Red beaded clutch belonging to Etta Moten Barnett: Museum Object and Cultural History

The object in the museum catalogue

This is a red beaded evening bag belonging to Etta Moten Barnett. The bag is a rectangular clutch with a flap over the opening. The flap has a diagonal edge along the front. It closes with a magnetic snap closure on the underside. The exterior of the bag is covered in tiny bright red beads sewn into swirling patterns. The interior of the bag is lined in matching red colored silk. There is no tag or maker’s mark.

Materials, dates and provenance

• Date: 1960-2004
• Manufactured by: Unidentified
• Owned by: Etta Moten Barnett, American, 1901 - 2004
• Type: clutch bags
• Medium: cloth and beads , metal
• Dimensions: H x W: 4 5/16 × 10 1/16 in. (11 × 25.5 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: Fashion
• Topic: Singers (Musicians)
• Topic: Women
• Object number: A2022.13.1.61
• 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.