Purse
Unknown Artist
early 17th century
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
Culture
British
Department
European Sculpture and Decorative Arts
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Rogers Fund, by exchange, 1929
Accession Number
29.23.15
Tags
Art Historical Context
This exquisite early 17th-century British purse, crafted by an unknown artist, exemplifies the pinnacle of Jacobean embroidery—a domestic art form that rivaled professional painting in skill and intricacy. Measuring just 5⅛ x 5⅛ inches, this compact drawstring accessory was likely carried by a woman of means, serving both practical and ornamental purposes. Its canvas ground bursts with embroidered motifs of butterflies, flowers, and birds, rendered in vibrant silk and shimmering metal threads, accented by glass beads and spangles for a jewel-like sparkle. Silk cord tassels add a playful flouri...