purse

human history

Description
coin purse
purse made from albatross foot in silver frame with kiss clasp; pale yellow, three claws still intact; probably made by a sailor for his sweetheart in the 19th century; albatross were traditionally considered by sailors as birds of good omen, in Coleridge’s poem ‘The Rime of the Ancient Mariner’, the ship’s captain is plagued by bad luck after killing an albatross.
Place
New South Wales/Australia
Accession Number
1976.175
Accession Date
19 Nov 1976
Other Id
M1742 (miscellaneous)
Department
Applied Arts and Design

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Images and documents

Images

Artefact

Credit Line
Collection of Auckland Museum Tamaki Paenga Hira, M1742
Place
New South Wales/Australia
Date
Circa 1850
Period
Victorian/Contemporary Age/European and British/art and design period
Media
skin/animal material
silver/nonferrous metal/metal/inorganic material
Measurement Reading
140mm
158mm
Classification
purse, coin
personal gear

Purse, Change
Handbag
Bag, Carrying
Personal Carrying & Storage Gear
Personal Gear
03 Personal Artifacts
Last Update
13 Dec 2022

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