Bag (Carpet bag)

  • Category:

    Textiles (Clothing)

  • Creator (Role):

    Bagley & Carleton (Manufacturer)

    Bigelow Carpet Company (Manufacturer)

  • Place of Origin:

    Massachusetts, United States, North America

  • Date:

    1860-1875

  • Materials:

    Wool; Linen; Brass; Canvas; Jute

  • Techniques:

    Woven

  • Museum Object Number:

    2000.0052


  • Complete Details



Object Number

2000.0052

Object Name

Bag (Carpet bag)

Category

Textiles (Clothing)

Credit Line/Donor

Museum purchase

Creator (Role)

Bagley & Carleton (Manufacturer)

Bigelow Carpet Company (Manufacturer)

Place of Origin

Massachusetts, United States, North America

Date

1860-1875

Materials

Wool; Linen; Brass; Canvas; Jute

Techniques

Woven

Construction Description

Hand-stitched

Dimensions (inches)

Dimensions (centimeters)

Object Description

Web - 03/15/2016

A carpet bag, designed to hold documents. This bag was produced for the Bigelow carpet company by Bagley & Carlton (Massachusetts), from Bigelow Brussels carpet during the Civil War/Reconstruction period. Brussels carpet is a thick, woven carpet with loop-pile, made from wool weft and woven onto a jute warp to create a series of colorful floral designs. The machinery used to create Brussels carpet during this time period was limited to weaving with up to six different yarns at once, giving a maximum variety of six colors in one woven piece. Because of this color limitation, two different woven patterns are used in this bag, the floral for the body and a multi-colored, geometric pattern along the sides and handle.The body of the bag has a square shape and is fully lined with white (or cream) cotton or linen broadcloth. The bag closes with a flap and secures with a two part brass hardware latch (a flat arrow shaped tip in the center of the flap, a round segment attached to the body of the bag). The top flap is trimmed with cotton tape. The handle is built from a strip of the same geometric patterned carpet used along the sides. The strip is rolled around a length of (sisal or jute) rope and stitched closed along the underside. An iron key is pinned to the lining. Mark: Stamped in black ink along interior of flap: "Carpet bags/Manufactured from/Bigelow's Brussels Carpet/by Bagley & Carleton/Clinton, Mass"