Pocketbook, Europe, late 18th century
Price: $2200, Size: 3¾" x 6"

In the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, pocketbooks and purses were often ornately decorated with fine needlework. Men used envelope shaped pocketbooks much like we would use a safe-deposit box today - to hold currency, deeds and other valuable documents. Women rarely carried such documents, so their pocketbooks were often smaller and more delicate than those designed for men and held small sewing implements, jewelry or favorite trinkets.

This delicate pocketbook bears the German inscription "A memento of our friendship," inscribed on a cottage, reminding us that pocket books were often gifts of affection. The opposite side bears the round hand monogram "IB" within a laurel wreath. Tiny chain stitches create a shaded pink border and metallic threads form the border and closure. The pocket book is worked in silk and metallic thread on silk with a double pocket interior lined with pink silk.