the earliest surviving handbag

[ana_pirogova]

Made of brass and inlaid with gold and silver, the bag is the only one of its kind - which made it difficult for experts to work out what it was. Previously thought to be a work basket, document wallet, or even a saddlebag, it is now understood to be a woman's handbag made in Mosul in the 1300s.

With its ornate exterior, this predecessor of the modern-day Prada was made to be envied. What was inside, though, was private - and to us, unknown.