Gaming purse

French

Not on view

A new level of card game mania swept Europe during the 17th century and continued into the 18th century. Gambling with cards or "gaming" was a favored pastime for both men and women of all ages and classes. Gaming purses, round flat-bottomed pouches that closed by means of a drawsting were worked in various materials. This examples is worked in fine petit point needlework. Its repeat pattern of pink flowers is interrupted only once by a single yellow flower. This anamoly may have personalized the bag, relating it to a particular owner.

Gaming purse, silk, linen, French

This image cannot be enlarged, viewed at full screen, or downloaded.

Open Access

As part of the Met's Open Access policy, you can freely copy, modify and distribute this image, even for commercial purposes.

API

Public domain data for this object can also be accessed using the Met's Open Access API.