Creative Commons License
Draw Purse
(Renaissance Europe )
A little brocade lady's purse is an unusual place to find an enamel as decoration but its preservation is likely due to the artistic interest of the enamel. The sides of the purse are formed of two ovoid, convex plaques. On each is a central oval panel of black ground with a half-length figure, one representing a young gentleman and the other a young lady. The man, wearing a wig and a breastplate over a doublet, grasps the barrel if a musket. The lady is seated, proffering with her right hand a rose taken from a basket of roses on which her left hand rests. She wears a riding hat adorned with a flower, and a shawl or loose coat over her dress, which is fashioned with a loosely laced bodice. Her sleeves end in lace flounces. Above the ovals, sprays of tulips are pierced with four holes for the draw cords.
Provenance
Provenance (from the French provenir, 'to come from/forth') is the chronology of the ownership, custody, or location of a historical object.
Leon Gruel, Paris [date and mode of acquisition unknown]; Henry Walters, Baltimore, [date of acquisition unknown] by purchase; Walters Art Museum, 1931, by bequest.
Conservation
| Date | Description | Narrative |
|---|---|---|
| 9/8/1958 | Treatment | cleaned |
Geographies
France, Limoges (Place of Origin)
Measurements
H: 3 1/16 x W: 2 1/16 in. (7.7 x 5.2 cm)
Credit Line
Acquired by Henry Walters
Location in Museum
Not on view
Accession Number
In libraries, galleries, museums, and archives, an accession number is a unique identifier assigned to each object in the collection.
In libraries, galleries, museums, and archives, an accession number is a unique identifier assigned to each object in the collection.
44.184