1800-1830 ca. Drawstring Bag, German. Basket-shaped, Ecru cotton knit embroidered with colored glass beads in design of grapevine on upper half, open work embroidered with weaving motif on lower half. Wired at center, cardboard at base. Green silk cord drawstring. The Elizabeth Day McCormick Collection via Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, U.S.A. mfa.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.