A History of Bags and Pockets. [Session 3: Presentation 4 optional] MAKERIGHT DESIGN COURSE A brief history of bags A brief history of bags ItIt just just makes makes sense sense that that a bag a ofbag some of somekind has kind been has with been humans with forhumans a very longfor time.a very Virtually long thetime. only existing archaeological evidence is seen in cave paintings andVirtually carvings the thousands only existing of years oldarchaeological where human-like evidence figures isare seen seen into becave carryingpaintings what and appear carvings to be grass-woven thousands satchels, of years usually old hangingwhere from human-like an arm. figures are seen to be carrying what appear to be grass-woven satchels, usually hanging from an arm. MAKERIGHT DESIGN COURSE A Abrief brief history history ofof bagsbags CavemenCavemen worewore animal animal hides/ hides/ skins skins. MAKERIGHT DESIGN COURSE FirstFirst bagsbags Creating something simple from an animal to carry Creating somethingtools, asimple child, weapons, from food,an animal bait etc. wouldhide have to carry tools, a child, weapons, food, bait etc.been would relatively haveeasy. been relatively easy. ! Kill and skin the animal, treat the coat and use simple Kill and skin the stitchinganimal, with treat a bone the needle coat, and andthread use made a from simple stitching the intestinal guts of said animal to hold together... with a bone needle and thread made from the intestinal guts of MAKERIGHT DESIGN said animal to hold it together. COURSE First bags The oldest surviving bag in the world. One of the rarest, and most fascinating, bag found in the archaelogical record is the one found with Otzi, the 3500 year old frozen mummy discovered in the Alps in the mid 1990’s. Made of goatskin, the bag consisted of a pouch attached to a two small birch-bark containers which may have carried burning coals. What makes this so significant is it’s virtually the only known bag made from animal hide to have survived the eons. MAKERIGHT DESIGN COURSE Other contenders Other contenders ! PursePurse studded studded with with dogdog teeth,teeth, dated dated between between 2,500 - 2,5002,200 BC - 2,200 BC ! ! MAKERIGHT DESIGN COURSE Other contenders Other contenders 14th Century woman's accessory from Northern Iraq 14th Century woman’s accessory from Northern Iraq. ! ! MAKERIGHT DESIGN COURSE How did early man, or woman, How conceivedid early man,the idea or woman,to use grasses conceive to the idea to use grassesweave ato bag weave or carrier? a bag or carrier? ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! Perhaps it came about while observing Perhaps it came about while observing a fallen weaver bird’s nest deep ina the fallen grasslands weaver of ancient bird’s Africa. nest deep in the grasslands of ancient Africa. MAKERIGHT DESIGN COURSE Today, primitive tribes all over the world weave satchels, clothing and more Today, primitiveusing grass barktribes and frombranches. all over the world weave satchels, clothing,The and inuit more can weave using a grass grass, basket bark, so tightlyand thatbranches. it will hold, and repel, water: ! Pacific Islanders from Truck and Papua, New Guinea weve bags, that are used as purses and satchels, all out of grass or plant fibre, and decorated with The Inuitmud, can feathers weave and shells.a grass basket so tightly that it will hold, and repel, water. Pacific Islanders from Truck and Papua, New Guinea Where as today you might have a metal snap or plastic clip to hold a bag’s lid weave closed,bags thatthese arepeople used figured as pursesout how to and keep satchels,a bag closed all without an of ornemental grass or plantshell fiber, or two and grass decorated loops. Not only with is it mud,functional, feathers it often looksand prettyshells. too. ! Whereas today you might have a metal snap or plastic clip to hold a bag’s lid closed, these people figured out how to keep a bag closed with an ornamental shell or two and grass loops. Not only is it functional, it often looks pretty, too. MAKERIGHT DESIGN COURSE MedicineMedicine bag bag A traditonal North American Vessel that contains items A traditional Northassociated American with spiritual Indian healing. vessel that contains items associated with spiritual healing. MAKERIGHT DESIGN COURSE BotaBota bag bag Or wineskin - a traditional Spanish liquid container, Or wineskin -typically a traditional made of leather. Spanish liquid container, typically made of leather. MAKERIGHT DESIGN COURSE MoneyMoney pouches ! ! Often wornOften worn around around the the neck neck or on the or body on the body MAKERIGHT DESIGN COURSE The bag develops as a military accessory. Loculus is a latin word literally meaning “little place” and was used in a number of ways including to indicate a satchel, defined here as a leather bag. Satchels