Man's Tobacco Pouch1820-1830

On view:

Geffen Galleries

Beaded drawstring pouch with pictorial scene of a blue draped tent, a tree, and a spaniel dog, bordered by Greek-key bands above a solid navy blue base

Beaded drawstring bag with cream ground and navy blue base, featuring a detailed still life scene of a blue and gold bowl, playing cards, wine glasses, and foliage in green, red, and white beads; decorative striped borders and teal cord with knotted ends.

Beaded drawstring purse with a detailed scenic design: a spaniel dog beneath a billowing blue flag or drapery, with a green tree and landscape in the background; solid blue bead panel at the bottom, teal silk drawstring with bead closures at top.

Title: Man's Tobacco Pouch
Place Made: Probably England
Date Made: 1820-1830
Medium: Silk knit with glass and metallic beads, and leather lining
Dimensions: 7 1/2 × 5 1/2 in. (19.05 × 13.97 cm)
Credit Line: Anonymous gift
Accession Number: M.85.240.76
Classification: Costumes
Collecting Area: Costume and Textiles
Curatorial Notes: As menswear and womenswear increasingly diverged from one another in the nineteenth century, female dress grew more elaborate and accessorized, while the male three-piece suit settled into a sober work-appropriate uniform. Nevertheless, thoughtfully selected accessories could convey a man’s flair for fashion and sense of individuality. Small pouches for storing tobacco, for instance, could be secretly stowed in a pocket, only to emerge during social gatherings to reveal an elaborately beaded surface decorated with emblems of masculinity: hunting, drinking, gambling, and—of course—smoking.

Nicole LaBouff

2024
Selected Bibliography: Takeda, Sharon Sadako and Kaye Durland Spilker. Fashioning Fashion: Deux Siècles de Mode Européenne, 1700-1915. Paris: Arts Décoratifs; Los Angeles: Los Angeles County Museum of Art; Munich; New York: Delmonico Books-Prestel, 2013.
Takeda, Sharon Sadako and Kaye Durland Spilker. Fashioning Fashion: European Dress in Detail, 1700-1915. Los Angeles: Los Angeles County Museum of Art; Munich; New York: Delmonico Books/Prestel, 2010.
Takeda, Sharon Sadako and Kaye Durland Spilker. Fashioning Fashion: Europäische Moden, 1700-1915. Los Angeles: Los Angeles County Museum of Art; Munich; New York: Prestel, 2012.

Man's Tobacco Pouch1820-1830

On view:

Geffen Galleries

Title: Man's Tobacco Pouch
Place Made: Probably England
Date Made: 1820-1830
Medium: Silk knit with glass and metallic beads, and leather lining
Dimensions: 7 1/2 × 5 1/2 in. (19.05 × 13.97 cm)
Credit Line: Anonymous gift
Accession Number: M.85.240.76
Classification: Costumes
Collecting Area: Costume and Textiles
Curatorial Notes: As menswear and womenswear increasingly diverged from one another in the nineteenth century, female dress grew more elaborate and accessorized, while the male three-piece suit settled into a sober work-appropriate uniform. Nevertheless, thoughtfully selected accessories could convey a man’s flair for fashion and sense of individuality. Small pouches for storing tobacco, for instance, could be secretly stowed in a pocket, only to emerge during social gatherings to reveal an elaborately beaded surface decorated with emblems of masculinity: hunting, drinking, gambling, and—of course—smoking.

Nicole LaBouff

2024
Selected Bibliography: Takeda, Sharon Sadako and Kaye Durland Spilker. Fashioning Fashion: Deux Siècles de Mode Européenne, 1700-1915. Paris: Arts Décoratifs; Los Angeles: Los Angeles County Museum of Art; Munich; New York: Delmonico Books-Prestel, 2013.
Takeda, Sharon Sadako and Kaye Durland Spilker. Fashioning Fashion: European Dress in Detail, 1700-1915. Los Angeles: Los Angeles County Museum of Art; Munich; New York: Delmonico Books/Prestel, 2010.
Takeda, Sharon Sadako and Kaye Durland Spilker. Fashioning Fashion: Europäische Moden, 1700-1915. Los Angeles: Los Angeles County Museum of Art; Munich; New York: Prestel, 2012.