Bag Item Number: 915/10 from the MOA: University of British Columbia

Description

Bag, made by bringing three corners of a square piece together, leaving the fourth corner open as a flap. The front of the bag is embroidered with a large multi-coloured sun symbol in the centre surrounded by several decorative borders. There is an orange pompom and a length of green twisted cord attached at the point of the flap. The back of the bag is decorated with three red pompoms.

History Of Use

Used to carry small items, such as grooming aids, tobacco, medicinal herbs, money, etc. and/or to transport dowry items.

Iconographic Meaning

The sun disc represents the life force.

Narrative

According to Clarke Abbott of Tradewinds Antiques, the person who collected this piece lived in Kabul in the early 1960s, doing ambassadorial work. He traveled widely throughout the area. He was killed in an automobile accident there, and no further information is available about him or his collection. The piece was subsequently acquired by Tradewinds Antiques in Vancouver at an unknown date, and the Museum of Anthropology purchased it in 1984, when the business was liquidating its stock.