Object: Bag
Date: 1825-1850
Medium: Beads and pink satin
Country: USA
Credit Line: Gift of Mr. Hermanos
Object number: 68.126.32
DescriptionBeaded reticule with pink satin drawstring top, symmetrical design with horizontal band of roses in shades of pink and green; crystal bead at bottom
Label Text:Before the late eighteenth century, women typically wore pockets tied to their waists and hidden in skirts to carry their personal effects. The slim neoclassical silhouette eliminated pockets, necessitating reticules. Scholar Susan Hiner notes that the reticule was a controversial accessory. Whereas pockets were “modest” signifiers of “respectable femininity,” reticules were thought to reveal “the existence of the accoutrements of femininity and contain the arsenal of feminine seduction, which surely ought not to be made public.”
In Collection(s)
Exhibitions:
- She's like a Rainbow: Colors in Fashion
- Head to Toe