An Ottoman satin and metal wire embroidered pouch (kese), probably Istanbul, Turkey,

the red silk satin ground with ink drawn pattern, the design then worked in laid cotton thread, natural or dyed yellow, the silver and gold coloured metal thread laid and couched in white or yellow silk respectively, the whole edged with tablet braid in indigo and ivory and lined in pale blue floral damask

Small pouches (kese) were made to hold Korans, money, gifts and documents and are relatively rare survivors amongst Ottoman embroideries.  Extant examples include an embroidered velvet portfolio, second half 16^th century, in the Topkapi Sarayi Müzesi, Inv. No. TKS 31/168, illustrated Atil, Esin, The Age of Sultan Süleyman the Magnificent, Washington D.C., 1987, pl. 138 and a small pouch, also 16^th century, sold Sotheby’s London, 17^th October 1997, lot 224.  The motifs in the present example, however, are closer in style to those of 17^th century Ottoman silk embroideries and the technique is less refined than the examples noted above, suggesting this is also 17^th century production.