Pouch

Unknown

1830–60 · glass, linen, silk, cotton · Costume Institute

The beautiful combination of colors used in the work on this bag, show the infinite variety of colored beads available at the time. The striped faille top is a perfect match to the beads and as a surviving original drawstring top, it is a rarity. 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.

Artist

Unknown

Date

1830–60

Medium

glass, linen, silk, cotton

Culture

American

Department

Costume Institute

Credit line

Brooklyn Museum Costume Collection at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Gift of the Brooklyn Museum, 2009; Gift of Margaret S. Bedell, 1930