Gaming purse

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

A new level of card game mania swept Europe during the 17th century. Gambling with cards or "gaming" was a favored pastime for both men and women of all ages and classes. Several examples of luxury gaming purses in the Brooklyn Museum collection reflect the fashion for a specific type of bag in which to hold one's coins or counters won in games like "Put" or "La Bête." Made of velvet or brocade, the bags are often heavily embroidered with silver and gold metallic threads. This example has a band of embroidered fleur-de-lis motifs, indication of a French origin. Like other fashionable accessories, the bag served more than just a functional purpose. It conveyed a message about the owner's nationalistic sympathies and allowed even the unlucky to appear stylish at the gaming table.

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