Description

Rectangular linen canvas purse embroidered in tent stitch in coloured silks; lined with pink silk; on one side the Judgement of Solomon on the other Jacob wrestling with the angel; the design outlined and picked out with silver-gilt and silver thread, purl, spangles and seed pearls; holes pierced at top through which run remains of pink and white plaited letter braid drawstring with one wood-cored tassel covered with coloured silks and metal thread and terminated by four small bobs of metal thread; a knot of metal thread at top of each side; three loops of similar thread at bottom each with tassel formed by another loop and three bobs imilar to those on drawstring tassel.
The letter braids forming handle and drawstrings are both broken but of red and white braided silk, the white lettering forms the text on the handle beginning 'P(AT)IENCE (BR)INGS THE M,,,
Very few other 17th Century items incorporating letter braids are known, only one purse (ino.1255 in the Museum Hendrikje in Amsterdam). Notes courtesy Joy Boutrup.