Bag

Art Historical Context

In the last quarter of the 17th century, French artisans created this elegant copper bag, now preserved in the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute. Crafted the opulent reign of Louis XIV, the piece reflects a time when fashion accessories often blended practicality with artistic expression. Copper, prized for its durability and ability to take on fine detailing, offered a distinctive alternative to more common materials like fabric or leather, suggesting a specialized or high-status item in women’s wardrobes. As part of the Costume Institute’s collection, this bag illuminates the broader role of accessories in Baroque-era French society. Women of the period used such bags to carry small personal items, and the choice of metal hints at both decorative flair and everyday resilience. Its survival offers a rare window into the material innovations of the time, when even utilitarian objects could embody refined craftsmanship. Generously gifted to the museum by Mrs. Edward S. Harkness in 1930, the bag continues to spark curiosity about 17th-century style and the women who carried it.