Pouches, Purses, Bags & Satchels

A collection of images of extant purses and bags in from 16th century Germany at the German National Museum.

Tricks, tips, hints, and historical facts to help even the beginner in leather working make historical ly constructe d medieval turnshoes and pouches. Guidance on basic tools, stitches, constructi on techniques , materials, and books to inspire the reader to try making those all-import ant accessorie s that really finish an impression in the SCA or reenactmen t.

A blog post on a reconstruc tion in the Style of the Birka Wallet

Subjects covered in this issue: the history of Burgundy according to the memoirs of Olivier de la Marche; packs, baskets, bags, and bundles; and a shopping list from 1435.

Subjects covered in this issue: men's clothing of the 1450's-1470's; and illustrations of woodworking tools, glass vessels, bags, and painters' tools.

Subjects covered in this issue: the perils of indulgence in cosmetics; some 15th century remedies; purses & pouches; jacks; table etiquette; nine men's morris; the diet of a 15th century soldier; and the Burgundian camp in 1476.

Cotswold Museum Service cares for around one and a half million archaeolog ical and social history objects in the Council&#3 9;s collection s. Many of the objects are displayed at the recently refurbishe d and extended Corinium Museum, Cirenceste r.

See The Collection s to search for items.

Ireland seems to be the only country to have used book shrines extensivel y. This paper is a brief overview of what the Irish did with their books.

Charted patterns from 14th century German purses with geometric embroidery.

Learn to identify several styles of German women's purses/pou ches from 1500-1550, understand the tools and techniques used to make purses/pou ches, identify the materials used to create these accessorie s and understand the basics of purse/pouc h-making.

A summary of accessorie s for outfits for Italian women in the early 16th century.

Patterns for Viking and medieval armor, clothing, and accessorie s.

How to knit a reproducti on of a 17th century knit pouch.

Women's property had no visible existence in medieval Tuscany. Husbands controlled largely the properties brought to them as dowries by their wives. It was generally considered that female administration of property would ineluctably diminish or even destroy it. Therefore, the metonymic images of the trousseau or a pouch were used as iconographic equivalents of the dowry and other female properties. This choice reveals that artists consciously conferred an abstract character to women's riches.

Also at www.medievalwood.org/charles/pouch.html

A large, and so far unpublishe d, collection of belts and belt mounts made of modest materials that were found in the southern part of the Netherland s shows that even common late medieval men and women decorated their accessorie s with a lot of shiny mounts, with which they deliberate ly or unintentio nally impressed the people they met in the street. Their adornments varied from rivets via fake coins and imitation coats of arms to entire texts: the bling-blin g of the Late Middle Ages.

The original proposal for the research and publicatio n of the large assemblage of leather artefacts and leatherwor king evidence from four sites in Anglo-Scan dinavian and medieval York specified that the work be undertaken in two distinct stages:


Stage 1: completion of the archive and preparatio n of a detailed publicatio n synopsis.


Stage 2: analysis, research and publicatio n.

The initial data gathering and quantifica tion has been successful ly completed and this document represents the detailed publicatio n synopsis, work programme and timetable necessary for the completion of stage 2.

A bibliograp hy of sources on several leatherwor king-relat ed subjects compiled from the catalogue of the specialist library collection at the Walsall Leather Museum.

A documentation paper describing a small leather purse with tablet-woven edging and strings in fingerloop braid, inspired by a similar purse in the Museum of London.

Guild statutes provide precise indications for methods of fabrication of the objects of daily life in the Middle Ages. This webpage provides statutes from guilds for makers of aguilettes (points?), purses, armor, tallow candlesticks, hose, clothing, and writing-tables.

A reconstruc tion of a pouch made based on an example from Liao Dynasty (907-1125) China. Includes photos of the original, and a pattern.

Leather with silver frame.
At the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (M.79.18).

A blog post with photos of leather items found on the Mary Rose (which sank in 1545), including bracers, a mitten, an arrow-spac er, leather bottles and buckets, shoes and boots, scabbards, and pouches.

Patterns for the layers and accessorie s for a man's 14th century outfit, including braies, hose, a coif, a hood, and a pouch.

Archeologi cal evidence from the Norse world is limited enough that, to put together a complete outfit, you may have to mix and match a bit from different times and places. This PDF file is from our slide show, depicting various Norse dress accessorie s. While the class is more interestin g in person because of its discussion format, the online version has lots of nice photos. If you like this link, also check out www.jomsb.org/Sunnifa/Accessories/Norsewidgets.pdf.

A reliquary bag from Trier, Germany.

PDF article describing various "manly manbags for Roman men. And Ladies."

Depictions of a waist-satchel in which shepherds carried newly-shorn locks of wool.

Detailed notes on early medieval Norse footwear, as well as belts, pouches, and embroidery .

A brief overview, featuring step-by-st ep photos; with additional notes on making an Iron Age woman' s cap, a hairnet, and bags.

Period pouches, purses and bags.

This handout/cl ass is a set of tricks, tips, hints, and historical facts to help even the beginner in leather working make historical ly constructe d medieval turnshoes and pouches. This will have guidance on basic tool, stitches, constructi on techniques , materials, and books that will hopefully inspire the reader to take a chance and try making those all important accessorie s that really finish an impression in the SCA or reenactmen t.

Some of the informatio n, tips, and tricks come from books on the subject, others from practical experience , and some from expert leather tradesmen who were willing to share and pass on knowledge to the writer.

Several Articles on the Tarsoly, the belt pouch of the 10th century Magyar.

Late medieval images showing a sort of double-sac k slung over one shoulder, presumably in cheap linen or hempcloth, with one or two slits along the length of the bag, towards the middle; it appears to have been used as a saddle-bag , too.

Silk velvet with metal thread and pearl embroidery , lined with silk taffeta.
At the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (M.91.165) .