An extremely well cared for c.1700s silk pouch, purse, gold metallic bullion cord embroidery in the French manner of the period. The body of the bag is a very fine suede, likely from deerskin. The front of the bag has a stylized heart form, backed in blue and stuffed in the manner of trapunto quilting, to make a 3-D cartouche to the embroidery. The single small handmade metallic thread ball tassel at bottom remains, as do the drawstrings. The interior is a pale blue silk, probably the color the stylized heart once was though it has faded lighter.
Very good to excellent for age and type. No holes, no really tattered fabric as one might anticipate. It's been stored well these centuries. You can see age to the interior, but not deterioration one would expect. It has no ecclesiastical motif, so it seems unlikely to be a liturgical vestment pouch, nor a case for a chalice, for instance. It is not leather-lined as it might be if it were a gentleman's tobacco pouch, which is sometimes the case with this form and era. Measurements are noted on the photos. It is a flat bag, no baffles at all, and all of the stitches are by hand, even and delicately done. My French expert says c.1750s or earlier. I have no reason to argue with that, from my own experience.
