The price of a parasol often depends on its handle

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Dear Helaine and Joe:While living in Ithaca, N.Y., I came into possession of the two items seen in the enclosed photographs. The material in the Victorian parasol is in excellent condition and only the hanging lace around the edge is deteriorating. The bag is black with silver beading and has a draw string closure with a silver chain. I am wondering about the value of these pieces. -- Sincerely, E. H, Rockport, Texas.Dear E. H.:These pieces take us into the realm of women's fashion accessories, and this is an area that is as wide and varied as the world's cumulative cultures. Parasols are devices with origins that can be traced back to ancient times when Kings of Nineveh used them for protection from the broiling sun, and Egyptian royalty and other personages employed them for the same purpose. Originally, parasols were made from a variety of substances including feathers and palm fronds.Today, parasols are somewhat out of fashion in most Western countries but in other sunnier, hotter climes they are still used widely.In Victorian times, European women wanted their skin to be porcelain white with as little sun exposure as possible. A parasol was something that every well turned-out woman of at least moderate means had in her wardrobe, and in many cases, she had parasols for her children as well.To judge value, most enthusiasts consider the condition of the fabric, but then they look at the material the handle was made from and the rarity and fineness of the handle's design. Parasol handles can be found made from such materials as porcelain, bakelite, crystal, bamboo, stag horn, gold plate, solid gold, silver plate, sterling silver, cinnabar, cloisonne, ivory, or exotic woods such as ebony.Many parasols have handles that terminate in simple knobs, straight handles or simple crooks, but others are figural in nature and collectors love to find parasol handles that feature images of dogs (bulldogs, German shepherds, greyhounds, etc.), birds (ducks, condors, eagles, toucans, swans, etc.), rabbits, and even human heads.Asian carved ivory parasol handles are among the most desired (after Russian ones made from solid gold and covered with enamel), and these often have various scenic designs that can be quite intricate with representations of landscapes with people, dragons among clouds and so-forth.Some of these can retail above $1,000, and they can be very beautiful.The parasol belonging to E. H. appears to be made from wood with a carved eagle inside the handle's loop. The fabric may be French and the entire parasol appears to be Continental European from the late Victorian or early Edwardian era (circa 1900). The value depends on just how "deteriorated" the lace on the edge happens to be. If it is not in unsightly condition the insurance replacement value is in the $200 to $250 range, but if the condition is worse than it appears in the photographs, that value could drop in half.As for the beaded purse, it is called a "reticule," and like the parasol is probably Continental European in origin (France or Czechoslovakia). We do not have any indication of its size, but it looks like a nice piece in the photos with a lot of beaded fringe and a beaded ball finial at the bottom.This circa 1890 piece should be valued for insurance purposes in the range of $250 to $350.Helaine Fendelman and Joe Rosson are the authors of the "Price It Yourself" (HarperResource, $19.95). Contact them at Treasures in Your Attic, 5201 Kingston Pike, Suite 6 - 323, Knoxville, TN. 37919)