London’s Victoria and Albert Museum will partner with Swire Properties to present the exhibition Bags: Inside Out in Beijing from April 28 to May 27.

The exhibition features over 240 objects including designer handbags, vanity cases and utilitarian rucksacks. Curated by Lucia Savi, the thematic exhibition examines the worldwide heritage of these highly covetable objects from the 16th century to today, exploring the function, status and craftsmanship of bags as well as people’s longstanding fascination with the indispensable accessory.