Coin purse
Unknown Artist
1790
Medium
glass, linen, silk, metal
Classification
Coin purse
Culture
Mexican
Department
Costume Institute
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Brooklyn Museum Costume Collection at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Gift of the Brooklyn Museum, 2009; Gift of Dwight W. Morrow, Jr., Constance Morrow Morgan, and Anne Morrow Lindbergh, 1956
Accession Number
2009.300.1901
Art Historical Context
This delicate coin purse, crafted in Mexico around 1790, the refined accessories of late colonial New Spain. During this era, under Spanish rule, personal items like these were essential for women of means, blending functionality with elegance to securely hold coins while complementing elaborate dress ensembles. Its presence in the Costume Institute highlights how such objects offer intimate glimpses into daily life and social customs of the time. Made from a luxurious combination of glass beads, linen, silk, and metal, the purse showcases skilled handcraftsmanship typical of Mexican textile ...