Towards the end of the seventeenth century, purse styles in England became increasingly more sophisticated. Their form changed from simple drawstring to more complex shapes, and they used a greater variety of materials. Many woven purses were made in France, and typical of these styles are silk- and metal-thread tapestry-woven purses, formed from four shield-shaped panels with naturalistic, pictorial scenes, such as this, with its fine detail of ships at sea.