18th century man’s pocketbook. Embroidered in wool flame stitch pattern on a canvas base. Lined with cardboard, a common technique during that time to give stability. This particular form of flame stitch is often seen in pieces that date from about 1760-1780. Interior colors are rich and vibrant with minor stitch loss; the outside has some loss and color fading due to years of use and handling. This piece is lined with an olive green linen. The twill tape binding is a lovely blue that complements the blue of the embroidery wool.
Dimensions: folded 8” x 4.25”; open 8” x 8 5/8”.
In the mid-18th century, men’s pocketbooks were typically carried in coat pockets or interior breast pockets. Characterized by a small, flatter, and more rectangular profile than the previously popular pouch and bag, pocketbooks frequently had a flap or folded to protect its contents.
Pocketbooks signaled a man’s status with its color, design, and workmanship. They were frequently embroidered in wool and lined with a plain wool or linen; the edges finished with twill tape. Embroidered pocketbooks were at their height of popularity in the Colonies in the 2nd half of the 18th century. Wives and daughters stitched the pocketbooks with whatever material was available and in the styles that they were most proficient. With the advent of the 19th century and the Industrial Revolution, men’s fashions veered toward darker, more somber colors, the embroidered pocketbooks fell out of fashion in favor for black leather.