Not on display

Purse

1870-1899 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

Purse of woven silk and metal thread in a plain weave, and padded or interlined. Lined with pink silk damask. Trimmed with braids and fastening with green cotton braid, magenta silk and metal thread tassels with glass beads.

A small, rectangular purse. Each of the two faces is made from two pieces joined horizontally. Bright green ground decorated with bands of simple linear patterns and a more complex one of floral motifs on an undulating scrolling line. The pattern is worked in metal thread which is silver-gilt strip open Z-wound on yellow S-twisted silk.

There are two types of braid used as trimming. The first is of purple silk, S-twist, forming lozenges with silver-gilt open Z-wound on white silk and also around yellow silk. The other is of black S-twist silk with metal thread, silver strip open Z-wound on orange thread in a small geometric pattern.

There is an incomplete band around the top with two rows of silver strip and above is black cotton twill fabric which has been sewn over the edge as a binding. A turquoise cotton braid has been sewn around the edge and forms loops through which more of the braid is threaded to form the drawstring. There are two tassels of magenta floss silk bound with metal threads, which is silver strip close S-wound on yellow silk. There is a central band of white cotton thread with pearl-like glass beads. Silver strip and silver strip open Z-wound on orange thread form petals over the lower part of the tassel.

Object details

Categories
Object type
Materials and techniques
Woven silk with metal thread, cotton braid, glass beads, silver strip, lined with silk damask
Brief description
Purse of woven silk with metal thread, Iran, 1870-1899
Physical description
Purse of woven silk and metal thread in a plain weave, and padded or interlined. Lined with pink silk damask. Trimmed with braids and fastening with green cotton braid, magenta silk and metal thread tassels with glass beads.

A small, rectangular purse. Each of the two faces is made from two pieces joined horizontally. Bright green ground decorated with bands of simple linear patterns and a more complex one of floral motifs on an undulating scrolling line. The pattern is worked in metal thread which is silver-gilt strip open Z-wound on yellow S-twisted silk.

There are two types of braid used as trimming. The first is of purple silk, S-twist, forming lozenges with silver-gilt open Z-wound on white silk and also around yellow silk. The other is of black S-twist silk with metal thread, silver strip open Z-wound on orange thread in a small geometric pattern.

There is an incomplete band around the top with two rows of silver strip and above is black cotton twill fabric which has been sewn over the edge as a binding. A turquoise cotton braid has been sewn around the edge and forms loops through which more of the braid is threaded to form the drawstring. There are two tassels of magenta floss silk bound with metal threads, which is silver strip close S-wound on yellow silk. There is a central band of white cotton thread with pearl-like glass beads. Silver strip and silver strip open Z-wound on orange thread form petals over the lower part of the tassel.
Dimensions
  • Length: 13cm
  • Width: 10.5cm
  • Length: 5.25in
  • Width: 4.25in
Credit line
Given by Major R. Jackson
Collection
Accession number
T.156-1966

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Record createdMay 13, 2008
Record URL
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