selected works of art from the islamic world - Kent Antiques

KENT ANTIQUES ISLAMIC & INDIAN ART

SELECTED

WORKS OF ART

FROM THE ISLAMIC

WORLD

Flat 3 107 Queen’s Gate London, SW7 5AG England tel. + 44 (0) 20 7370 2914mob. + 44 (0) 7887 985951email. [email protected]

KENT ANTIQUES

S E L E C T E D W O R K S O F A R T

F R O M T H E I S L A M I C W O R L D

ACknowlEdgEmEnts

We are indebted to many individuals for their assistance during the preparation of this catalogue. Mr Tim Stanley from the Victoria and Albert Museum kindly helped with the translation of Ottoman Turkish verse to English. Special thanks are due to Mr. Nabil Saidi for his generous assistance and valuable remarks especially on works on paper. Distinguished epigraphist Mrs. Manijeh Bayani-Wolpert kindly offered her help for deciphering Persian and Turkish inscriptions and seals. We aregrateful to Mr. Garo Kürkman for his insightful comments on metalwork. We also would like to thank Professor Nurhan Atasoyfor generously sharing her expert opinion on Ottoman textiles.

I would also like to take this opportunity to express my thanks to my brother Dr Bora Keskiner who shouldered, in large measure,the task of preparing this catalogue. The effective presentation of the materials would not have been possible without the participation of Peter Keenan, whose design served both elegance and clarity, and fine art photographer Alan Tabor.

PREFACE

This catalogue developed from an effort to catalogue a remarkable selection of Islamic works of art which have beengathered with extreme care for their quality, provenance andcondition. The catalogue demonstrates expressions from almostall of the traditional Islamic art forms in calligraphy, textiles, ceramics, metalwork, lacquered works, arms and armour.

We have taken care to select works of art that will not only attract the attention of collectors but will also introduce thereader to the extraordinary richness and beauty of Islamic art.Every single work of art published in this catalogue can be appreciated for its formal and decorative property as well as its art-historical, cultural and/or religious value.

The accompanying texts are meant to provide a basic description of the piece and information about its functionaland artistic background as well as bibliographic informationabout published comparable pieces in world museums and international collections. It is a delightful privilege for me to offer such a broad spectrum of rare and fresh-to-the-market objects to both institutional and private collectors.

Mehmet KeskinerDirector

A lARgE iznik PottERy jug

TurkeyCirca 1570Height: 22 cm

of compressed globular form with cylindrical neckand S-shaped handle, painted in underglaze cobaltblue, turquoise and relief red and outlined in blackwith an all over pattern of four-dotted roundels interposed by tulips, the rim, base, neck and handlewith scroll and geometric bands.

A comparable Iznik jug, decorated with similar motifs is published in Bernard Rackham’s IslamicPottery and Italian Maiolica, Faber and Faber, London, 1959, pl. 223. Also see: Nurhan Atasoy & Julian Raby’s Iznik, Alexandria Press London, 1994.Another example, decorated in a similar manner, is in the Sadberk Hanim Museum in Istanbul, seeHülya Bilgi, Asırlar Sonra Bir Arada – Sadberk HanımMüzesi’nin Yurtdışından Türkiye’ye Kazandırdığı Eserler, Vehbi Koç Vakfı, 2005, p. 72-73. Also see:Hitzel, Frédéric & Mireille Jacotin. Iznik – L’Aventured’une Collection, Musee National de la Renaissance– Chateau d’Ecouen, Paris, 2005, p. 140-145.

Provenance: Private French Collection

An imPoRtAnt illuminAtEd CAlligRAPHiC PAnEl

Signed by the Timurid Vizier Abdallah al-Marwarid

TimuridDated 903 AH / 1497 AD Height: 26.2 cm Width: 37.3 cm

The present calligraphy is a rare and important work by Timurid vizier Abdallah al-Marwarid. It demonstratesAbdallah’s mastery in thuluth, naskh and riqa‘ scripts. Acomparable calligraphy signed by Abdallah al-Marwarid,dated 921 AH / 1515AD, is published in Abolala Soudavar’s Art of the Persian Courts, Art and History Trust Collection, Rizzoli, New York, 1992, p. 157. The text is an Arabic proverb about titles.

ABDALLAH AL-MARWARID (d. 1516)

Timurid court official, poet, scribe, and musician. His father, Muhammad Marwarid, had moved to Herat fromKirman during the reign of Abu Said (855-73/1451-69)and later became that ruler’s vizier. Subsequently he performed the same function for Husayn Bayqara until retiring to become custodian at the shrine of AbdallahAnsari. Muhammad married the daughter of anotherTimurid vizier, Muzaffar Sha‘bān- kara of Qarabagh(d.1486).

Abdallāh Marwarid was a person of many talents. He enjoyed a high reputation as performer on the musicalinstrument qanun and composed poetry under the penname (takhallus) Bayānī. He wrote a narrative poem,Khusrau u Shirin and various shorter works which werecollected into a dīvān entitled Munis al-Ahbab. Abdallahwas a close associate of Husayn Bayqara and served thatruler in various capacities. Shortly after the latter’s accession to the throne in 1470 Abdallah was appointedsadr and served in that capacity for several years. Laterhe composed official letters and documents and becamethe keeper of the royal seal. His contemporaries state that he displayed a remarkable aptitude for epistolarycomposition and was a skillful scribe particularly in theta’liq script used for correspondence. Abdallah also compiled an insha manual consisting of documents and letters in various styles.

During the vizierate of Qavam-al-din Nizam-al-mulk(1486-98), Abdallah withdrew from public life for severalyears. Writing in 1490-91, Ali Shir Nava’i remarks that Abdallah had resigned his court position and was livingin retirement. Following the demise of Qavam-al-din, Abdallah returned to Husayn Bayqara’s service with therank of amir and was given the privilege of being the firstof the amirs to affix his seal on documents, an honor previously accorded to Ali Shir Nava’i. During this periodAbdallah became one of Husayn Bayqara’s closest associates. He was, for example, entrusted with ministeringto the dying Ali Shir in 1500. He passed away in 1516.

