In the 18th century, a woman's pocket was a separate accessory item, not a feature built into any one particular skirt. Women carried their personal necessities in these pockets which were tied around the waist, including items like keys, thimbles, handkerchiefs, spectacles and coins. The vibrant and exuberant design of this example probably was worked by an untrained embroiderer at home who worked the design freehand. The motifs of roses, tulips and carnations are similar to those in samplers worked in Chester County, Pennsylvania in the fourth quarter of the 18th century. The gradation and shading of the greens and the general black outlining of the stems and central motif seem to be derived from English crewelwork. While the name of the maker is now lost, she clearly took some effort to fully decorated this pocket, filling every space with color and pattern.
Artwork Details
- Title: Pocket
- Date: ca. 1784
- Culture: American
- Medium: cotton, wool
- Credit Line: Brooklyn Museum Costume Collection at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Gift of the Brooklyn Museum, 2009; Bequest of Marie Bernice Bitzer, by exchange, 1996
- Object Number: 2009.300.2241
- Curatorial Department: The Costume Institute
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