Handbag on wooden bars Homespun. Model Birka 1 large

Scandinavia 9th-11th centuries

– Homespun fabric dyed with natural dyes.
– Lining made of undyed homespun fabric
– Ash or oak bars
– Hand seams
– Bag length 34 cm
– Bag width 29 cm
– Bag length with strap 90 cm

– A traditional Scandinavian handbag on bars – a traditional element in both men’s and women’s costumes. Such a bag is a very convenient option for carrying large items that do not fit in a belt pouch. It can be thrown over the shoulder and will not interfere with you at the festival.
The bars securely close and exclude the falling out of the contents of the bag even during the fastest running or deep bending.
– During underwater research in the harbor of Birka, conducted in 2014, one fully preserved wooden bar 28.2 cm long was found, as well as four more fragments (Eklöf 2017; Olsson 2017: 516, Ill. 401-5). Based on the time of destruction of Birka, most likely, the bars were made no later than 975.
– Due to the lack of fully preserved bags, currently in reconstruction there is a wide variety of versions made of fabric and leather.
– Bags are often decorated with embroidery and are used to store mobile phones, wallets, bowls, spoons and similar personal items. Simply put, in modern reconstruction, bags on bars are used as a fashion accessory with which the owner can show off to other participants of the festival.