dated 1350 - 1425 (Egan & Pritchard 1991, no. 1701)
Miniature girdle purse made 1:1 according to the original from London. Purses of this size are more commonly found in archaeological finds, and despite its apparent impracticality, it is probably not a child's toy but a fashion accessory. This particular piece was decorated with yellow metal applications in the shape of the letter X. Having created a replica from the drawing of the holes in the publication, the purse appears to function as an ornament but also as a suspension for a dagger, as depicted in one of the accompanying illustrations from Romance of Alexander fol. 174r (1440s). The same manuscript on fol. 98r then shows more purses of a similar type with decoration. Several coins can be inserted in the small pocket at the back.
A very similar purse fragment can be found in the Dordrecht collection and is also dated to the 14th century (inv.nr. 0501.125.008) in a 2008 publication by Olaf Goubitz (abb. 128, p.72).
The pouch is made of vegetable tanned goatskin, supplemented with fat-tanned deerskin. The stitching is done by hand with linen thread.
Total height 11cm
Overall width 10cm
Belt hole up to 2,2cm
