SPECIAL POST: The Thorn Bag by Helen Duncan - with Artist Statement

 

Helen Duncan Thorn Bag, early 2000s, from the collection of The Vintage Purse Museum.

When The Vintage Purse Museum acquired a Helen Duncan “Thorn Bag” we knew we had something special. Equally exciting is that Helen Duncan, an acclaimed artist, enthusiastically responded to our email asking if she’d like to share the story of its inspiration. Here’s her artist's statement.

“The FemmeMetale Collection, created by Helen Duncan in Somerville, Massachusetts, is a series of hand-fabricated handbags that examine the expectations placed on women in contemporary urban life. Each piece operates as both object and metaphor—reflecting the tension between elegance and defense, attraction and resilience.

Constructed from industrial materials—metal panels, suspension cable handles, exposed nuts and bolts—the bags evoke strength, weight, and protection. These elements are deliberately uncompromising, referencing environments shaped by infrastructure, labor, and constraint. In contrast, the interiors are lined with satin or silk, materials traditionally associated with intimacy, softness, and femininity. This duality is central: the exterior shields, while the interior preserves.

Original hang tag, attached to bag above.

Reverse of hang tag above.

The work responds to a cultural paradox. Women are often expected to present as polished, refined, and inviting—yet must simultaneously navigate vulnerability within public and private spaces. The bags embody this contradiction. They are elegant yet armored, desirable yet defensive. Their structure suggests that beauty, in this context, is not passive but constructed—layered over a necessity for protection.

By merging the language of industry with that of adornment, FemmeMetale reframes the handbag as more than an accessory. It becomes a statement of survival and self-definition, shaped by the realities of urban life and the pressures of visibility. Each piece asks: what does it mean to carry oneself in a world that demands both softness and strength—and at what cost?

(The Thorn Bag was) handcrafted in Somerville in the early 2000s, during Helen Duncan’s formative studio practice in Massachusetts.”

A huge thank you to Helen Duncan for her gracious reply and her extraordinary contributions to the art world. We're honored to have the Thorn Bag in our collection. Please follow Helen Duncan on Instagram, @helenduncanart.