The handkerchief in early modern Europe was a complex accessory and one with multiple uses and communication languages. It could be a receptacle for bodily fluids from mucus to tears to blood to sweat; it was an agent of compassion and healing as the legend of Veronica wiping the blood from Jesus’ face illustrates.

As such the handkerchief gave women some control over their actions and how those actions were perceived. The cloth accessory was a sign that women understood and participated in the discourse of manners and morality and symbolized their ability to attain beauty and virtue, even if the more unsavory elements of the handkerchief remained a threat.