are some kind of stone. Lined in blue satin.
Is metal this color brass?
Any help is much appreciated!!

Happy holidays to all!!:Champagne:

 

[Pinkcoke]

That's such a sweet bag Villa! I'm not an expert by any means but the material could be nubuck suede (can you get a close look at the worn area on the handle end?) and the carvings coral. The metal does look gilt from here.

 

[Midge]

Wow - this is one gorgeous little bag! Melanie's material suggestions about the material sound good. I'm not terribly good at dating bags, there will be others who will be chiming in for sure - to me it looks like it could be 30s though.

Karin

 

[Villa]

Thanks ladies! So maybe 30's? It is definitely fabric and not suede.

 

[cmpollack]

How lovely! The body could be navy wool; I've had lots of evening purses from the 40s/50s made of dark colored wool... The frame looks like gilt brass or other base metal. If you look with a loupe in the corners near the hinges (inside the purse), you might find a mark for the maker of the frame (not necessarily the maker of the purse).

The plaques on top are beautiful! They look like (or are trying to look like) carved coral. You can do a temperature touch test on them to see if they're plastic, glass or stone, by comparing how cold they feel in comparison to objects you know for sure are plastic/glass/stone.