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Culture:American
Title:wallet
Date Made:1730-1775
Type:Personal Equipment
Materials:textile: wool, silk, linen
Place Made:United States; New England
Measurements:overall: 3 3/8 x 7 1/8 in.; 8.5725 x 18.0975 cm
Accession Number:  HD F.781
Credit Line:Gift of Mrs. Harold G. Duckworth
Museum Collection:  Historic Deerfield
F-781f.jpg

Description:
Man's rectangular wallet or pocketbook decorated with wool crewel embroidery in a flame stitch pattern with pink, blue, orange, and green on a linen background, and lined with pink silk satin, silk ribbon edging, which descended in the Hyde family of Lisbon, Conn. Cases for holding documents, paper money, letters and business cards were made by women to be used by men. The flame stitch pattern was easily accomplished, popular in a wide range of designs, and impressed people with its color, workmanship, and connotation of wealth when presented in the marketplace. Fine needlework defined status for both ladies and gentlemen during the 18th century, and reflected well on a genteel household where women had the skill and time to execute such work. Some of these wallets may also have been carried by a woman; however, the majority of these surviving accessories are embroiderd with men's names which give us the impression that they were mostly used by men.

Subjects:
Textile fabrics; Linen; Silk; Wool

Link to share this object record:
https://museums.fivecolleges.edu/detail.php?t=objects&type=ext&id_number=HD+F.781

Research on objects in the collections, including provenance, is ongoing and may be incomplete. If you have additional information or would like to learn more about a particular object, please email fc-museums-web@fivecolleges.edu.

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