Not on display

Bag

1830s (made)
Artist/Maker
Unknown
Place of origin
Great Britain (made)

From the 1830s Berlin woolwork dominated home embroidery. The patterns were worked in merino wools from Germany on to canvas, and silks were introduced for texture and bright colour contrasts. Thousands of printed charts were imported into England, each square representing a stitch, and many designs for bags and purses were available, as well as for other small objects such as slippers, or watch holders. While much of the embroidery was worked simply and methodically, more complex stitches and patterns were often used for bags. Small, geometric patterns were popular at first, but soon floral motifs became highly prevalent. From the 1830s Berlin woolwork incorporated beads, resulting in compositions of great variety and colour.

Object details

Categories
Accessories
Embroidery
Fashion
Textiles
Womenswear
Bags
Object type
Bag
Materials and techniques
Canvas, embroidered with wool, embellished with gilt beads, silk and chenille, lined with silk
Canvas
Wool
Beads
Silk Thread
Chenille
Brief description
Handbag of embroidered canvas, Great Britain, 1830s.
Physical description
Canvas handbag embroidered with green wool in a chevron pattern and embellished with vertical bars of white and gilt beads. It has a green silk holding cord handle and chenille tassels. It is lined with white silk and has a necklace screw fastening at the centre inside top.
Dimensions
  • Length: 17.2cm
  • Width: 22.0cm
  • Depth: 0.7cm
Gallery label
(12/2020)
Reticules, also known as ridicules or indispensables, were small pouches with a handle designed to be carried at a woman’s side. When they became popular in the late 18th century, reticules were usually made from fine materials such as silk to match fabrics used for dresses. Their outer surfaces were embroidered (sometimes with mottos), beaded or painted. They would hold small objects such as a fan, letters and handkerchief, and are considered a precursor of today's handbag. The purple reticule with yellow piping, shown here [T.256:1-1966], contained a letter and was made 'as a small token of gratitude' in 1822 by Emma A. Gibson [T.256:2-1966].

V&A, Room 40, Bags: Inside Out.
Credit line
Given by J. N. Addison
Summary
From the 1830s Berlin woolwork dominated home embroidery. The patterns were worked in merino wools from Germany on to canvas, and silks were introduced for texture and bright colour contrasts. Thousands of printed charts were imported into England, each square representing a stitch, and many designs for bags and purses were available, as well as for other small objects such as slippers, or watch holders. While much of the embroidery was worked simply and methodically, more complex stitches and patterns were often used for bags. Small, geometric patterns were popular at first, but soon floral motifs became highly prevalent. From the 1830s Berlin woolwork incorporated beads, resulting in compositions of great variety and colour.
Collection
Textiles and Fashion Collection
Accession number
T.286-1973

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Record createdFebruary 26, 2003
Record URL
https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O75469/bag-unknown/
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