Letter Pouch of Michiel de Ruyter, anonymous, c. 1650 - c. 1675
leather, linen, velvet, silver thread, l 10.3cm × w 17.8cm × t 0.9cm More details
This letter pouch may have been given to the Dutch admiral Michiel de Ruyter as a diplomatic gesture by leaders in North Africa. Trade to the Mediterranean was critical for the Dutch Republic but privateers posed a threat to Dutch ships. De Ruyter tried to curtail the danger through military intervention and negotiations with rulers from the North African towns of Salé, Algiers, Tunis, and Tripoli. His name is embroidered under the flap.
