The collection

The Museum of Bags and Purses is a unique museum that shows the history of the (ladies) bag in Western culture from the end of the Middle Ages until the present day, including the works of contemporary designers. The Museum of Bags and Purses is the only museum in the world to have such an extensive and specialized collection.  The museum manages a collection of over 3500 bags, pouches, suitcases, purses and other accessories. The collection is very diverse: 17th century pouches and alms purses, 18th century thigh bags, wallets and framed bags, 19th century reticules and stocking purses and classical, exceptional and special models from the 20th and the 21st century.  To these last periods belong, among others, the splendid examples of the Jugenstil and Art Deco period, evening bags and vanity-cases and of course the bags of famous designers (such as Schiaparelli, Pierre Cardin, Paco Rabanne, Yves Saint Laurent, Gianni Versace, Judith Leiber, Paul Smith, Alexander McQueen, Lulu Guinness, Tom Ford) and the bags of famous labels (including Gucci, Hermès, Chanel, Dolce & Gabbana, Donna Karan, MiuMiu, Chloé and Fendi).  Be it a classic Chanel number, a bag in the shape of the luxurious liner the Normandie, a magazine or fan shaped bag, the bag that owes its name to the Clinton family cat or Madonna’s favourite, every bag has its own history.   Many bags are made from textile, but there are also splendid bags made out of beads, ivory, tortoiseshell, straw, cactus fibre, celluloid and other synthetic material and of course from many different kinds of leather. Skins of cows, goats, donkeys, sheep and pigs have been turned into leather, as were the skins of exotic animals, such as snakes, crocodiles, ostriches, lizards and armadillos, not forgetting  fishes such as skates and sharks.  By clicking on the dates below you will be able to see some examples from that period.

1500-1700

1700-1800

1800-1900

1900-1950

1950-2000

after 2000