Collections Online

small rectangular open bag with reinforced upper rim and metal tongue to hold down letters; adjustable carrying strap; roughly made

Tabby-woven sacking material made from bast fibre; bag is made from two pieces: one strip around the side edges (joint with a vertical, machine-stitched seam in the centre of one of the shorter sides) and one rectangular bottom section (also machine-stitched). A 4.5cm wide strap is attached to one of the shorter sides. At the other end, there is a seam which attaches another strap which is folded in two: its two ends are stitched to the bag on the opposite short side of the bag (spreading out the weight in this way probably helps to provide better balance and prevents the bag from tipping). The upper edge of the bag is reinforced by a two-part metal construction. A piece of thick steel wire bent at two 90 degree angles and ending in loops, which hook around a single straight section, which elongates in the middle to shape the tongue which is used to weigh down the letters in the bag. This section is on a hinge and can swing back and forth. The fabric is wrapped around the metal wire and is held in place with hand-sewn overcast stitches (1 threads used as one). There are remains of black lacquer on the metal. There are copper alloy buckles on the strap to allow length-adjustment.