A portfolio or letter case
crafted from thick paper, covered with petitpoint embroidery, and
fastened by an engraved silver lock bearing the monogram of Admiral
Isaac Sweers, a Dutch naval officer who fought with distinction in
the Anglo-Dutch Wars and died at the Battle of Texel in 1673. Formed
as an envelope, it has a front flap that closes at the centre by
means of the lock and contains two compartments divided by a
partition. The interior is lined with pink silk, though the key is
lost. The surface is canvas embroidered in petitpoint on a green
background, bordered by a winding design of 'apples of orange'. The
flap displays the initials IS, with the inscription ‘si ie vous perd
/ ie suis perdu’ (if I lose you / I am lost) stitched beneath it,
and ‘sur la paix’ (on peace) embroidered along the fold. A crowned
coat of arms is worked on the back, and the edges are finished with
a narrow silver thread passementerie.
