Tie Pockets, Reticules and Murses, Oh My! : The Tassenmuseum of Amsterdam

The Tassenmuseum sits along the bank of the Herengracht, snuggled between prestigious 17^th century houses along both sides of the canal. Unassuming on the outside, the inside contains more than 4,000 examples of purses and handbags from around the world, from the 16^th century up until today. The exhibits are divided up according to the floors of the house, with each floor being dedicated to either a museum shop, a café, a temporary gallery, 20^th-21th century bags, or 16^th-19^th century bags. The Tassenmuseum exists in order to communicate the integral link between fashion and history, as well as showcase the painstaking handiwork and design that has gone into creating these accessories. While the pieces on display were curated with care and thought, the presentation of those pieces were lacking in certain details, which unfortunately resulted in not doing those pieces justice.

The handbags and purses in the Tassenmuseum were not chosen only because they clearly represented the time period, but because they required grand amounts of creative energy to make. The pieces from the 16^th-19^th century generally included exquisite demonstration of meticulous handiwork. The gallery that exemplified this most was the temporary gallery which showcased beaded bags. To complete a beaded bag, an experienced knitter required two full weeks and hundreds of thousands of beads. It is particularly outstanding to realize that these were made entirely by hand, whereas today, these same bags could be made in a matter of hours by an industrial machine. The pieces from the 20^th and 21^st centuries transitioned to a greater focus on design rather than handiwork. The pieces found on this floor often exhibited a more minimalist aesthetic than the ones above it. Though these pieces may have taken less time to produce- since at this point in history more  contemporary technological means were available-one could still see the time that went into the design process. This was a clear departure from the 16^th-19^th centuries, where more time was spent physically making the item. Therefore it was both a logical and clever use of the building’s limitations to separate the floors by periods. The stairs in between also provided time between each gallery to reflect on the previous pieces and enjoy the intrinsic beauty of the interior of the 17^th century canal house.

The bags have such a profound beauty that they are able to stand on their own without description. However, it is the museum’s duty to relay their importance and showcase them as best as possible. At times, the Tassenmuseum falls short in this respect. The interest and importance of the accompanying informative side panels varied greatly.  For example, I enjoyed learning about how before child labor was abolished in 1901 in the Netherlands; “bookbags” were actually wooden boxes that just held a couple books and writing utensils. Since little emphasis was placed on school, children did not have to shuffle homework and books back and forth between school. Therefore, bookbag comfort was not a priority. After 1901, bookbags became the over-the-shoulder fabric bags that are still popular today among students. Another crucial point was that before the 17^th century, men were the primary users of bags. When men’s clothing started including pockets, male use declined and female use increased. I wish that the Tassenmuseum made a point to highlight specific points to establish a hierarchy of importance within the information, rather than displaying all of it in the same format.  In addition, a more visual person would solely see the handbags and appreciate their artistry but glaze over the lengthy side panels.

 It is important to note that all the information was presented in both Dutch and English, and so I can only comment on the English transitions. I assume that they present the same material, but some of the styling could have been lost in translation. This lead to writing that was informative and necessary, but not always engaging. The varied ways in which the pieces themselves were displayed (e.g., hanging, placed on shelves, available to be touched, grouped with similar materials) was a good decision for the gallery. However the lighting is also an essential part and was not always ideal. Some of the bags contained details that could only be seen if one was pressed up against the glass, and even then the light was not bright enough to fully appreciate the piece. In this case, if one preferred to read rather than examine, he or she would not bother to strain themselves to see the pieces and therefore primarily rely on the side panels.

The set up of the Tassenmuseum is set up will sufficiently appeal to a visually-oriented audience or literary-inclined one, however there are shortcomings within both aspects. The museum should not only appeal to each audience separately, but also attempt to link the two together so that a full understanding of both the history and appearance of handbags in achieved. The procured pieces on display were without a doubt outstandingly gorgeous representations of their time periods. The handbags were symbols of poise and wealth as well as successful examples of functionality and art working together. Despite this, the Tassenmuseum would have a greater visual and historical impact by showcasing that art in (literally) the best light.