Handkerchief

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The level of embroidery detail on this handkerchief is extraordinary. The workmanship is of a type commonly done by convent nuns. Each scene has a common theme of love and romance from mythology, including Narcissus gazing at his reflection in the water, and Cupid holding his arrow. The imagery is particularly charming for a man's accessory and reflects on the aristocratic status of the owner.

The Costume Institute

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The Costume Institute's collection of more than thirty-three thousand objects represents seven centuries of fashionable dress and accessories for men, women, and children, from the fifteenth century to the present.

Metropolitan Museum of Art