Ca 1320 Swiss purse

Front

Detail Front

Detail Front

Back

The figures on the back represent heraldic motives, similar to those in the Codex Manesse. For a "who is who" of the heraldic motives on this purse, see Schneider, J. (1975)

Purse:

• silk embroidery: gobelin stitch and split stitch
  
• Au ver a soie spun silk
• goldwork: gold thread couched with red silk
• Japanese gold K4. 0.5 mm
  
• 18 cm * 20 cm
  

Tassels:

• Devere Yarn 1200 dernier, filament silk, loose twist
  
• goldwork: gold thread couched with yellow silk
• Japanese gold K4. 0.5 mm
• 12 cm * 2 cm
  
• original in the Sweizerisches Landesmuseum, Zurich, beutel LM 1825a
  

A picture and a descritption of the original can be found in:
Schneider, J. (1975), Textilien. Katalog der Sammlung des Sweizerischen Landesmuseums Zurich: Zurich: Verlag Berichthaus

The Cloisters Museum, New York, owns a smiliar purse. A picture and a description of this purse can be found in:
Hoving, T., Husband, T., Hayward, J. (1975), The secular spirit: life and art at the end of the Middle Ages, New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art

See also this purse: Sweizerisches Landesmuseum, Zurich, beutel LM 1825b