Description
An Ottoman reticule purse is typically a small, hand‑held drawstring bag from the 18th–19th centuries, often richly embroidered or beaded, used by women across the Ottoman Empire and its cultural sphere. The defining features are metallic-thread embroidery, silk or velvet grounds, beadwork motifs, and tasselled drawstrings. These pieces sit at the intersection of Ottoman textile artistry and European fashion trends, since reticules became popular in Europe around the same period.
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Beadwork reticules from c.1840 appear in collections and sales, often with stylised floral motifs such as hollyhocks — flowers commonly used in Ottoman embroidery due to religious restrictions on depicting living beings.
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Silk embroidered reticules with gold or silver metallic thread are common, sometimes incorporating tughra motifs or mosque/crescent imagery.
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Drawstring coin purses in silk, velvet, or leather with metallic thread embroidery are widely documented as Ottoman women’s accessories. Many are described explicitly as reticules in antique listings.
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