Letter pouch of Michiel de Ruyter by Anonymous

Letter pouch of Michiel de Ruyter c. 1650 - 1675

natural stone pattern

3d printed part

hand painted

hand-embroidered

stoneware

coloured pencil

crafted

watercolour bleed

watercolour illustration

watercolor

This anonymous 17th-century letter pouch, likely belonging to the famed Dutch admiral Michiel de Ruyter, is a fine example of decorative craftsmanship. Made of green velvet with a pink leather flap and intricate silver embroidery, it displays a repeating pattern of stylized floral motifs. The pouch, measuring 10.3 cm in length and 17.8 cm in width, is now part of the Rijksmuseum collection, offering a glimpse into the personal belongings of one of the Netherlands' most celebrated historical figures.

Comments

rijksmuseum over 1 year ago

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Admiral de Ruyter perhaps had this letter pouch made during one of his campaigns against the Barbary pirates who were menacing the Mediterranean from their bases on the North African coast. Part of his strategy was to conduct regular negotiations with North African potentates in cities such as Salee, Algiers, Tunis and Tripoli. This case may be a souvenir of one of those trips ashore.