Purse
Small decorative purses and bags such as this one rarely appear in sixteenth- and seventeenth-century portraits, but they have survived in relatively large numbers. This example, with its lively pattern of flowers, birds, and butterflies, was executed with a generous amount of gold and silver metal thread of very high quality, worked with polychrome silk threads to create subtly shaded colors.
Artwork Details
- Title: Purse
- Date: early 17th century
- Culture: British
- Medium: Canvas worked with silk and metal thread, glass beads, spangles; Gobelin, tent, and detached buttonhole stitches; silk cord and silk and metal thread tassels
- Dimensions: Overall (excluding tassels and draw cord): 5 1/8 x 5 1/8 in. (13 x 13 cm)
- Classification: Textiles-Embroidered
- Credit Line: Rogers Fund, by exchange, 1929
- Object Number: 29.23.15
- Curatorial Department: European Sculpture and Decorative Arts
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British
ca. 1771–73
Multiple artists/makers
ca. 1772
British, possibly Birmingham
ca. 1760–70
British, possibly Birmingham
ca. 1760–70
British, possibly Birmingham
1764
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