Provenance: Ex private collection donated to benefit the University of Oxford

A kutAHyA CERAmiC BottlE dECoRAtEd witH FlowERs And lEAVEs

Turkey18th CenturyHeight: 26.9 cm

The body of flaring conical form rising to the angled sloping shoulder, the tubular neck with a raised band below the slightly flaringmouth, the white surface painted in typicalcolours with bands of meandering floweringsprays, leaf-motifs around the neck, the mouthwith small floral sprays, large conserved crack on shoulder.

A comparable Kutahya bootle is publishedin Şebnem Akalın & Hülya Bilgi, Yadigar-ı Kütahya - Suna ve İnan Kıraç KoleksiyonundanKütahya Seramikleri, Akdeniz MedeniyetleriAraştırma Enstitüsü, İstanbul, 1997, p. 67.

A CAlligRAPHiC PAnEl signEd mEHmEd Es’Ad Al-yEsARi (d. 1798)

Signed Mehmed Es’ad al-YesariTurkeyDated (11)96 AH / 1781 ADHeight: 35.8 cm Width: 49 cm

The couplet in Persian:“Fanist jihan dar u vafa nistBaqi hama ust jumla fanist”(This world is perishable and has no fidelityOnly God is eternal, the rest is mortal)

Mehmed Es’ad al-Yesari

Yesari Mehmed Es'ad was born in Istanbul, the son of Kara Mahmud Aga. The nickname al-Yesari derives from the fact that he was left handed. In fact he was also paralyzed on theright side and afflicted with tremors on the left, making his talent for calligraphy, and in particular the tal'iq script evenmore notable. He first studied with a master of ta'liq, Shaykh al-Islam Wali al-Din Efendi (Veliyüddin Efendi) and then withDedezadeh Muhammad Sa’id Efendi from whom he received his calligrapher's diploma (ijaza) in 1754.

The present panel (levha), dated AH 1196, corresponds to thevery beginning of what can be described as Yesari’s career peakwith his innovative style, between AH 1196/1782 AD and AH1200/1786 AD. Having closely followed the style of the greatSafavid master of nasta'liq script, Mir ‘Imad (1554-1615) - he wassometimes known as ‘Imad-i Rum, the ‘Imad of Anatolia, Yesaribegan to develop his own style which led to a new Ottomanmethod. Yesari Es’ad was appointed calligraphy instructor at the Imperial Palace by Sultan Mustafa III (r. 1789-1807) and Sultan Selim III (r. 1789-1807) admired his monumental inscriptions. He wrote the inscription of a panel in the mihrabof the Hagia Sophia and others for the Tomb of Sultan MehmetII, the Barracks of the Black Eunuchs at Topkapi, the BeylerbeyiMosque and the Aynali Kavak Sarayi which are amongst thefinest examples of nas-ta‘liq in Ottoman monumental calligraphy. His other recorded works are calligraphic samples,one dated AH 1193/1779-80 AD which he copied from Mir‘Imad (Mahdi Bayani, Ahval va Asar-e Khosh-Nevisan, Vol. III,Tehran, 1348, p. 633).

The present panel is a masterpiece, demonstrating the masteryof the calligrapher in the nas-ta‘liq script with its wonderfullywell-proportioned and sharp letters.

Provenance: Ex-private UK collection

An unusuAl sAmson CAndlEstiCk witH BuddHA-liPsAFtER An iznik oRiginAl

France19th CenturyHeight: 20.5 cm Diameter: 16 cm

With slightly tapering cylindrical body and flat wide shoulder,mouth with flaring rim, underglaze painted stylised green waveand lip motifs around both the upper and lower parts of body.

The Iznik archetype which was used as a model for the presentpiece is published in the exhibition catalogue Exposition d’ArtMusulman, Alexandrie, 1925, pl. 34.

Compared with this archetype, the candlestick in hand demonstrates the precision and mastery achieved by the Samsonworkshop. A comparable Iznik bowl, decorated with underglazepainted lip motifs is in the Sadberk Hanim Museum in Istanbul, seeHülya Bilgi, Asırlar Sonra Bir Arada – Sadberk Hanım Müzesi’ninYurtdışından Türkiye’ye Kazandırdığı Eserler, Vehbi Koç Vakfı, 2005,p. 44-45. Related pieces of Samson ceramic production inspiredfrom Islamic ceramics, in this case Ottoman Iznik and Kütahya production, have been published by Florence Slitine, see: Samson - Génie de l’İmagitation, Massin, Paris, 2002, pp. 75-77.

Provenance: French private collection

A VERy RARE And HigHly imPoRtAnt ottomAn VElVEt PAnEl

Turkey16th centuryHeight: 173 cm Width: 123 cm

The velvet panel consists of two pieces of fabric joined together lenghtwise. The design is in the form of a closed composition surrounded by a border. Here the çintemani spots are not arranged in the usual offset pattern but in straight rows. Eachspot is filled with a design of tulips, carnations, rosebuds and hyacinths. The centralsection of each spot is woven in klaptan. The plain design has a powerful impact.

The stylized floral designs now emblematic of the classical Ottoman style were developed during the reign of Süleyman I, also known as Süleyman the Magnificent(r. 1520–66), as an alternative to the “International Style” that prevailed in the areaduring the early period of rule from the mid-fifteenth to mid-sixteenth centuries.

Textile designs feature iconography shared with other decorative media designed by the nakkaşhane (royal design atelier) and adapted to the constraints of the loom to create elegant repeat patterns. The most popular layouts ranged from floral motifscharacterized by wavy vertical stems with blooming palmettes (52.20.21), carnations,

or pomegranate fruit (52.20.19), to large-scale ogival layouts with delicatepeony blossoms creating a lattice pattern (49.32.79).

Lattice layouts became popular during the reign of Süleyman Iand may also reflect layouts and motifs used in architectural

tile decoration from Iznik, or earlier Mamluk silks themselvesinspired by Chinese examples. The so-called saz style(52.20.17) was also incorporated into textile design, featuring the sinuous outlining of motifs and jagged edges on leaves and flowers.

Associated with court painter Shah Qulu, saz motifs remained in use throughout the sixteenth and seventeenth

centuries. Kara Memi, Shah Qulu's top pupil and successor as head of the nakkaşhane, added to the painter’s repertoire

by developing a stylized iconography of floral motifs includingcarnations, roses, tulips, hyacinth, and cherry blossoms. These

remained favorite motifs throughout the “Tulip Period” of Ahmed III(r. 1703–30).

