The purse museum.

I love purses so this museum was on my list of must see.


"Personal bags have been useful implement for both women and men since earliest times. Because clothing as yet had no inside pockets, bags and purses would be used for carrying money and other personal items.

From the late Middle Ages until the seventeenth century gags and purses hung from a belt or girdle. This, however made it easy for pickpockets, who could cut through the cords.

Men and women used bags and purses to transport their coins, documents, papers, alms, bibles, holy relics and an increasing number of personal items, including keys combs, mirrors, pincushions, cosmetics and jewellery. ......

Fascinating facts about purses and hand bags for both men and women through history. I love purses and bags and little ditty boxes. Lots of carefully gathered treasures to carry around."



"In some areas of Europe (including Italy, France and to a lesser degree in England), there was the tradition that during the wedding ceremony the bridegroom gave the bride a special wedding purse filled with money. The money sybolized the transfer of wordly goods.

Sometimes the number of coins was symbolic: 13 coins represented Christ and the 12 apostles, for instance. The tradition continued in France from the twelth to the eighteenth century.

The wedding purses were often decorated with hearts, Cupids and flowers......"



These were one of my favorites in the museum.

"At a time when every respectable woman was expected spend her free time on fine needlework, the workbag was often taken on visits and it was not uncommon for the ladies to work on their bags while taking tea together.

From the 1770s onwards, the most popular workbag was a flat rectangular bag that closed at the tip with a drawstring. These work bags were mostrly made of white satin and were embroidered and decorated with ribbons, foil and sequins. Many women will have embroidered and decorated these bags themselves, but they could also be bought in shops."



Beaded bags





The lighting was very dim, I would have liked brighter but I do understand that they are trying to preserve the colors and condition.

I did not see this written up anywhere but one of the ladies at the Stitch n Bitch we were at told me that this museum all started with one woman's collection. It was displayed in her house and she would let people come and visit.





Precious Metal Clay ideas.

Location:Amsterdam