1810-1825 ca. Large Ridicule, Or Reticule, Or Bag. Hard-bottomed bag, drawstring top, yellow silk embroidered with red flowers. Jane Austen and her female contemporaries would have sewn and used a bag like this. via Metropolitan Museum, N.Y.C., U.S.A. metmuseum.org

Definition Reticule, or Ridicule, or Bag or Purse: Often with a drawstring to pull closed and usually made of cloth or covered cardboard and often decorated with beading or embroidery. A reticule, or purse, or handbag, was usually carried by a woman during the Regency period to carry all their daily necessities. Earlier, women used pockets that tied at the waistline and were hidden in the folds of their skirts. Empire style, or early 1800s, high-waisted dresses made it impossible to either sewn in a pocket or to tie on a pocket. So women began carrying small, decorated bags called Reticules, or ridicules, which generally pulled close at the top with a drawstring.