The leather letter and document wallets that were viewed as symbols of prestige by many Europeans form an important category of Ottoman embroidery. These wallets embroidered with Ottoman motifs were produced by local craftsmen as souvenirs in major centres of diplomacy and trade like Istanbul and Izmir, and were particularly popular among the travellers, merchants and diplomats who visited these cities. The wallets they chose from among those ready-mades in the shops were then personalised according to the specifications of each customer, by embroidering them with the place, date, name of the purchaser and, if desired, a dedication. One of the most moving of these dedications, “For my friend”, inspired the title of this exhibition. The exhibition consists of 91 wallets in all—76 letter wallets and 15 document wallets—the earliest dating from 1669 and the latest from 1835. All have survived in excellent condition, bearing witness to the high standards achieved by Ottoman leather workers. The “For my friend: Embroidered Letter and Document Wallets in the Sadberk Hanım Museum and Ömer M. Koç Collections” exhibited is curated by Hülya Bilgi and accompanied by an eponymous catalogue that is the most extensive study of these artefacts so far undertaken; giving a detailed account of these wallets. These two collections are constantly expanding, as new examples are acquired one by one from different countries. We are justly proud to have brought them back to Istanbul, which was the most important centre of production of these wallets, centuries after they were originally made. As the inscription “For my friend” shows, some were made as souvenirs of friendship and others used by merchants, military officers or ambassadors to carry official letters and documents safely. • Exhibition Design • Object Installation • Creative Direction ( Video & Exhibition Graphics ) • Construction management –