Purse owned by ballerina Marie Taglioni (1804-1884), possibly made for her by her friend Mrs Boggs Rolfe. Glass beads

Short stocking purse of tiny white beads decorated with gold lines and dots with a central band of leaves and flowers; from the base hangs a white and gold bead tassell.

Cyril W. Beaumont Bequest

One of several bags and accessories owned by Marie Taglioni in the Cyril Beaumont Collection. It is part of a unique collection of memorabilia and personal effects which evoke Marie Taglioni in the last decades of her life.
This is possibly the purse referred to in a note in Margaret Rolfe's hand: "This miniature mirror (S.834-2001) & sovreign (sic) purse were used by Mme Taglioni in her hand-bag. After her death, these were sent to Margaret Rolfe by her grand-daughter Marguerite de Beauregard. The purse was made by her grand-mother Rolfe & Mme Taglioni always used it. Also pair of ivory guards for knitting-pins (S.830-2001) - & small ivory box." (box unnumbered)
A collection of Taglioni memorabilia was amassed by Margaret Rolfe, the granddaughter of Taglioni's closest friend in London, Mrs Boggs Rolfe; she attended Taglioni's dancing classes and received many gifts of Taglioni memorabilia, both from Taglioni herself and from her grandmother. These she passed to Cyril Beaumont, probably for the London Archives of the Dance (a number of the objects were referred to in "The London Archives of the Dance and some of its Treasures" by Cyril Beaumont, Ballet Annual, first issue, Adam & Charles Black, London, 1947, p110); the Archives never achieved an independent home and part of the collection, including the Taglioni memorabilia, was stored with Cyril Beaumont, where it became inextricably mixed with his own collection and came to the Museum as part of the Cyril Beaumont Bequest.

S.18-1987