PERIOD: | Mid-18th Century |
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ORIGIN: | Constantinople |
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DIMENSIONS: | 23×16 Cm |
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DESCRIPTION: | Of a vertical rectangular form, the light green pistachio on silk ground embroidered with silver and silver-gilt thread with the shoulder strap and two tassels attached to the bottom to store a Qur’an, 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 green and blue silk ground. |
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Footnote: | The Embroidered collections are widely known by the name ‘Cav. Giovanni Dick / Constantinople 1775’. John Dick (1721-1804) was a merchant in Rotterdam, married to Ann Bragg (d.1781). He became the British Consul in Leghorn (Livorno) in Italy in 1754 and remained in the post until his retirement in 1776. He was knighted in the order of St Anne in the summer of 1770 by Empress Catherine II of Russia. A portrait of John Dick, also titled Cav. Giovanni Dick is now in the British Museum, London, inv. vo.1943,0410.423. Another wallet is embroidered with the name ‘Iames Varey Esq.’, dated Constantinople 1706’. A James Varey is recorded as being the private secretary of Sir Robert Sutton (1671-1746), the British ambassador to the Ottoman Empire from 1700-17 and the agent for the Levant Company at Constantinople. |
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Condition reports; | Overall in good condition and intact for its age, |
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Provenance: | Acquired from, Oliver Hoare, in 1970 |
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