Handbag

The meandros or ‘Greek key’ motif was an ornament used in ancient Greece for architectural friezes and pottery. It has remained a popular decorative element for fashion, architecture and decorative arts. As this handbag made by Richmonder Jeanne Eisenman demonstrates, the classical meandros suited the fashionable taste for rectilinear shapes, symmetry and bold contrast during the Art Deco period (1920s–1940s).