This bag, which Richard Rutt labels “Sion Pattern II”, is one of five knitted purses from the 14th century in the treasure of the ancient cathedral at Sion (Sitten) in western Switzerland.

It is approximately 26cm wide and 32cm high (10.5 by nearly 13 inches, the biggest of the five Sion bags). It is knitted from the top down and closed at the bottom with a 3-needle bind-off. The drawstrings are run in and out through the stitches of the top band.

It has a pattern of, as Rutt describes it, “crosses, with rectangles between the short arms of the crosses. Each cross is charged with a large 8-pointed star, and at the center of each star is a tiny cross or fleur-de-lys of five stitches. Although it is an allover pattern, it appears horizontally striped because it is worked in stripes with blue-and-white or green-and-white stars on a red ground.” The whole purse has 20 stripes, and laid flat it is 21 motifs across.

At top and bottom are narrow bands of chevrons. The bottom has 9 tassels (there may be one missing near the middle) which are about 16cm or 6.5 inches long.

No pattern in book. Chart only (Rutt 1987 edition p. 51). The chart is approximate and does not include the top and bottom bands. The colors also include gold-yellow and violet.

This purse is also found in Brigitta Schmedding, Mittelalterliche Textilien in Kirchen und Klöstern der Schweiz where it is Catalog No. 271.