Sweetmeat purse, English, c1580–1600
Silk and metal knit, and silk cord
Regular washing and bathing were not customary in Elizabethan England but most people still sought to mask unpleasant body odours by carrying a sweetmeat purse. These small purses contained sweet smelling herbs and other pleasantly scented items. This beautifully worked example could be carried in the hand or worn on the body.
Accession Number: SHM.2010.T.3:i-iii
