Images(7)

Pocketbook

Date1771 (dated)

OriginAmerica

MediumWool embroidery on linen

DimensionsOH (closed) 5"; OH (open) 10"; OW: 8 3/4"

Credit LineMuseum Purchase

Object number1950-268

DescriptionWool canvas work pocketbook consisting of Irish stitch embroidery in shades of red, yellow, blue, and violet, worked in zig-zag pattern. Olive green wool tape binding. Folding case has two divided inner compartments lined with dark green satin.

Construction History:

1. 1771: Initial Construction
2. May 20, 1954: Cleaning, repairing, restoring by Ernest LoNano for the Margaret Hunter Shop.Label TextFiber, Fabric, and Fortune:
"Crewels of all colors" might have been used to make a pocketbook, a smaller scale project for needleworkers. Used by both men and women, and functioning like a wallet today, pocketbooks were typically made using wool embroidery thread on a linen ground. This gave them a slightly fuzzy, or napped, surface. They were often personalized and made as gifts.Mark(s)Embroidered on inner edge: "Seth Drew 1771"ProvenancePrior to 1950, anonymous vendor; 1950, purchased by The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation (Williamsburg, VA)