Black beaded bag with flowers belonging to Etta Moten Barnett: Museum Object and Cultural History

The object in the museum catalogue

This is a black beaded evening bag belonging to Etta Moten Barnett. The bag is a square purse with a scalloped top. It has a hinged opening. The opening closes with a metal snap closure. The exterior of the bag is covered in tiny black beads sewn into swirling patterns. On the front of the bag is a large flower formed out of larger shiny black beads. There are several smaller flowers formed out of the same beads scattered over the front of the purse. The interior of the bag is lined in black silk. There is a black tag sewn onto the interior pocket on the rear panel of the bag. It has gold text that reads “Made in Korea.” Part of the black silk lining is coming undone and pulling away from the frame of the bag. Some of the beads from the large flower are loose.

Materials, dates and provenance

• Date: 1950-2004
• Manufactured by: Unidentified
• Owned by: Etta Moten Barnett, American, 1901 - 2004
• Type: purses (bags)
• Medium: cloth and beads with metal
• Dimensions: H x W: 6 11/16 × 9 1/16 in. (17 × 23 cm)
• Place made: Korea, Asia
• Place used: Chicago, Cook County, Illinois, United States, North and Central America
• Topic: African American
• Topic: Activism
• Topic: Actors
• Topic: Broadway Theatre
• Topic: Clothing and dress
• Topic: Fashion
• Topic: Singers (Musicians)
• Topic: Women
• Object number: A2022.13.1.63
• Credit Line: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture
• Data Source: National Museum of African American History and Culture

Sources and reuse

Catalogue descriptions and facts adapted from National Museum of African American History and Culture through the Smithsonian's official Open Access dataset. This record explicitly marks its metadata CC0 1.0; formatting and selection have been changed. The underlying object's rights statement is: Unknown – Restrictions Possible Rights assessment and proper usage is the responsibility of the user.