Object: Bag
Date: c.1915
Medium: Black silk satin, enameled gold filigree, and multicolor embroidery floss
Country: France
Credit Line: Gift of Josie Balaban Couture
Object number: 2000.4.1
DescriptionBlack silk satin pouch bag with multicolor embroidered floral basket and bouquet motifs; rounded bottom, tapering through enameled gold filigree novelty clasp and extending to self wrist strap. (Mirror found during inventory.)
Label Text:Extravagance was discouraged during the war years, yet women were still encouraged to look stylish. While black represented mourning, fabric handbags in dark colors were also considered versatile and tasteful. Despite the war, French styles dominated fashion. Historian Aileen Ribero notes that Parisian fancy-goods stalls proliferated, catering to “soldiers in search of presents for their wives and girlfriends.”
In Collection(s)
Exhibitions:
- Head to Toe