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Purse for man's court belt (shou)

Chinese
Qing dynasty
1890 to 1899
Object Place: China

Medium/Technique Silk satin-weave ground embroidered with gold and silver wrapped threads, silk cord
Dimensions Height x width (including handle/strings): 17 1/2 x 5 in. (44.5 x 12.7 cm)
Credit Line Gift of Miss Louise M. Nathurst
Accession Number11.2787
NOT ON VIEW
ClassificationsCostumes

DescriptionMan's drawstring purse (shou) with double-gourd shape and design of Chinese characters for blessings and longevity (fu, shou, lu) embroidered in metallic gold and silver thread on a black silk satin ground; gold twisted silk cord with tassels and decorative braided knots and bands in blue and white.

This purse is one of a pair that would have been suspended from a sash-like belt (chaodai) worn around the waist of a Manchu man's court coat.
ProvenanceGift of Miss Louise M. Nathurst to the MFA on November 2, 1911