Unknown Artist
1740–70
Medium
Linen
Classification
Culture
Italian
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 Robert B. Woodward, 1915
Accession Number
2009.300.4021
Art Historical Context
Step into the intimate world of 18th Italian daily life with *Pocket*, a delicate linen accessory dating from 1740–70. Crafted by an unknown artist, this unassuming item from the Costume Institute exemplifies the hidden ingenuity of women's fashion during the Rococo era. Made from linen—a sturdy, breathable fabric ideal for everyday wear—the pocket was designed to be tied around the waist beneath voluminous skirts, accessible through side slits for safekeeping small essentials like keys, handkerchiefs, or money. In an age before integrated pockets in women's clothing, these detachable pouches...