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by Gail Hall (Author)
Handbags as far back as biblical times were used more by men than by women. Men used handbags to carry tools and equipment that they needed. A shepherd might have needed a "bag" that carried items for traveling (ISBE p. 1). Women on the other hand were confined and had no need to have handbags.
Around the fourteenth century, women and men carried handbags for more than essential needs (Henry, 2006). Handbags were fashioned especially among the wealthy as status symbols (Stern, 2019). More often than not they resembled animals or objects and were designed to hang from the waist to emphasize status and power (Henry, 2006).
During the 1920s, as women gravitated to movement outside of the home, there arose a need to carry their essential items such as identification and makeup with them (Henry, 2006). Purses or handbags started to become common. Designers created handbags that not only carried essential items but accessorized clothing and often shared messages that reflected the culture of the day (Lodis 1965, 2022).
In our story, the purse or handbag shared a compilation of history, culture, and solace for Ms. Samantha. I hope you will understand after reading this story, how God can use even what is common among us to share his beautiful story of redemption.
