Purse
ca. 1680 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
Purses were small in the first half of the seventeenth century. Some were shaped from two pieces of fabric in a square or oblong, which closed with double drawstrings and were embellished with tassels. Others were rounded with a curved metal frame that closed with a latch or 'snap-hance'. While many purses that survive were made by professional workshops, some appear to be domestic work; these are sometimes dated, intended perhaps as a gift, bearing a message, name or monogram.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Silk, brass, gold; hand-woven, hand-embroidered |
| Brief description | Purse of dark blue silk, c1680, English, metal frame closure, metal thread embroidery |
| Physical description | Purse of dark blue silk satin with a brass snap-hance frame, lined with ivory silk taffeta. It has an internal divider of ivory silk taffeta, supported with metal wire. The bag is embroidered with red and yellow silk floss, couched and plaited braid-stitched with silver-gilt filé over padding, in a design of roses on one side and flowers and berries on the other. A ⅜-inch (8 mm) wide fringe of looped silver-gilt filé edges the sides. |
| Dimensions |
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| Credit line | Bequeathed by Miss Winifred Mary Bompas |
| Summary | Purses were small in the first half of the seventeenth century. Some were shaped from two pieces of fabric in a square or oblong, which closed with double drawstrings and were embellished with tassels. Others were rounded with a curved metal frame that closed with a latch or 'snap-hance'. While many purses that survive were made by professional workshops, some appear to be domestic work; these are sometimes dated, intended perhaps as a gift, bearing a message, name or monogram. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | T.91-1935 |
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| Record created | February 25, 2003 |
| Record URL |
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