Pouch

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The iconography seen here is beautifully executed, with elaborate shading and attention to detail. Considerable skill is shown in the depiction of costume, particularly the beggar woman's skirt and sandals. The imagery on the bag reflects a mix of cultures and shows how bags could be vehicles for expressing societal interest; here an interest in lifestyle, dress, and social rank. Margaret S. Bedell (1861-1932) donated, by gift or bequest, over 500 objects to the Brooklyn Museum, including furniture, quilts, samplers, costume and Native American beadwork. Her collection of American and European beaded bags includes examples from Philadelphia and the Catskill Mountain region of New York State, as well as Italy, Austria, Germany, and Holland.

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