Linen purse with heraldic designs, ca. 1540. From the Victoria & Albert Museum. According to

Linen purse with heraldic designs, ca. 1540.

From the Victoria & Albert Museum.

According to the V&A: “This formal, heraldic purse associated with marriage has more significance than a purse used simply for money, or a ‘swete-bag’ used for carrying perfumed herbs to sweeten the atmosphere. Both men and women carried or wore pouches or purses. The long strings of this example suggest that it was intended to hang from the waist, but it is uncertain whether it was ever actually used as a container. English purses of this date are extremely rare and the survival of this one may be due to its formal role, which meant that it was rarely used and thought worth looking after.”