For a velvet similarly decorated with chintamani motifs, from the same period, see:Kanuni Sultan Süleyman ve Çağı, Magyar Nemzeti Museum, Budapest, 1994, p. 100. A highly stylized example from the David Collection, Copenhagen, is published inKjeld von Folsach’s Art from the World of Islam in the David Collection, Copenhagen,2001, p. 382. For comparable pieces in the Topkapi Palace Museum, Istanbul, see:Topkapi – Costumes, Embroideries and other Textiles, Thames & Hudson, London,1986, pl. 7-10. For different interpretations of the same motif also see Christian Erber’sA Wealth of Silk and Velvet, Eidition Temmen, Bremen, Undated, pp. 88-93.

LiteratureAn identical velvet panel is in the Ömer Koç Collection, Istanbul, published in Hülya Bilgi’s Osmanli Ipekli Dokumalari Catma ve Kemha, Sadberk Hanim Muzesi,2007, Istanbul, pp. 60-61.


An ottomAn PEn-CAsE (kuBuR ) dECoRAtEd witH motHER oF PEARl

Turkey1st half of the 18th centuryHeight: 23.3 cm

Decorated with mother of pearl and jade with ruby finial. Thiscylindrical pen-case is made of paste-board, and the outside iscovered with an imbricated pattern of mother of pearl with giltbands. The paste-board sliding inside the cover is decorated withgold bands, shams motifs and stylized flower motifs on black.

Comparative pen-cases decorated with mother of pearl are preserved in the Turkish and Islamic Arts Museum, Istanbul (inv. nos. 4038 and 4040). The second one in the Turkish and Islamic Arts Museum is published in Garo Kurkman’s OsmanlıGümüş Damgaları (Ottoman Silver Marks), İstanbul, 1996, 163. Another similar pen-case is in the Khalili Collection, London, see: Empire of the Sultans, London, 1995, p. 170. A calligrapher’sbox, similarly decorated with mother of pearl is in the SadberkHanim Museum in Istanbul, see Hülya Bilgi, Asırlar Sonra Bir Arada – Sadberk Hanım Müzesi’nin Yurtdışından Türkiye’yeKazandırdığı Eserler, Vehbi Koç Vakfı, 2005, p. 168-169.

A CAntAgAlli iznik-stylE FootEd Bowl

Italy19th CenturyHeigth: 28.5 cm Diameter: 41 cm

Rising from trumpet foot to wide rounded sides with slightly flaring rim, thewhite ground decorated with cobalt-blue, manganese purple, green hatayiflowers and saz leaves, the foot with a band of scrolls followed by scrollingsaz leaves bordered above with band of stylized flowers, the interior withfloral register including tulips, and rosettes and a floral band, intact.

Founded by Ulisse and Giuseppe Cantagalli in Florence, the Cantagalli'Iznik-style' ceramics can be identified by their signature cockerel marker on the base of the vessels. This unique signature and the non-Iznik typicalsize and form of many Cantagalli vessels reveals that the Italian producersdid not seek simply to create Iznik reproductions. The polychrome style and saz leaf motifs borrowed from Iznik are however quite similar and haseven resulted in the occasional past misattribution. See: Walter B. Denny,Iznik: The Artistry of Ottoman Ceramics, London, 2004, p. 222.

For comparable works produced in Cantagalli workshops in the Iznik-style see: Giovanni Conti & Gilda Cefariello Grosso, La Maiolica

Cantagalli, Cassa di Risparmio di Firenze,Roma, 1990, pp. 62-64. Also see:

The Revival of Italian Maiolica:Ginori and Cantagalli,

Edizioni Polistampa,Firenze, 2011,

pp. 220-224.

A FinEly illuminAtEd QuR’An sECtion (juzz )

Signed Muhammad Wafa Turkey Dated 1231AH/1815ADHeight: 24 cm Width: 16.5 cm

The present Qur’anic juzz is written in exteremelyfine, sharp and precise naskh script indicating thelevel of stylistic perfection naskh achieved duringthe 19th century. The quality of both the calligraphyand illumination indicate royal patronage.

The juzz includes the following suras (chapters)from the Qur’an:

al-Naba, al-Nazi‘at, al-Takvir, al-Infitar, al-Mutaffifin, al-Ishiqaq, al-Buruj, al-Tariq, al-A‘la, al-Ghashiya, al-Fajr, al-Balad, al-Shams, al-Layl, al-Duha, al-Inshirah, al-Tin, al-‘Alaq, al-Qadr, al-Bayyina, al-Zilzal, al-‘Adiyat, al-Qari‘a, al-Takathur, al-‘Asr, al-Humaza, al-Fil, al-Quraysh, al-Ma‘un, al-Kawthar, al-Kafirun, al-Nasr, al-Tabbat, al-Ihlas, al-Falak, al-Nas.

The quality both of the calligraphy and the rococo illumination indicates that this manuscript was almost certainly a royal commission.

The illuminator of this manuscriptis almost certainly responsible for the decoration of a primer prepared to teach reading and writing to the children of the Imperial family and datable to the 18th century (Elifba cuzu, Topkapi Palace Museum, EH 436). According toNurhan Atasoy “This work’s decorations are in the full-blown Ottoman rococo style”. The bouquets of flowers tied up with ribbons and the floral vase with a ratherbizarre shape are almost identical to thosefound in this Qur’an section. See N. Atasoy, A Garden for the Sultan: Gardens and Flowers in the Ottoman Culture, 2002, pp.190-191 and 194, illustrations. nos. 298-303.Also see: Yildiz Demiriz, Osmanli Kitap Sanatinda Naturalist Uslupta Cicekler, Istanbul, 1986, pp. 35-38.


A RARE iznik PottERy jug

TurkeyCirca 1540Height 20.2 cm

The body of globular form supported on a broad footring, the high cylindrical neck slightly everted toward the rim, an s-shaped handle ring from the rim to the shoulder, decoratedin underglaze cobalt blue and turquoise with chintamanis andpaired white tulips, the footring exterior and interior with apale yellowish glaze.

