Pouch

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The iconography on this bag contrasts modest, single gable, Shaker-style houses against a grand medieval structure. The incorporation of pink seems idiosyncratic; it is an unlikely for period houses. The original top and ribbons add to its presence. According to the donor, it was made in the Catskill Mountain region of New York State. 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