Tasche or Beutel are the German words for bag or purse, and when looking at artwork from 16th c Germany there are lots of purses to be seen on men, women and children. Small ones, big ones, hanging low from belts, others securely fastened to the belt.

The problem with looking at purses in artwork is that it is often difficult to determine how exactly they were made, sometimes you need to see the genuine article. Hence, here is a collection of images and links that I have collected of extant purses and bags in the German National Museum from 16th century Germany to assist you (and me!) in understanding these very useful accessories.