Turquoise had entered the Iznik palette by the 1520s. It was replaced to some extent by a style of decoration using the new blue and turquoise palette with what seems like a greater artistic independence, the so-called ‘potter’s style’ (Atasoy&Raby 1989, p. 115). The turquoise, cobalt-blue andpale blue palette was continually used throughout the 16thcentury as can be observed in the present jug. A comparablejug decorated with paired tulips, although on a white ground,is published in Bernard Rackham, Islamic Pottery and ItalianMaiolica, London, 1959, pl. 42.

Provenance: Ex-Collection of Dr. and Mrs. William T PriceKevorkian Foundation (Sotheby’s Parke Bernet Inc, New York,3-5 February 1977, lot 54)

Exhibited:Ottoman Treasures: Rugs and Ceramics from the Collection of Dr. and Mrs. William T Price, Birmingham Museum of Art, Alabama, 2004, no. 44.

An imPREssiVE ottomAn tomBAk EwER (zEmzEmlik)

Turkey1st half of the 18th centuryHeight: 36.5 cm

of baluster form on a slightly splayed, bevelled foot, with a tall waisted neck anddomed stopper with chain attached to body, the serpentine spout also with a smallstopper and chain, the handle designed as a stylised split palmette, the body and lid engraved with stylised floral sprays.

The zamzam-ewer in hand is a remarkable and very rare example of tombak workmanship, displaying the introduction of Europeanized local decorative vocabulary to Ottoman metalwork in the 18th century. These were used for storingthe holy zamzam water, brought home from Mecca by pilgrims. Similar pieces of Ottoman tombak art have been published in the exhibition catalogues Ab-i Hayat,2010, p.151 and Sultan III. Selim Han, 2009, p.243.

Expertly gilded brass and copper wares are called “tombak”. The earliest examples of Ottoman metalworking are military equipment. Mamluk influence is apparent in15th-century forms and styles of decoration. The style called “Classical Ottoman”takes shape during the early 16th century. Of special importance during the 16thand 17th centuries are harmoniously-proportioned candlesticks that have austerely-styled forms and are lacking in embellishment but contemporary withthem are interesting examples of works whose surfaces are entirely covered withrumi-palmette compositions, braided friezes, delicate saz leaves, and floral motifs. As for the present piece, not infrequently one comes across a tombak ewer that has such a extraordinary design.

Military equipment such as helmets, chamfrons, and shields manufactured at theTopkapi Sarayi armory were stamped with a seal resembling the brand of the Kaylclan, of which the Ottomans were originally a member. Pots and pans used in thegreat kitchens of the Ottoman palace frequently contain inscriptions indicating who they belong to. Objects bequeathed to mosques and tombs also bear mostlytughra-like dedicatory inscriptions. Both in terms of its design and condition, thepresent piece is an outstanding example of Ottoman tombak art.

This magnificent tombak ewer illustrates the taste for the baroque and rococo in Turkey during the second half of the eighteenth century as influenced from European models. Ottoman interest in European art and culture flourished under the reign of Ahmed III (r.1703-30), with his promotion of embassies to Europe forscholarship dedicated to art, and the subsequent use of similar models in Istanbul. A particular testament to such development is visible in the sebil and çeşme of theNuruosmaniye complex, completed by Osman III in 1755. A very similar tombakewer is illustrated in: Kayaoglu, I. Gundag, Tombak, Istanbul, 1992, p.26, described as: ‘Mecca-Water Ewer’.

Tombak is the name of the application of gold with mercury-alloy on a metal surface, usually on silver, bronze, brass or copper. The application of gold with mercury-alloy on the surface of the work was a highly complicated and difficultprocess. Tombak arms and armour including shields, helmets, weapons, maces aswell as belt buckles, flasks, spear finials, stirrups, bowls, ewers, basins, dishes, forks,knives, spoons, cups, waterpipe bottles, trays, clocks, lanterns were produced.

Provenance: Ex-private American collection

CAlligRAPHER’s diPlomA (ijAzAt ) giVEn to mEHmEd HAsiB PAsHA’s son mEHmEd EsHREF BEyEFEndi By His tEACHERs mEHmEd sHEFik BEy (d. 1880) And ABdullAH zuHdi BEy (d. 1879)

TurkeyDated 1272 AH / 1855 ADHeight: 22.9 cmWidth: 30.2 cm

Arabic manuscript on paper, 3 lines to the page, written in thuluth andnaskh and the rest in ijaza script, in black ink within cloud bands, setagainst a gold ground with pin-pricked cintamani motifs and polychromerococo decoration, outer margins of scrolling ribbons and flowers, laiddown on stout paper.

The present ijazeh was given to Mehmed Eshref Bey Efendi, son ofMehmed Hasib Pasha, and signed by his tutors Abdullah Zuhdi andMehmed Shefik, in 1272 AH/1855 AD. The calligrapher is the son ofMehmed Hasib Paşa who was the minister of pious endowments (evkafnaziri tr.) between 1844 and 1848. The teachers who granted this diploma,Abdullah Zuhdi and Mehmed Shefik, were both court calligraphers.

Mehmed Shefik studied calligraphy with Ali Vasfi and then with MustafaIzzet Efendi. In 1845 he was appointed teacher of calligraphy to theMuzika-i Hümayun, the imperial brass band. Together with the master calligrapher Abdulfettah, he was sent bySultan Abdulmecid (r. 1839–61) to Bursa to repair the inscriptionsin the Ulu Cami (congregationalmosque), which had been severelydamaged in the earthquake of1855. His inscriptions there areamong his finest works. During thethree years he spent on this projecthe also wrote inscriptions in othermosques. He passed away in 1880.

Abdullah Zuhdi was born inDamascus and came to Istanbulas a child. He studied calligraphyfirst under the supervision ofRashid-i Eyyubi and later KadıaskerMustafa Izzet Efendi. He became a famous for his mastery both incalligraphy and painting. SultanAbdulmecid who appreciated hisworks, ordered him to design themonumental calligraphic bands of the Haram al-Sharif in Medina.He stayed in Medina and workedon the monumental inscriptionsof the mosque of the ProphetMuhammad. He then moved toCairo and lived there until hisdeath in 1879.

