In the 17th century decorative purses such as this one were rarely used to carry money, as their wealthy owners engaged in few commercial exchanges requiring cash. In addition to serving as 'sweet bags' or 'gift wrapping', purses sometimes functioned as sewing kits that held needles, thread and tiny scissors. The attachment of a pin cushion to this purse suggests that it might have been used as a sewing kit, or kept on the dressing table to hold pins for fastening clothing. The purse and pin cushion are made of satin and embroidered in a pattern of birds and flowers with silver thread, silver-gilt purl (tiny tubes of tightly coiled metal) and freshwater pearls. Both purse and pin cushion have a string of flat braid of beige silk, to attach them to a belt if required.