Wallet
1705 (dated)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
Object Type
This purse is one of a number of leather wallets in existence that were brought back to Britain as souvenirs from Constantinople (Istanbul). These wallets are all personalised with gold and silver embroidery which states the owner's name and the date and place of purchase.
Time & Place
Constantinople, situated on the Bosphorus Straights, was the capital of the Byzantine empire for 1,100 years. After the Ottoman Turks captured the city in 1453 they renamed it Istanbul. However, Europeans usually referred to the metropolis by its former name. It was a shopper's paradise, crammed with boutiques that sold sophisticated luxuries, such as this leather wallet.
People
We do not know anything about Robert St Leger. The early date of 1705 makes it unlikely that he was a tourist. However, many English merchants were active in the Ottoman empire at this time. For example, in Aleppo, Syria, the English had the largest khan (warehouse) of all the European traders. 'Factors' or representatives of the English trading houses tended to be younger sons of wealthy families, looking to make a fortune in exchanging such commodities as English wool for Iranian silk. Perhaps this was Robert St Leger's occupation. He may have commissioned the wallet as a memento of his stay abroad on returning home to Britain via Constantinople.
This purse is one of a number of leather wallets in existence that were brought back to Britain as souvenirs from Constantinople (Istanbul). These wallets are all personalised with gold and silver embroidery which states the owner's name and the date and place of purchase.
Time & Place
Constantinople, situated on the Bosphorus Straights, was the capital of the Byzantine empire for 1,100 years. After the Ottoman Turks captured the city in 1453 they renamed it Istanbul. However, Europeans usually referred to the metropolis by its former name. It was a shopper's paradise, crammed with boutiques that sold sophisticated luxuries, such as this leather wallet.
People
We do not know anything about Robert St Leger. The early date of 1705 makes it unlikely that he was a tourist. However, many English merchants were active in the Ottoman empire at this time. For example, in Aleppo, Syria, the English had the largest khan (warehouse) of all the European traders. 'Factors' or representatives of the English trading houses tended to be younger sons of wealthy families, looking to make a fortune in exchanging such commodities as English wool for Iranian silk. Perhaps this was Robert St Leger's occupation. He may have commissioned the wallet as a memento of his stay abroad on returning home to Britain via Constantinople.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Leather, embroidered with silver and gold thread |
| Brief description | Rectangular leather case with embroidered lettering, Turkey, Istanbul, Ottoman period, 1705 |
| Physical description | Leather case of brown leather, now faded (the original colour can be seen beneath the flap). Embroidered with silver and gold thread with formal floral motifs. Under the flap is embroidered in silver ROBERT:S(t): LEGER, and on the back 'Constantinople' in italic with elaborate scrolls, and below the date 1705. Inside is a pocket and a flat of the red leather. |
| Dimensions |
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| Gallery label | British Galleries:
GENTLEMAN'S ACCESSORIES In about 1680 separate pockets made of soft leather were stitched to the seams inside loose-fitting breeches. Here a gentleman of fashion could carry valuables such as these without creating an unsightly bulge, and safe from pickpockets. The gold box was probably used for snuff or for cachous - pills made from cashew nut or licorice, taken by smokers to sweeten their breath.(27/03/2003) |
| Credit line | Given by Mrs Wilkins |
| Object history | Probably made and embroidered in Istanbul, Turkey (formerly Constantinople), for Robert St Leger. Wallet, gift of Mrs Wilkins, Ashford, Kent Notes from R.P. 67/1897 Listed on gift form Turkish letter case -- reddish leather embroidered with silver thread "Robert St. Leger Constantinople 1705" and a floral pattern: folding with flaps and a pocket. No information on provenance or condition. The case was given in 1963 and misplaced/then rediscovered and officially recorded in 1967. |
| Production | Made for Robert St Leger |
| Summary | Object Type This purse is one of a number of leather wallets in existence that were brought back to Britain as souvenirs from Constantinople (Istanbul). These wallets are all personalised with gold and silver embroidery which states the owner's name and the date and place of purchase. Time & Place Constantinople, situated on the Bosphorus Straights, was the capital of the Byzantine empire for 1,100 years. After the Ottoman Turks captured the city in 1453 they renamed it Istanbul. However, Europeans usually referred to the metropolis by its former name. It was a shopper's paradise, crammed with boutiques that sold sophisticated luxuries, such as this leather wallet. People We do not know anything about Robert St Leger. The early date of 1705 makes it unlikely that he was a tourist. However, many English merchants were active in the Ottoman empire at this time. For example, in Aleppo, Syria, the English had the largest khan (warehouse) of all the European traders. 'Factors' or representatives of the English trading houses tended to be younger sons of wealthy families, looking to make a fortune in exchanging such commodities as English wool for Iranian silk. Perhaps this was Robert St Leger's occupation. He may have commissioned the wallet as a memento of his stay abroad on returning home to Britain via Constantinople. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | W.13-1967 |
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| Record created | March 27, 2003 |
| Record URL |
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