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

The object in the museum catalogue

This is a black velvet and silk evening bag and attached change purse belonging to Etta Moten Barnett. The bag is a rectangular clutch with a hinged opening. The mouth of purse closes with a metal snap closure on the center top of the bag. The closure is decorated with a gold-colored ornament covered in clear crystals. The ornament is a long, narrow and square piece of metal that curls into scrolls at each end. The exterior of the bag is covered in black velvet , except for a strip along the top that is black silk. The interior of the bag is lined in black silk. There are two interior pockets, one openand one that closes with a zipper. There is a white colored tag sewn onto the inside hem. It has gold and black text that reads “MM.” There is a small black silk change purse attached to the interior by a slender gold-colored chain. The change purse has a hinged opening and a gold-colored snap closure on the top.

Materials, dates and provenance

• Date: 1950-2004
• Manufactured by: Unidentified
• Owned by: Etta Moten Barnett, American, 1901 - 2004
• Type: clutch bags
• Type: coin purses
• Medium: velvet , silk (fiber) , metal , glass
• Dimensions: H x W x D (clutch): 4 15/16 × 9 13/16 × 1 3/8 in. (12.5 × 25 × 3.5 cm)
• Dimensions: H x W (change purse): 3 7/16 × 4 15/16 in. (8.8 × 12.5 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: A2022.13.1.65
• 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.