Bag

last quarter 17th century
Not on view
By the seventeenth century, gift-giving had become an elaborate ritual among the upper classes. Monetary gifts were often presented in small decorative purses made from costly materials. Gift purses such as these enameled drawstring bags were a specialty of the French town of Limoges. These two bags with enameled portraits may have been intended as wedding gifts.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Bag
  • Date: last quarter 17th century
  • Culture: French
  • Medium: copper
  • Credit Line: Gift of Mrs. Edward S. Harkness, 1930
  • Object Number: 30.135.176
  • Curatorial Department: The Costume Institute

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