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An ottomAn tomBAk CouRtly inkwEllOWNED BY HEAD OF THE IMPERIAL CHANCERY MUHAMMAD KHALIFA

Signed RUMI Dated 1120 AH / 1708 ADTurkeyHeight 4.8 cmDiameter 3.9 cm

THE DEDIcATIon In ARABIc AT THE BoTToM In nAsKH scRIPT :

Sāhib al-hādha al-muhbāra ser-zumra-i khulafā al-kuttāb Muhammad Khalifa li-ma‘dan al-kuttāb Sana 1120

(The owner of this inkwell is the chief of khalifas of scribes Muhammad Khalifa to the heart of scribes)

THE ARABIc InscRIPTIon InsIDE THE LID In nAsKH scRIPT:

“Qāla ‘alayh al-salām al-fariza ba‘d al-…. Wa ba ‘d al-maktūbun. Wa qāla ‘Ali karram Allāhu wajhahu ‘alaikum bi husn al-khatt fa innahu min mafātih al-rizq”

(The Prophet said “the duty, following the … and following the written”. And ‘Ali, may God be pleased with him, said “Practise calligraphy since it is one of the keys of livelihood”)

RUMIRumi is recorded as a master silversmith who produced the earliest signed and dated Ottoman silver inkwells and pencases. He was active during the reigns of Sultan Ahmed II (r. 1691-1695), Sultan Mustafa II (r. 1695-1703) and Sultan Ahmed III (r. 1703-1730).

The only comparable inkwellknown to us is in the Mesud Hakgüden Collection in Istanbul. Signed by thesame artist, Rumi, and dated 1113 AH / 1701 AD. See: Garo Kürkman, Osmanlı Gümüş Damgaları,Istanbul, 1996, p. 80, 81.

Rumi is the earliest recorded Ottoman silversmithwho is particularly famed for his ingenious divits and inkwells. A divit signed by him is in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London (V.&A. no:1117.69). See: Garo Kürkman’s Osmanlı Gümüş Damgaları, Istanbul, 1996, p.104.

The present inkwell is an extraordinary example of Ottoman metalwork. The inscriptions on the piece tell us that it was produced in 1708, for the head of the Ottoman imperial chanceryMuhammad Khalifa. The inkwell bears an Arabic saying by Ali b. Abi Talib, praising the art of calligraphy. Besides these, the inkwell bears two poems in Turkish. It is a remarkable example of early 18th century Ottoman metalwork.

What a beautiful inkwell, better than any other!So fine that gazing at it gives a shine to men of taste.As though it were a beguiling beauty free of fault,Every scribe who sees it falls head over heels in love.How elegantly it was made – free of imperfections.This is how Sha‘ban works!If this is indeed his work, then call it Sha‘ban’s progeny (İbn-i Şa‘ban), most fittingly. In (the district of) Üsküdar (in Istanbul).

Provenance: Ex-private American

collection

THE PoEM In oTToMAn TURKIsH on THE InKWELL In nAsKH scRIPT:

“Zihî zîbâ hoş muhbere-i âlâKim verir ehl-i dile seyri cilâGûyâ bir dilber-i pâkîzedirSeyr iden küttâbı eyler mübtelâTarz-ı Şa‘bândır bu râ‘nâ tarz-ı pâkZâhir olursa İbn-i Şa‘bândır sezâ – Fi Üsküdar”

TRAnsLATIon of THE PoEM

A PAiR oF tEkFuRsARAy tilEs

Turkey1st half of the 18th centuryHeight: 25 cm Width: 22.5 cm

of square form, decorated in underglaze cobalt blue, light blue, green and relief red with a design of a flower bouquet.

Under Sultan Ahmed III, with the enterprise of Grand-vizier Damad IbrahimPasha a tile workshop was established in the Tekfur Saray, in Istanbul, to revive tile production. Damad Ibrahim Pasha established a tile workshop inthe so-called Tekfur Palace to revive tile production. The Tekfur Palace waspart of a group of Byzantine palaces known collectively as the BlachernaePalaces built up against the land walls overlooking Eyüp.

Craftsmen from Iznik kilns came to Istanbul in 1719 and ateliers were established in Tekfur Sarayı which were active between 1725 and 1735, for ten years. Tekfur Saray started production in 1724 or 1725. A trial production probably started around 1720. Most of the tiles are manufactured in 25 x 25cm, dimensions based on Iznik tiles. Tiles producedin Tekfur Saray Palace workshops are found on the Sultan Ahmed III fountain, in the Ayasofya Library, the Ferruh Kethuda Mosque in Balat, theHekimoğlu Ali Pasha Mosque in Kocamustafapaşa, the Kaptan Paşa Mosquein Üsküdar, the Mehmed Ağa Mosque in Çarşamba, the Kandilli Mosque inKandilli, and the Holy Mantle Pavilion in the Topkapi Palace. In addition,

the Cezeri Kasım PashaMosque tiles are dated1725 and the fireplace of the Fuad Pasha Yalısı,which burnt down in1864, now in the Victoriaand Albert Museum, issigned and dated 1730.

Provenance: Private UK collection

A nAstA’liQ QuAtRAin

Signed Raif Ali BursawiTurkey18th CenturyHeight: 19.8 cmWidth: 12.9 cm

As his nisba Bursawi indicates the calligrapherRaif Ali was from the city of Bursa. He was active in the first half of the 18th century. The specimen in hand signed by him displaysthe decorative repertoire favoured during thisperiod. The text is a Turkish quatrain which addresses an unnamed dignitary.

A RARE kutAHyA CERAmiC RosE-wAtER sPRinklER

Turkey18th centuryHeight: 17.3 cm

The present charming rose-water sprinkler belongs to a small group of ceramics used forserving rose-water following ceremonial events. A comparable rose-water sprinkler is published in Şebnem Akalın & Hülya Bilgi, Yadigar-ı Kütahya - Suna ve İnan Kıraç Koleksiyonundan Kütahya Seramikleri, Akdeniz MedeniyetleriAraştırma Enstitüsü, İstanbul, 1997, pp. 42-51. Also see the exhibition catalogue: Splendeurs de la Cermamique Ottomane des CollectionsSuna-İnan Kıraç et du Musée Sadberk Hanım,Musée Jacquemart-André – Institut de France, Istanbul, 2000, pp. 126-131.

