The beautiful combination of colors used in the work on this bag, show the infinite variety of colored beads available at the time. The striped faille top is a perfect match to the beads and as a surviving original drawstring top, it is a rarity.

Margaret S. Bedell (1861-1932) donated, by gift or bequest, over 500 objects to the Brooklyn Museum, including furniture, quilts, samplers, costume and Native American beadwork. Her collection of American and European beaded bags includes examples from Philadelphia and the Catskill Mountain region of New York State, as well as Italy, Austria, Germany, and Holland.