Letter case
late 17th century
Classification
costume & accessories
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Gift of Sarah Cooper Hewitt
Accession Number
1931-43-15
About this artwork
Research in Progress
Art Historical Context
### Late 17th-Century Letter Case Step back to the late 1600s with this intriguing *Letter Case*, a personal accessory from an era when handwritten correspondence was the lifeline of personal and business connections. Classified in the Smithsonian American Art Museum Costume & Accessories collection, it likely served as a portable holder for letters, folding neatly into a pocket or reticule. Such items were essential for travelers, merchants, and letter-writing enthusiasts during the Baroque period, reflecting the growing importance of private communication in colonial America and Europe. Th...
About the Artist
Unknown
The artist designated as "Unknown" in our virtual museum's collection exemplifies a poignant chapter in art history: creators whose identities have faded into obscurity despite the enduring power of their work. With only one known artwork attributed to them in our holdings, this figure represents countless anonymous hands that shaped visual culture across centuries. Museums worldwide, including th...