Purse

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

This embroidery illustrates either a popular story or a courtly pastime. A lady and gentleman stand beneath a tree; she cradles a small dog under her arm and he offers her a flower or ring. This scene is commonly represented on fourteenth-century ivory mirror backs. The bag may have been made by a professional embroiderer or by the woman who carried it, inasmuch as skill in fine needlework was considered essential for ladies.

Medieval Art and The Cloisters

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The Museum's collection of medieval and Byzantine art is among the most comprehensive in the world. Displayed in both The Met Fifth Avenue and in the Museum's branch in northern Manhattan, The Met Cloisters, the collection encompasses the art of the Mediterranean and Europe from the fall of Rome in the fourth century to the beginning of the Renaissance in the early sixteenth century. It also includes pre-medieval European works of art created during the Bronze Age and early Iron Age.

Metropolitan Museum of Art