Following our earlier blog about the medieval embroidered bags in the collection of the Sens Museum, France, we have had a request for more details about a small, knitted bag that appears to date from the 13th century.

Medieval knitted bag in silk and metal thread (Sens Museum, B323, 13th century).

The bag was published in Inventaire du trésor de l'église primatiale et métropolitaine de Sens by Eugène Chartraire (1862-1935) in 1897 (available online here), catalogue number: 103. Its current registration number is B323.

It is a four-sided bag that is about 12 cm in length and made of silk and gold thread (passing), with a design that seems to be repeated on all sides. It is worked in white, green, gold and other colours. The main element of the design appears to be that of a long bird, or of human figure, and stylised plants. but the overall design is not clear. It may require one or more sessions by a knitting specialist, perhaps working stitch by stitch, to work out the various patterns and motifs.

There is also an inscription, in what appears to be Arabic, in black letters on a blue ground around the top edge. The bag is fastened with a drawstring ending in a tassel, and is decorated along the long sides with a fringing in red silk.

Part of the bag was closely examined with a dino-lite microscope, which highlighted part of the knitted structure and some of the threads that were used.

Gillian Vogelsang-Eastwood, 20 July 2022

 Side 1 of the knitted bag in silk and metal thread (Sens Museum, B323, 13th century).

Close-up of part of the inscription at the top of Side 1 of the knitted bag (Sens Museum, B323, 13th century).

Dino-lite close-up of the knitted structure on Side 1 of the of the bag in silk and metal thread (Sens Museum, B323, 13th century).

Dino-lite close-up of the knitted structure on Side 1 of the bag showing the use of silk and metal threads (Sens Museum, B323, 13th century).

Side 2 of the knitted bag in silk and metal thread (Sens Museum, B323, 13th century).

Side 3 of the knitted bag in silk and metal thread (Sens Museum, B323, 13th century).

Side 4 of the knitted bag in silk and metal thread (Sens Museum, B323, 13th century).