The Metropolitan Museum of Art Bags*Sheila Bridges Harlem Toile De Jouy Structured Tote

Our Elegant Structured Canvas Tote Features Harlem Toile De Jouy By The Celebrated New York City–Based Interior Designer Sheila Bridges (American, B. 1964). This Contemporary Vision Of 18Th-Century Toile—A Classic French Fabric Abounding With Pastoral Imagery—Riffs On Old Stereotypes: Women Styling Hair, Men Playing Basketball, Girls Enjoying A Round Of Double Dutch.

The Motif Originates From Bridges’S Tenacious Search For An Existing Toile That Suited Her Sensibility As A Decorator, As Well As Her Perspective As An African American Woman Living In Harlem. She Created Harlem Toile De Jouy As A Custom Expression Of Her Personal Style And A Thoughtful Reflection Upon History, Politics, And Culture. Simultaneously Joyous And Meditative, Harlem Toile De Jouy Is An Invitation To Join Bridges In Musing On The Intricacies Of The Black Experience.

This Item Was Created In Honor Of Before Yesterday We Could Fly: An Afrofuturist Period Room. Furnished With Objects In The Met Collection, From Bamileke Beadwork And 19Th-Century American Ceramics To Contemporary Art And Design That Celebrates Rich And Diverse Traditions, This Installation Presents A Speculative Home For The Descendants Of Seneca Village. This Predominantly Black Settlement Flourished Just A Few Hundred Yards From The Museum’S Current Site Before It Was Destroyed By The City Of New York In 1857 To Make Way For Central Park. Acknowledging That Injustice, The Exhibition Asks: What If This Community Had The Opportunity To Thrive?