An imPoRtAnt illuminAtEd AlBum PAgE oF CAlligRAPHy

Signed Ali al-Husayni(Mir Ali al-Heravi, d. 1544)

Folio: Height: 31.8 cm Width: 22.7 cmCalligraphy by Ali al-Husayni: Height: 13.2 cmWidth: 6.9 cm

Mir Ali Heravi also signed his name Ali al-Husayni. The best known example of this application is the anthology of poetry, made in 1524, for vizier KhawajaMalik Ahmad, who was governor of Herat under ShahIsmail. “The anthology bears the signatures of severalmasters including Ali al-Husayni (that is, Mir Ali),Muhammad Qasim b Shadishah and MuhammadKhandan”. See: David Roxburgh, The Persian Album,Yale University Press, 2005, p. 179. An illustrated copy of the Panj Ganj of Abd al-Rahman Jami, signed AliHusayni is in the Golestan Palace Library (inv. no. 709).A Gulistan copied in 975 (1567/68) and signed Mir AliHusayni (Mir Ali al-Husayni al-Katib al-Sultani) inBukhara is in the British Library (BL Or 5302). It includessix Bukhara-style paintings which were commissionedapparently at Akbar's request. Mir Ali Heravi was a master calligrapher of the nasta’liq script active in thecity of Herat during the 16th century until he wastaken to Bukhara in 1528 by the Shaybanid ruler Ubaydallah Khan Uzbek. He passed away in 1544.

Compare with another album page decorated withsimilar illuminated devices in the outer borders reminiscent of those which decorated Safavid Qur’ansof the 16th and 17th centuries, probably from the Demotte collection, see Important Oriental Manuscripts and Miniatures, Hagop Kevorkian Collection, Sotheby’s, 3rd April 1978, lot 38.

An iznik-stylE tHEodoRE dECk disH

France19th CenturyDiameter: 44.5 cm

With scalloped rim, the white ground finely decorated withvines and bunch grapes and peony-like blossoms around, the reverse decorated with paired tulips and rosettes, marked TH. DECK

This dish by Theodore Deck is identical to a copy of an important Iznik dish, dated 1545-50, in the British Museum,see: Nurhan Atasoy & Julian Raby, Iznik, London, 1989, fig.241,pp.137-138. Another from the same series by the French ceramicist is exhibited at the Victoria and Albert Museum and dated 1865 (id. 226-1896). Also see: Hitzel, Frédéric &

Mireille Jacotin. Iznik – L’Aventure d’une Collection, Musee National de la Renaissance –

Chateau d’Ecouen, Paris, 2005, p. 41.

Provenance: Private French

collection

An illuminAtEd mAnusCRiPt oF tHE sAyings oFkHAwAjA ABdAllAH Al-AnsARi.

Signed Mahmud B. Ishaq al-ShihabiWritten in the city of Balkh

Dated 971AH / 1563 ADHeight: 23 cm Width: 14.8 cm

Richly decorated with illuminated sectionsand birds. Lacquered binding decorated withgold shams motif and saz leaves.

Seals of Shah Safi II (Suleyman I, r. 1666-1694)and Nasr al-Mulk Naib al-Saltanat and of Ottoman owners including Sultan MahmudII’s court physician Mustafa Mes‘ud Effendi(dated 1228/1812).

The text is in Persian. Khawaja Abdullah al-Ansari of Herat (1006 -1088) also known as Pir-i Herat (the chief saint of Herat) was a famous sufi who lived in the 11th century inHerat. He was one of the outstanding figuresin Khorasan in the 11th century, famed as acommentator of the Qur’an, traditionist,polemicist, and spiritual master, known for his mastery in oratory and poetic talents inArabic and Persian. His shrine, built during the Timurid period, is still a popular pilgrimage site.

Nasir al-Mulk Na'ib al-Saltanah (Abu'l-QasimKhan Qarahqozlu Hamadani), one of the ex-owners of the manuscript, was educated in Oxford and entered the Royal service afterhis return to Iran. He receieved the title Nasiral-Mulk after his grand-father's death in early1305 (1887-8). Among his posts were Ministerof Treasury in 1325 (1907-08); Prime Ministerfor only a couple of months, when he resigned without Shah's permission and wasabout to be sentenced to death when theBritish intervened and instead, he left for Europe to return after Muhammad 'Ali Shahwas deposed. He was appointed Na'ib al-Saltanah to the young Ahmad Mirza in 1329 (1911-12) and kept his post up the time Ahmad Mirza became king in 1322(1913-14). He left Iran to return later and died in 1346 (1927)' (M. Bamdad, Dictionary of National Biography of Iran,1700-1960, vol. 1, Tehran, 1966, pp. 66-70).

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THE cALLIgRAPHER: MAHMUD B. IsHAq AL-sHIHABI

The calligrapher Mahmud b. Ishaq al-Shihabiis one of those mentioned by the biographerQadi Ahmad because his nas-ta‘liq script washighly prized not only among the ShaybanidUzbek rulers but also in Iran among theSafavid rulers and, in India. According to QadiAhmad, Mahmud b. Ishaq came from a villagenear Herat and may have been born there between 1510 and 1520. His father, KhawajaIshaq, became mayor of Herat but was forcedto leave with his family and children in 1528,when the city was seized by the Shaybanidruler Ubayd Khan Uzbek.

The famous calligrapher Mawlana Mir Ali Heravi (d. 1544) was travelling with the samegroup of captives from Herat to Bukhara and took as his pupil Khwaja Mahmud, whoreceived education and made such progressin Bukhara that his writing was preferred by some to that of his master, Mir Ali. By1530–31, Mahmud b. Ishaq had already written a major work, The Collection of WiseSayings of Ali. Khwaja Mahmud spent sometime in Bukhara but after the death of UbaydKhan in 1539 evidently took up residence inBalkh, where he is said to have joined theservice of Shah Husayn Balkhi Shihabi andthus added the title Shihabi to his own name.

Qadi Ahmad writes, “Many people assembledround him and he had no need of making inscriptions and producing specimens; therefore his writing is scarce.” Apart from the Collection of the Wise Sayings of Ali of 937 (1530–31) and the Yusuf va Zulaykh¸manuscript of 964 (1557), he wrote a furthermanuscript after having returned from Balkhto Bukhara to work for the Shaybanid rulerAbu’l Ghazi Abdullah b. Iskandar (1557–98).He may have died in 991 (1583), when he was in his late sixties or early seventies.”

