Miser's purse
19th century
Medium
costume & accessories
Classification
costume & accessories
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Gift of Eleanor and Sarah Hewitt
Accession Number
1925-2-338
About this artwork
Research in Progress
Art Historical Context
Step into the world of 19th-century personal accessories with this charming *Miser's Purse*, a clever invention from the Smithsonian American Art Museum's costume and accessories collection. Donated by Eleanor and Sarah Hewitt, this delicate item exemplifies everyday elegance in Victorian-era fashion. Shaped like a long, slender pouch with a central slit, it features two separate compartments accessed by sliding steel rings—perfect for keeping paper money in one side and coins in the other, safeguarding one's "miserly" treasures. Miser's purses gained popularity in the early to mid-1800s, ref...
About the Artist
Unknown
The artist designated as "Unknown" in our virtual museum's collection exemplifies a poignant chapter in art history: creators whose identities have faded into obscurity despite the enduring power of their work. With only one known artwork attributed to them in our holdings, this figure represents countless anonymous hands that shaped visual culture across centuries. Museums worldwide, including th...