TAMBOUR, BAG

This ornate hand embroidered Chinese pot pourri purse was purchased at Hong Kong Museum in 2018. It is in the style of purse of an earlier era, part of the highly regulated court costumes of the Qing Dynasty in China, (1611 – 1911). Men and women carried an assortment of purses, as many as 10, hanging from their belts.

This tiny heart-shaped concertina style purse, has multi-coloured chain stitch in a Persian inspired design.

Bottom half of the purse is cream fabric with embroidery, top third black cotton, pleated and drawn up with a brown silk kumihimo braid looped through, creating a handle with tassels at each end. Tassells have a special Chinese knot at the top.