Antique Hooked Wool Purse with Dutch Windmill Motif, c. 1890-1920s Arts & Crafts
A charming hand-hooked wool purse from the Arts & Crafts era, c. 1890–1920s, worked on both sides with a Dutch windmill and rolling landscape scene. The colors remain bright and well preserved — soft greens, grays, creams, yellows and browns framed by a cheerful red dot border — and the interior is lined in a warm red-pink fabric.
Side slits at the top let a hand slip inside, suggesting it was carried as a change purse. The craftsmanship calls to mind the celebrated Grenfell hooked tapestries, with tight, even loops and a folk-art sensibility that reads beautifully whether displayed flat, framed, or tucked into a textile collection.
Condition is excellent for its age with no tears or rips and only minor fraying at the top corners. A genuine one-of-a-kind piece from a large collection of handmade vintage textiles, stored in a climate-controlled, smoke-free home and carefully packed for shipping.