Provenance: Ex private collection donated to benefit the University of Oxford

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An imPoRtAnt iznik PolyCHRomE PottERy disH

TurkeyCirca 1580Diameter: 30.6 cm

of deep rounded form, decorated in underglaze cobalt blue, paleturquoise, relief red and olive green, outlined in black, with a central foliate motif issuing sprays of small tulips and rosettes, two large tulips,three large rosettes and three hyacinths, the rim with circular and spiralmotifs, the reverse with alternating flowerheads.

The dish displays remarkable individuality in design and superb quality in execution. Its design and colour scheme indicates the truly sophisticated level achieved by the Iznik potters. It belongs to a smallgroup of Izniks decorated with pale turquoise and olive green which is a rare and unusual palette only used for roughly a decade, in 1580s.

The composition and decorative repertoire of the dish originates fromthe imperial style created in the Topkapi Palace workshops in Istanbul,by master painters working for the court, in this case, master Kara Memi, who was responsible for uniting the classical leaf style (saz üslubu) with the innovative floral style (şükufe üslubu). The graceful and harmonious union of tulips, hyacinths and rosettes, capturing amovement both clockwise and counter clockwise, display a trulysuccessful execution of this courtly style.

For scholarly discussion on the evolution of Iznik pottery during 1580ssee: Nurhan Atasoy and Julian Raby, 1994, pl. 723-775.

For a similar dish with pale turquoise and olive green see: Iznik – L’Aventure d’une Collection, Musee National de la Renaissance –Chateau d’Ecouen, 2005, plate. 212. A second dish in the GulbenkianMuseum featuring similar olive greens is noteworthy, see; Iznik Pottery – Museo Calouste Gulbenkian, 1996, p. 160.

References: Atasoy, Nurhan & Julian Raby, Iznik, Alexandria Press London, 1994.Ribeiro, Maria Queiroz. Iznik Pottery – Museo Calouste Gulbenkian,

Lisboa, 1996Iznik – L’Aventure d’une Collection,

Musee National de la Renaissance –Chateau d’Ecouen, Paris, 2005

Provenance:Private English Collection

An unusuAl iznik disH dECoRAtEd witH A HousE

TurkeyCirca 1600Diameter: 21.5 cm

of deep rounded form, decorated in underglazeblue, relief red and olive green, outlined in black,with a central depiction of a house, the rim withblack circular and spiral wave motifs.

A comparable Iznik dish, decorated with an underglaze painted house scene is in the SadberkHanim Museum in Istanbul, see Hülya Bilgi, AsırlarSonra Bir Arada – Sadberk Hanım Müzesi’nin Yurtdışından Türkiye’ye Kazandırdığı Eserler, Vehbi Koç Vakfı, 2005, p. 90-91. This dish is also published in Splendeurs de la Cermamique Ottomane des Collections Suna-İnan Kıraç et duMusée Sadberk Hanım, Musée Jacquemart-André –Institut de France, Istanbul, 2000, p. 95.

A RARE ottomAn lAdy’s silVER EwER And BAsin (zEnnE) stAmPEd witH tHE tugHRA oF sultAn ABdulHAmid ii (1876-1909)

TurkeyReign of Sultan Abdülhamid II (1876-1909)Ewer height: 26.8 cm Basin diameter: 27.7 cm Set height: 34.1 cm

of elegant melon fluted baluster form with high curving tubular spout, s-scroll handle linking neck and belly with cast curved leaf design, upper handlewith hinge to domed cover with pointed finial, thebasin of wide flaring fluted form, the central apertureclosed by a pierced support for the ewer, fully marked with the tughra of Sultan Abdülhamid II.

Silver ewer and basins were highly in demand in Ottoman houses where they were part of daily life,used by members of the household and guests towash hands and ablution. The present ewer and basin is a rare and unusual example of its kind since it is noticeably smaller than standard silver ewer and basins which usually measure 50 cm. plus inheight. This is probably because it was produced on special order the use of a lady or a child.

Provenance: Private French collection

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An ottomAn silVER And niEllo HoRn-HiltEd dAggER

TurkeyDated 1319 AH / 1901-2 ADLength: 35 cm

slightly curved double-edged watered steel blade, horn hilt with silver mountsfeaturing niello decoration and medallions containing tughra of Sultan Abdulhamid II, the scabbard with silver mounts and nielloed floral decoration.

A nAstA’liQ QuAtRAin

Signed Osman al-Uwaisi, a descendant of Uwais al-Qarani

TurkeyEnd of 17th, early 18th CenturyHeight: 22 cmWidth: 15.3 cm

Persian quatrain in elegant nas-ta’liq script

THE cALLIgRAPHER: osMAn AL-UWAIsI (D.1724)

Sayyid Osman al-Uwaisi b. Sayyid Muhammad Said b. Osman, better known as Osman al-Uwaisi studied calligraphy under the supervision of master DedezadeMehmed Said Effendi (d. 1749). He was the Sheikh of theHirka-i Sherif Camii (the Mosque of the Mantle of theProphet – ar. al-Burda-) in the Fatih district, Istanbul, andan eminent calligrapher particularly celebrated for hismastery in nas-ta’liq script. He was the great-grand-son ofShukrullah al-Uwaisi, a successor of saint Uwais al-Qarani(d. 657), who brought the Burda (the mantle of theProphet) to Istanbul on Sultan Ahmed I’s order. WhenOsman al-Uwaisi was the Sheikh of the Mosque of themantel of the Prophet, the mosque received pious endowments from members of the Ottoman court, particularly from grand-vizier Corlulu Ali Pasha. He passed away in Istanbul, in 1724.

UWAIs AL-qARAnI (D. 657)

Calligrapher Osman al-Uwaisi’s family, the Uwaisis, were the successors of the muslim saint Uwais al-Qarani.Uwais was muslim mystic and martyr of early days ofIslam, from Yemen. He lived during the lifetime of ProphetMuhammad, but never had the chance to meet theProphet in person. The Prophet, who knew Uwais al-Qarani’s affection and loyalty to himself, is said to havesent his mantle (al-Burda) to him as a gift. As reported bythe renowned historical scholar Ibn Battuta, Uwais wasmartyred in the Battle of Siffeen. Uwais's shrine is in al-Raqqah, Syria. Another shrine was constructed in his honour in Baykan, in the city of Siirt, Turkey. The Uwaisifamily has been famous for owning and preserving themantle of the Prophet.


