by Amanda Martel
How big should a purse or belt pouch be, for garb of the 12th to 14th centuries? As part of another project, I have analysed a collection of purses from this period in the square or rectangular drawstring purses.
I selected a date range of 1100 to 1400 to focus on as there seemed to be some continuity of style and use across that time, and the larger project that this survey spun off from was focused around an item to go with 13th century clothing.
I managed to find a total of 52 purses in this date range, for which size information was given by the source.
Most of the purses that I could find are found online in the archives of the Belgian Royal Institute for Cultural Heritage, abbreviated KIK-IRPA for its combined Belgian-French acronym Koninklijk Instituut voor het Kunstpatrimonium – Institut Royal du Patrimoine Artistique. This organisation holds collection images for a number of different museums and historic sites throughout Belgium.
Once the information was gathered and analysed, I reached the conclusion that a ‘typical’ pouch would be between 9.0 cm and 15.2 cm high, with its width being somewhere between 82% and 100% of the height. For example, a 9.0 cm high pouch would be between 7.4 cm and 9.0 cm wide, while a 15.2 cm high pouch would be between 12.5 cm and 15.2 cm wide.
The wider definition of ‘not too unusual’ purses would contain purses ranging from 6.7 cm to 16.5 cm high, and a width to height ratio of between 80% to 100%.
The smallest pouch in the survey was 4 cm high and 3 cm wide, while the largest was 32.4 cm (12 ¾ inches) high and 31.8 cm (12 ½ inches) wide.
The next sections contain the analysis that led me to these conclusions, along with the full set of data that was gathered, sorted by size.
Analysis
I consider the ‘typical’ range to be that between the first and third quartiles (Q1 and Q3 in the table below), that is to say the range that contains the middle 50% of examples.
The full range of quartiles, including both Q2 (the median) and the arithmetic mean of the heights, widths, and width-to-height ratios found, is as follows:
| Q1 | Q2 (median) | Mean | Q3 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Height | 9.0 | 12.0 | 13.0 | 15.2 |
| Width | 7.9 | 11.0 | 11.5 | 13.6 |
| Width to Height Ratio | 82.0% | 90.5% | 88.5% | 100.0% |
Inspecting the data grouping directly, rather than relying on increasingly complex statistical methods, I consider the ‘not too unusual’ range to be that in the main grouping that is visible on the following chart of heights and widths.
There are significant outliers above the 20 cm high × 20 cm wide level, which I believe were used for the storage of large objects and not worn from the belt. There are also some closer outliers below and above the ‘not too unusual’ range, including some which are significantly higher than they are wide — the most extreme is 12 cm high and only 7 cm wide.
It should be noted that all of the data points on this graph are plausible period pouch sizes, as they are extant period pouch sizes.
The following charts show the distribution of heights and widths of purses in the survey, which again shows the main grouping along with the outliers which show how wide the variability could be.
Relevancy Check
It is notable that most of the surviving purses in this style are labelled as reliquary pouches/purses, that is to say, purses which are used for the storage of religious relics. This means that their sizes do not necessarily transfer directly to the sizes of the purses which might have been worn by a person of the period.
However, it is their status as reliquary pouches that has likely led to their survival over other purses that would have been seeing daily use hanging from a belt. Items which see daily use and are not considered ‘holy’ are more likely to be used until they were no longer usable, and then repurposed or discarded.
To address this mismatch, I also examined a number of funeral effigies from the time period in question which showed purses being worn from the belt, while also having the person’s hands visible.
My observations of these effigies are that the purses being worn range from half the length of the figure’s hands to approximately equal to that length.
To compare this to the more accurately measured purses in the survey, I am surprised to find myself turning to NASA, whose Man-Systems Integration Standards have the best readily-accessible data on the subject. They give the 50th percentile female hand length as 17.2 cm.
As the ‘typical’ purse range that I found ranges from a little over half this size, at 9.0 cm, to a little under this size, at 15.2 cm, and the purses seem to visually approximate half to just less than the full length of the hand, I am comfortable applying the extant reliquary pouch data to the more general case of purses.
Below are some examples of effigies and brasses that I believe are relatively representative of the images I saw while investigating this matter.
Bibliography
Effigies & Brasses
Effigy of Agnès de Baudement, 1207.
St Yved’s Church, Braine, Aisne, France.
http://effigiesandbrasses.com/2591/2277
Effigy of Mebus du Chastelier, 1280.
Rouen Archaeological Museum, Rouen, Seine-Maritime, France.
http://effigiesandbrasses.com/2423/2109
Effigy of Péronelle de Mareuil, 1280.
Royaumont Abbey, Asnières-sur-Oise, Val-d’Oise, France.
http://effigiesandbrasses.com/3286/2732
Effigy Unknown Beaumont-sur-Oise B, 1250.
Château de Beaumont-sur-Oise, Beaumont-sur-Oise, Val-d’Oise, France.
http://effigiesandbrasses.com/2581/5135
Metropolitan Museum of Art (MET)
Accession no. 46.156.34a–e: http://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/468127
Accession no. 27.48.2: http://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/466693
Accession no. 27.48.3: http://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/466694
Museum für Kunst und Gewerbe Hamburg (MKG)(Museum for Arts and Crafts),
“Tasche mit Minneszenen” (Bag with Minstrels), 1330-1350.
http://sammlungonline.mkg-hamburg.de/en/object/Tasche-mit-Minneszenen/1956.137/dc00011711
Museum of Fine Arts Boston (MFA)
Accession no. 39.293: http://collections.mfa.org/objects/46906/
Accession no. 39.543: http://collections.mfa.org/objects/46966/
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
Man-Systems Integration Standards.
