Making a Point About Needlework History

KT doesn’t know it, but she has a 1930s ladies evening bag in the tradition of 17^th-century Viennese petit point, a style of needlework that originated with the early French Court as a pastime for Royal women. As the Chinese style of needlework was slowly being discovered during the 17^th century, the Petit Point stitch became finer, the threads thinner and the colors more sophisticated. 

During the 1700s, needlewomen discovered the delicacies of Dutch landscape and still life works of art, and these compositions were embroidered on bags. Petit Point was used on handbags, compacts, purses and bijouterie (jewelry pouches). The bags featured scenes in vibrant wool thread of court scenes, pastorals, garden scenes, floral sprays, mythological figures and courting couples. In the late 18^th, 19^th and 20^th centuries, needlework was stretched over metal purse frames with clasps, with accents of jet, or marcasite, or semi-precious stones. The 19^th and 20^th century bags had silk linings, sometimes signed with the place of manufacture: in KT’s case, the interior says “Made in China,” which means it is made post-1915, and might be handsewn; machine looms were taking over the role of a trained needlewoman in the 20^th century.

A fine European or Chinese handmade purse by an accomplished needlewoman would contain 900 stitches to the square inch in a style called a tent stitch. Bags were fashioned out of other styles of needlework as far back as the 12^th century in Europe, such as tapestry, turkey, crewel, Berlin, cross stitch, and tambour work. Needlework was the favorite decoration, as a bag held something precious, was considered a status symbol, and was meant to be displayed and admired. 

Why it was a status symbol is an interesting story. High-born men were expected to give to the poor on their estates, and they would wear a special leather pouch that contained coins, worn outside of their garments to show they could give money freely. This bag was appropriately called an “Almoner” as in “Alms for the Poor.” High-born ladies adopted the style and added elements of textile art, beadwork, and metals. 

Men also carried bags used to contain state documents designed with royal portraits or state seals worked on the front during the late Medieval period. When a courtier wanted a royal favor, he might present one of these custom-made bags to royalty with a small bribe inside. This style developed through the 14^th century in England.

Ladies’ bags in the late Medieval period in Europe were worn long, reaching to knees or ankles, and contained necessary small objects.

All the following are names of bags, and have all been used through the ages: reticule, gipser, minaudiere, portemonnaie, purse, and necessaire, but my favorite style is called a chatelaine, not really a bag at all. The earliest chatelaine is seen in France in the 15^th century. The chatelaine hung from a belt with a decorative clasp, which suspended at least 8 chains with hooks to hold necessary objects: perhaps sewing implements if the lady were a needlewoman, perhaps writing implements, perhaps a small coin purse, perhaps a match safe to keep matches dry. These were usually silver and decorative. The chatelaine had a special hook for keys of the house cupboards, because many goods were locked up by the lady of the house against thieving servants. 

By the 17^th century, the style of the huge hoop skirt or Farthingale allowed for interior pockets inside of those voluminous skirts for necessary objects, and for 100 years the purse went out of style. As the female silhouette had decreased, bags as status symbols were used to carry small necessities, such as smelling salts and perfume; the reticule was back in vogue.

A favorite purse back then was the wedding bag, worn by the bride with a portrait of the bride and groom painted on porcelain and applied to fabric.

Chinese needlework is important to the development of the textile handbag: there was a kind of stitch in China that was so fine for bags and clothing of the court that it was known for causing blindness. The “forbidden stitch” was made illegal. The French in the 17^th century became skilled with this stitch and called it Tambour work, embroidery done with a tiny hook to create a chain link of threads, imported through Europe.

KT’s little Chinese bag, if hand-stitched, is worth $250; if machine embroidered, it’s worth $100.