Drawstring evening bag belonging to Etta Moten Barnett: Museum Object and Cultural History

The object in the museum catalogue

This is a black and silver beaded drawstring bag belonging to Etta Moten Barnett. It is a pouch shaped bag with the surface covered in small black beads with geometric designs formed out of small silver beads. The design across the middle of the bag is a row of narrow diamond shapes outlined in silver with a small triangle inside the top point of each diamond. There is a grid pattern in silver lines under the diamond shapes. The top hem of the bag also has a silver grid pattern. The pouch has a drawstring top with a grosgrain ribbon threaded through it. The bottom of the bag ends in two triangular points with a black and silver fringe. The two points have a small silver and black check pattern on them. The bag is lined in black fabric. There are no tags or makers marks. There are several loose beads and threads around the top hem.

Materials, dates and provenance

• Date: 1940-2004
• Manufactured by: Unidentified
• Owned by: Etta Moten Barnett, American, 1901 - 2004
• Type: purses (bags)
• Medium: beads on cloth , ribbon
• Dimensions: H x W: 8 11/16 × 7 5/16 in. (22 × 18.5 cm)
• 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: Singers (Musicians)
• Topic: Women
• Object number: A2022.13.1.77
• 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.