Section 3.3.1.3 Body Size Data Design Requirements.
http://msis.jsc.nasa.gov/sections/section03.htm
Royal Institute for Cultural Heritage (KIK-IRPA)
Various objects listed as “Reliekbeurs” or “Bourse-Reliquaire” (Reliquary Pouch)
Web address http://balat.kikirpa.be/object/[number]
Object numbers are as listed in the data table at the end of this document
Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A)
Accession no. 510-1897: http://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O362524/
Accession no. 1567-1902: http://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O144712/
Accession no. 8313-1863: http://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O115592/
Purse Survey Data
| Reference | Date | Height | Width |
| KIK-IRPA 10069235 | 1201-1300 | 4.0 cm | 3.0 cm |
| KIK-IRPA 10128669 | 1201-1300 | 6.0 cm | 4.0 cm |
| KIK-IRPA 10128666 | 1201-1300 | 5.0 cm | 5.5 cm |
| MFA 39.293 | 1200-1299 | 6.7 cm | 5.6 cm |
| KIK-IRPA 43464 | 1201-1300 | 7.0 cm | 6.5 cm |
| KIK-IRPA 10069289 | 1101-1200 | 7.5 cm | 6.5 cm |
| KIK-IRPA 10152670 | 1201-1400 | 7.0 cm | 7.0 cm |
| KIK-IRPA 10128673 | 1201-1300 | 9.0 cm | 5.5 cm |
| KIK-IRPA 43204 | 1201-1300 | 9.0 cm | 5.5 cm |
| KIK-IRPA 43174 | 1201-1300 | 8.0 cm | 7.0 cm |
| KIK-IRPA 10069284 | 1201-1300 | 8.5 cm | 7.0 cm |
| KIK-IRPA 34761 | 1301-1400 | 8.0 cm | 7.5 cm |
| KIK-IRPA 43462 | 1291-1310 | 8.0 cm | 9.0 cm |
| KIK-IRPA 43485 | 1301-1400 | 8.5 cm | 8.5 cm |
| KIK-IRPA 10128672 | 1201-1300 | 9.5 cm | 8.0 cm |
| KIK-IRPA 10152627 | 1201-1400 | 9.6 cm | 8.0 cm |
| KIK-IRPA 43158 | 1201-1300 | 10.0 cm | 8.0 cm |
| KIK-IRPA 10069287 | 1201-1400 | 9.8 cm | 8.5 cm |
| KIK-IRPA 10128674 | 1201-1300 | 12.0 cm | 7.0 cm |
| KIK-IRPA 43478 | 1301-1400 | 9.5 cm | 10.0 cm |
| KIK-IRPA 65853 | 1201-1400 | 11.0 cm | 9.0 cm |
| KIK-IRPA 10128628 | 1201-1300 | 10.0 cm | 10.0 cm |
| KIK-IRPA 40002425 | 1301-1400 | 10.0 cm | 11.0 cm |
| KIK-IRPA 10069239 | 1101-1300 | 11.0 cm | 10.0 cm |
| KIK-IRPA 10360 | 1201-1300 | 12.0 cm | 10.0 cm |
| KIK-IRPA 10359 | 1301-1400 | 11.0 cm | 11.0 cm |
| KIK-IRPA 5235 | 1201 – 1300 | 13.5 cm | 10.0 cm |
| KIK-IRPA 11045823 | 1101-1300 | 12.0 cm | 11.7 cm |
| KIK-IRPA 43159 | 1101-1200 | 12.0 cm | 12.0 cm |
| KIK-IRPA 10128650 | 1301-1400 | 13.0 cm | 12.0 cm |
| KIK-IRPA 43186 | 1201-1300 | 13.0 cm | 13.0 cm |
| KIK-IRPA 10069236 | 1201-1300 | 15.0 cm | 12.0 cm |
| KIK-IRPA 43380 | 1291-1300 | 13.5 cm | 13.5 cm |
| V&A 8313-1863 | 1300-1399 | 14.7 cm | 12.5 cm |
| KIK-IRPA 10128626 | 1201-1300 | 15.0 cm | 13.0 cm |
| KIK-IRPA 43168 | 1201-1300 | 16.5 cm | 12.0 cm |
| V&A 510-1897 | 1300-1399 | 15.2 cm | 13.3 cm |
| KIK-IRPA 43177 | 1201-1300 | 18.5 cm | 11.0 cm |
| KIK-IRPA 10128624 | 1201-1300 | 15.0 cm | 14.0 cm |
| KIK-IRPA 10072083 | 1101-1300 | 18.0 cm | 12.0 cm |
| MET 27.48.2 | 1300-1399 | 15.2 cm | 14.3 cm |
| KIK-IRPA 21727 | 1276-1300 | 15.0 cm | 15.0 cm |
| MKG 1956.137 | 1330-1350 | 15.8 cm | 14.5 cm |
| KIK-IRPA 43465 | 1301-1400 | 15.0 cm | 16.0 cm |
| KIK-IRPA 11045822 | 1201-1400 | 16.5 cm | 16.5 cm |
| KIK-IRPA 10855 | 1301-1400 | 17.7 cm | 17.3 cm |
| MET 27.48.3 | 1300-1399 | 20.3 cm | 17.1 cm |
| MFA 39.543 | 1200-1299 | 20.0 cm | 18.0 cm |
| KIK-IRPA 10069234 | 1201-1400 | 22.0 cm | 20.0 cm |
| MET 46.156.34a–e | 1300-1399 | 22.2 cm | 20.3 cm |
| KIK-IRPA 10054549 | 1201-1430 | 30.0 cm | 24.5 cm |
| V&A 1567-1902 | 1300-1399 | 32.4 cm | 31.8 cm |