ITEMS OF CLOTHING

THE KIRTLE

THE SURCOTE

MATERNITY WEAR

THE MANTLE

THE CORSET

TIPPETS

UNDERWEAR

HEADWEAR

BELTS & GIRDLES

JEWELLERY

PURSES & BAGS

SHOES

Purses, pouches, aumonieres and bags
STYLES - EMBROIDERY

Pockets were unknown in clothing during the medieval period, therefore purses and pouches of various kinds were widely utilised by all people of all classes. Purses were small cloth purses also known as aumonieres or almspurses. Paris was well known during the 14th century for producing some of the finest belts. Some were made of embroidered silk on linen, some of velvet, many with gold thread and tapestry. It was not uncommon for the embroidery to depict scenes of courtly love. Many were given as gifts and it was deemed an appropriate embroidery activity for aristocratic ladies.

When Queen Jeanna of Burgundy was crowned in 1317, she received twelve embroidered purses, six velvet purses, a further six embroidered samite purses as well as sixteen other purses (type unknown). It is not unlikely that she gave most away as gifts. In 1319, a countess is recorded as giving a gift of a purse which was embroidered with pearls.

Styles
Styles of bags differed for women and men; women often but not always preferring the drawstring kind, while men opted for the more practical kidney shaped bag.

Ladies styles of fabric bag varied a little but generally were either square or rectangular with two drawstrings across the top, running horizontally one in each direction, with or without tassels, some having a rounded top. The example at right is dated between 1400-1600 from the British Isles. Image from the Metropolitan Museum of Art. It shows the typical drawstrings at the top ended with tassels. It attaches to the belt by the means of two loops at the very top.

Both men and women utilised the small leather drawstring pouch or aumoniere pouch for the keeping of alms. These might be attached to the belt by the use of a belt hook, a purpose made attachment on the belt.

Another style of purse, although it is not known if it was favoured particularly by one gender or another, is pictured at right. Made of leather and mounted onto a metal frame, the towers form part of the opening clasp. It also features decorative tooling on the front and a small tassel in each lower corner. It attached to the belt by means of a small metal ring seen at the back. Dated in the 1400s, it is certain that because of the expensive metalwork it did not belong to a commoner.

Embroidery
Medieval bags were often heavily embroidered front and back with scenes of courtly love. The image at left shows "Game With A Hood", a 1340 aumoniere from Paris with many decorative tassels and a band added at the upper opening where the double drawstring is. The image is of a fashionably dressed young couple in a garden. It is embroidered with couched gold and silver threads and split stitched for the remainder on linen.

Margherita Datini's 1397 personal effects list includes two purses described as embroidered wool. It is not specified whether the purses were made of wool and embroidered with perhaps silks and gold threads or whether they were made of woolen cloth and embroidered also with wool.

The sample at right appears to be gold couched embroidery and split stitch on gold silk. The man and the woman are human above the waist indicating their courtly and proper halves whist below the waist they are depicted as animals symbolising their bestial passions which come from their nether regions below. It is dated at the mid 14th century and is of French origin.

The pouch at left is also heavily embroidered. It is dated from 1391 to 1410 and also is of Paris workmanship.

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