were carried by Roman legionaries, as a part of their sarcina or luggage. Indeed, sarcina is a Latin word meaning “a marching pack”, as in those carried by the heavy infantry of the Roman Army. MAKERIGHT DESIGN COURSE The bag develops as a military accessory The bag develops as a military accessory. Suspend the bag whilst it is carried on the furca (or carrying Suspendpole); a the two-pronged bag whilst it is fork, carried pitchfork on the furca or (orfork-shaped carrying pole); prop, a or two-pronged fork, pitchfork orlegionnaire’s fork-shaped prop, sarcina or cross-shaped pole. Across-shaped legionnaire’s sarcina pole. was A carried on the furca and wouldwas carried of also on the included:furca and would have also included: •Loculus Loculus -– a a satchel satchel Cloak• Cloak bag bag • Cooking pot Cooking• Patera - potmess tin Patera• Netted – mess object tin Netted object MAKERIGHT DESIGN COURSE The bag develops as a military accessory The furca also carried theirThe bedroll, bag developsa net that held as atheir military pots and accessory. pans, tools and armor not wornThe during furca also a march. carried their becroll, a net that held their pots and pens, The loculus itself was probablytools and used armor tonot wornstore during rations, a march. maps, orders, and The loculus was probably used to store rations, maps, orders, and a a legionary’s personal effectslegionary’s such personal as a figurineeffects such of as a a figurinesgod, a paintingof a god, a orpainting or small mosaic of a loved one.small mosaic of a loved one. ! ! ! ! ! ! There have been many attempts to reconstruct a loculus for historical re-enactment. ! There have been many attempts to reconstruct an oculus for historical re-enactment. MAKERIGHT DESIGN COURSE The bag develops as a military accessory ! Most of a legionnaire’s equipmentThe bag developsother than hisas arms a military and armor accessory. would have been consigned to a baggage train and borne by mules Most legionnaire’s equipment other than this arms or armour would and carts. have been consigned to a baggage train and borne by mules and carts. ! ! ! ! ! Images of pack donkeys are found on a Greek wine cup circa 480 BC, currently on display at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, MassachusettsImages of. a pack of donkeys are found on a greek wine cup circa 480 BC, currently on display at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, Massachusetts. MAKERIGHT DESIGN COURSE Most of us, when we think about bags, we think about women... ... but woment didn’t always carry bags. From the 17th century to the late 19th century, most women had at least one pair of pockets which served a similar purpose as a handbag does today. MAKERIGHT DESIGN COURSE ! ThereThere are noare nopockets pockets visible visible onon this this woman’s woman's ensemble ensemble of 1760. of 1760. They Therewere were usually usually worn worn underneath underneath their their petticoats. petticoats. MAKERIGHT DESIGN COURSE Men didn'tMen didn’twear wear separate separate pockets, pockets, as as thiers theirs were were sewn sewninto into the linings ofthe their linings coats, of their waistcoats coats, waist coats and andbreeches. breeches. MAKERIGHT DESIGN COURSE DiagramDiagram of a petticoatof a petticoat showing showing accessaccess to to DiagramDiagram of of a a gowngown showing showing access access to to pockets, 1760s. Museum no. T.115-1953. pockets,pockets, 1760’s 1760s. Museum Museum no no. T.115:A-1953.T.115:A-1953. pockets, 1760’s Museum no T.115-1953. MAKERIGHT DESIGN COURSE Female Spectator Many pockets held objects essential to personal grooming, such as a mirror, scent bottle, snuffbox and comb. In the Female Spectator of 1745, the editor Eliza Haywood advises on the use on snuff and scent: ‘The snuffbox and smelling-bottle are pretty trinkets in a lady’s pocket,and are frequently necessary to supply a pause in conversation, and on some other occasions. But whatever virtues they are possessed of, they are all lost by a too constant and familar use. And nothing can be more pernicious to the Brain, or render one more ridiculous in Company, than to have either of them perpetually in one’s hand.’ MAKERIGHT DESIGN COURSE One of Jack the Ripper’s victims, Annie Chapman, was found One of Jackwearing the a Ripper's pocket that victims, had contained Annie Chapman, a small-tooth was comb found and awearing a pocket that had pocketscontained comb a insmall-tooth a paper case. comb and a pocket comb in a paper case. ! (Philip Sugden, The Complete History of Jack the Ripper, 1994) (Philip Sugden, The Complete History of Jack the Ripper, 1994) MAKERIGHT DESIGN COURSE Many pocketsMany pockets were were handmade handmade and and they they werewere often often given given as gifts. as gifts. Some Some were made to match a petticoat or waistcoat.