1830 ca. Collection of Four Tiny Purses, or Reticules with drawstrings to close. via Ruby Lane Antiques. As would have been carried by ladies in Jane Austen and Bridgerton years.

Definition Of A Reticule; Bag or purse, often with a drawstring to pull closed and usually made of cloth or covered cardboard and often decorated with beading or embroidery. A reticule, or purse, or handbag, was usually carried by a woman during the Regency period to carry all their daily necessities. Earlier, women used pockets that tied at the waistline and were hidden in the folds of their skirts. Empire style, or early 1800s, high-waisted dresses made it impossible to either sewn in a pocket or to tie on a pocket, so women began carrying small, decorated bags called Reticules, or ridicules, which generally pulled closed at the top with a drawstring. These Reticules, or bags, were the forerunners of our modern day purses.