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Museum object · Clothing - Fashion and Historical

Multicolored macrame handbag

mid - late 20th century

Smithsonian NMAAHC collection

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Source catalog description

This description refers to material held by Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture. Visual details below describe the original material.

A multicolored macrame handbag. The purse is composed of one continuous panel of macrame rope (possibly jute or sisal), and sections of the rope have been dyed bright red and green prior to weaving. There are also sections that have been left natural. The purse has an overall trapezoidal shape – narrower at the top and wider at the bottom and the front and back are identical. At the top are two 5” wide circular wood handles. The wood has been molded into a circular shape and wrapped with the same natural rope that the body of the bag is composed of. Two panels of natural linen that have been sewn together at the sides and bottom line the inside of the bag. It’s handstitched along the interior top opening with a herringbone stitch. Inside are two 6” wide patch pockets, one on each side and there is no label.

Sources & collection details

Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture — original record ↗

Source collection ↗

Catalog metadata · CC0 · Source checked 2026-10-13

Catalog reference: 2007.3.1100

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