Long Purse

Currently not on view

Long Purse

Late 19th century

Artist/maker unknown, American

Miser’s purses were often gender-specific in the first half of the nineteenth century, with so-called short purses for women (four to six inches in length) and long purses for men (seven to ten inches long). By the mid-nineteenth century, all miser’s purses were the latter size to accommodate the production of larger coins, and they would nearly triple in length by the early twentieth century. This example not only illustrates this increase in size but also the continued appreciation of ombré designs—where colors shade into each other, usually from dark to light.

Currently not on view

Object Details

Title:

Long Purse

Date:

Late 19th century

Artist:

Artist/maker unknown, American

Medium:

Brown, rust, and pale pink netted cotton; bronze rings and drops

Dimensions:

9 1/8 × 1 3/4 × 3/4 inches (23.2 × 4.4 × 1.9 cm) Length excluding tassels: 8 inches (20.3 cm)

Classification:

Costume (including accessories)

Credit Line:

Gift of an anonymous donor, 2006

Accession Number:

2006-183-2

Geography:

Made in United States, North and Central America

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Currently not on view