We were coming to the end of the trip and felt a bit sad due to that. But it was time to visit our next destination for which I had been waiting eagerly throughout the trip. This is because we were about to visit the Museum of Bags and Purses Netherlands which is locally known as Tassenmuseum Hendrikje. As the name indicates, it is a museum entirely devoted in the exhibition of exquisite, antique, historic and hard to find suitcases, handbags and purses.
According to statistics, the museum had a total collection of more than 4,000 items which have been preserved for more than four centuries. It falls in the list of the only three bag museums existing in the world. It also holds the record for having the biggest collection amongst them. There is no doubt about the fact that most of the visitors comprise of women who are ardent lovers of rare bags and purses. But the rare collection of belts, purses and other accessories are bound to steal any man’s heart. What more, the most expensive exhibit of the museum is a man’s belt pouch made of goat skin and having iron clasps.
According to statistics, the museum had a total collection of more than 4,000 items which have been preserved for more than four centuries. It falls in the list of the only three bag museums existing in the world. It also holds the record for having the biggest collection amongst them. There is no doubt about the fact that most of the visitors comprise of women who are ardent lovers of rare bags and purses. But the rare collection of belts, purses and other accessories are bound to steal any man’s heart. What more, the most expensive exhibit of the museum is a man’s belt pouch made of goat skin and having iron clasps.
The history of the museum dates back to the 19th century when Hendrikje Ivo, an antique trader from Amstelveen bought an antique bag made of tortoise shell and made of mother of pearl. It was her interest of discovering the real origin of this valuable bag that increased his passion for collection of handbags. It is said that it didn’t take much time for her to have a collection of over 3,000 different types of bags. It was then that she decided to put up her collection on display. Initially the museum had only small bags on display which were used for carrying sewing kits, keys and coins. But the arrival of the Industrial Revolution led to the creation of bigger sized bags.
In its present form, the museum is considered to be one of the most prestigious institutes of the country and presents a collection from highly popular designers at times. The Museum of Bags and Purses houses items from different corners of the world.
In its present form, the museum is considered to be one of the most prestigious institutes of the country and presents a collection from highly popular designers at times. The Museum of Bags and Purses houses items from different corners of the world.