A Rare ottoman silk and metal-thread purse, with the tughra of Sultan Mahmud II (r. A.H. 1223-55/A.D. 1808-39), A.H. 1239 (A.D. 1823-4)'

of rectangular form, the red silk ground embroidered with silver and silver-gilt threads, both sides with a circular calligraphic inscription framed by geometric motifs, with upper and lower undulated cartouches, the top and bottom borders with inscriptions on an applied ochre silk ground

inscriptions

In the four horizontal panels:

amara bi-'amal hadha al-kis al-mubarak mawlana al-sultan / al-a'zam malik muluk al-'arab wa al-'ajam wa sahib al-qtar al-hijaziyya / mawlana al-sultan al-ghazi mahmud khan ibn al-sultan 'abd al-hamid khan / ibn al-sultan ahmad khan dama allah khilafatihi wa abada bi'l-'adl saltanatihi amin sana 1239

'Our lord, the Great Sultan, King of the kings of the Arabs and the Persians and Master of regions of Hijaz ordered the making of this blessed bag.  Our Lord, the Conqueror Sultan Mahmud Khan son of al-Sultan 'Abd al-Hamid Khan son of al-Sultan Ahmad Khan, may God make his caliphate long-lasting and make his reign with justice eternal. Amen! The year 1239 (A.D. 1823-4)'.

In the roundels: Qur'an, surah al-Naml (XXVII), 30 and Qur'an, surah al-Nisa (IV), parts of 58.

In the panels above and below the roundels:

la ilaha ill allah / al-malik al-haqq al-mubin / muhammad rasul allah sadiq al-wa'd al-amin

'There is no god but The God, the Truth Manifest, Muhammad is the Messenger of God, the one who was true to promise, worthy of all trust'.

This very rare and important silk bag with calligraphy of embroidered silver thread is likely to have been made as a container for a Qur'an or other sacred object, by order of the Ottoman sultan Mahmud Khan.