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Micro Beaded Reticule with Oriental Carpet-Inspired Design

1912-1922

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Micro Beaded Reticule with Oriental Carpet-Inspired Design

1912-1922

Physical Qualities Beads, silk lining, silk or cotton drawstring, 9 1/2 x 7 1/4 in. (24.1 x 18.4 cm.)
Credit Line Gift of Betsy Hedeman, Baltimore
Object Number 2014.80
A small rectangular loom-woven beaded bag or purse with the entire surface created by small beads arranged in an image reminiscent of an Oriental carpet. This design includes a medallion with an eight pointed star in the center situated on a rectangular field with floral designs in vases at each corner. An outer border consists of a maroon ground with ornamental patterns at each side and corner areas with dark purple ground and multicolored "geometric" motifs as well as abstract floral/and vine motifs along the edges. An abstract scroll design in lavender with a yellow outline surrounds the center medallion and the bottom, top and side edges. A lone line of yellow beads defines the bottom edge. A drawstring of silk and/or cotton cord placed through a casing at the top serves as a closing when the purse is gathered. This bag is meticulously worked with front and back formed of one loom-woven piece folded over and seamed extremely neatly with whip stitches and with bead designs matching perfectly at the sides. Beads are held along each weft thread with warp threads separating them into neat columns. Eighteen different colors of beads are used including lavender, yellow, lt. pink, green, blue-green translucent, blue-green solid, red solid, red translucent, orange solid, purple translucent, purple solid, brown translucent, black, cream, gold translucent, dark blue, and light blue tanslucent. The beads are micro beads under 1 millimeter in width. There are approx. 21 beads per inch in the warp direction and 27 beads per inch in the weft direction (equally 567 beads per square inch). With approx. 142 1/2 square inches in the bag surface, the total beads used in the bag is an estimated 80,798.
The Baltimore Museum of Art by gift, 2014; Elizabeth (Betsy) Hedeman, Baltimore, by inheritance; Elizabeth Marshall Nowlin, Charlottesville, VA, by purchase
Vanda Foster, Bags and Purses, The Costume Series, Ed. Dr. Aileen Ribeiro New York: Drama Book Publishers,1982, p.67.

Haertig, Evelyn, Photography, Milton Haertig; More Beautiful Purses: Gallery Graphics Press, Carmel California 1990. pp. 227, 232.

Ettinger, Roseann. Handbags, 2nd ed. rev. and updated,Pennslyvania: Schiffer Puiblishinhg Co., 1998, pp. 61-93.

Seiler-Baldinger, Annemarie. Textiles: A Classification of Techniques, Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press, 1994, pp. 114-121.

Dubin, Lois Sherr, The History of Beads from 30,000 b.C. to the Present,NY: Harry N. Abrams, Inc., 1987, p. 318, illus. an example of "Art Deco" bag 1930 in the pattern of an Oriental carpet, woven on a loom with glass and cut-steel seed beads.

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