A kutAHyA disH dECoRAtEd witH tHE tugHRA oF sultAn ABdulHAmid ii (R. 1876-1909)

TurkeyBetween 1876-1909Diameter: 27.3 cm

The present dish bears the tughra of Sultan Abdulhamid II (r. 1876-1909), also bears a prayerto the Sultan in Turkish, “muzaffer ol daim” (May you be always victorious) in thuluth script.The upper half of the dish is decorated with theOttoman imperial arms.

For a comparable Kutahya-ware, similarly decorated with calligraphy, see Terres d’Islam –Les Collections de Céramique Moyen-Orientaledu Musée Ariana a Geneve, Ariana, Geneve, 2014, pp. 270-271. Also see; Garo Kürkman’sToprak, Ateş, Sır - Kütahya Çini ve Seramikleri,Pera Müzesi Yayınları, Istanbul, 2005, pp. 226-227.

An ottomAn iVoRy inlAid woodEn sCRiBE’s BoX

TurkeyReign of Sultan Abdulaziz(r. 1861-1876)Height: 17 cm Depth: 28 cm

of rectangular form, the lid with the inlaid tughra ofSultan Abdulaziz, the top surface and sides decoratedwith fleshy ivory inlaid interlacing vegetal motifs, comprising intertwining scrolls.

The application of the Ottoman imperial monogram(tughra) on the present piece indicates a palatial background. It must have been produced for a royaldignitary or a member of the palatial circle. A tughrais a calligraphic monogram, seal or signature of a sultan that was affixed to all official documents andcorrespondence. It was also carved on his seal andstamped on the coins minted during his reign. Very elaborate decorated versions were created for important documents that were also works of art. The tughra was designed at the beginning of the sultan's reign and drawn by the court calligrapher or nişancı on written documents. The first tughrabelonged to Orhan I (r. 1284–1359), the second ruler of the Ottoman state and it evolved until it reached the classical form in the tughra of Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent (r. 1494–1566). The interlacing vegetal motifs point to the openness of Turkish art to European decorative repertoire in the 19th century.A comparable scribe’s box bearing the imperial monogram is in the Museum of Turkish and Islamic Art in Istanbul (inv. no. 210). See; Museum of Turkishand Islamic Art, Akbank, İstanbul, 2002, p. 318.


A FinE ottomAn EmRoidEREd silk CEREmoniAl CoVER

Turkey18th centuryHeight: 134 cm Width: 126.4 cm

The emboidered red silk cover in hand belongs to a small group of Ottoman silk ceremonial covers which were produced in Istanbul, in the 18th century, for the use ofcourtly figures or members of palatial circles.Published examples of similar embroideries,including hairdresser’s futas, are preserved in the Topkapi Palace Museum and the Sadberk Hanim Museum in Istanbul (See: Bilgi, Hulya. Asirlar Sonra Bir Arada, Sadberk Hanim Muzesi’nin YurtdisindanTurkiye’ye Kazandirdigi Eserler, Istanbul,2005, pp. 182-195). Also see: Patricia L. Baker, Islamic Textiles, British Museum Press, London, 1995, p. 159.

An imPoRtAnt EARly sAFAVid gold-sEt jAdE miRRoR HAndlE

Persia16th centuryLength: 4.2 cm

Of slightly widening cylindrical form with pointed ridge below and flattened panel above, the surface very finely engraved and inlaid withspiralling gold tendrils, each leaf-motif also further worked within thegold design, the upper panel with scrolling motifs, slight loss to lowerend, the upper end with later silver panel.

This is a rare survival of Safavid jade craftsmanship of the 16th century.It is black jade inlaid with an overall design of gold arabesques. Veryfew objects exist with which to compare the present piece, but theclosest and most impressive is a black jade jug in the Topkapi Saray Museum (inv no. 1844) inscribed with the name of Shah Isma’il (Canby,S.: The Golden Age of Persian Art, London, 1999, fig.14, p.27). The bodyof this jug is covered with the same type of spiraling arabesques as the present handle.

A similar decorative repertoire is seen one of the outstanding monuments of the period, the Harun-i Vilayat in Isfahan which wascompleted in 1512. Here the arabesques are rendered in tile mosaic inthe spandrels in gold on blue ground (Sheila Canby, The Golden Age ofPersian Art, London, 1999, fig.13, pp. 26-8). The jug is assumed to haveentered the Ottoman treasury after the battle of Chaldiran, when theconquering Turkish army took a huge booty back to Istanbul. It istempting to assume that this mirror handle was a part of a war loot.Along with the booty, the Ottomans took a thousand artisans with

them to their capital. The Ottoman aesthetic was hugely influenced as a result and their craftsmen began to inlay

gold into hardstones and ivory, producing in the mid sixteenth century some memorable weapons and other objets d'art.

A second piece which features similarities with the mirror handle in hand is the jade bowl inlaid with gold

leaf-motifs, now in the Louvre (inv. no. MR 194), published in Melikian-Chirvani, Assadullah Souren. Le Chant du Monde L’Art de l’Iran Safavide 1501-1736,Musee du Louvre, Paris, 2008, p. 234. A jade hilteddagger with similar decoration was sold in Christie’s

London, in the Islamic Art and Manuscripts sale on 29April 2003, lot. 85. A mirror with a comparable handle,

from the Topkapi Palace Museum, is published in TheAnatolian Civilisations – Seljuk/Ottoman, vol. III, TurkishMinistry of Culture and Tourism, 1983, p. 158.


An ottomAn intERioR kAABA ClotH

Turkey19th CenturyHeight: 207.1 cmWidth: 87.3 cm

The cover is red silk, embroidered with gold, zig-zags with inscriptions. “Allah” and “Muhammad” in larger thuluth script. The tawhid formula of faith is repetitively written in the zig-zag bands, “there is no God but Allah, Muhammad is his Messenger”, also in thuluth script.

Comparable fragments are found in the Victoria and Albert Museum, the Textile Museum and the David Collection. A complete cover made from a similar Kaaba cloth can be seen on one of the sarcophagi in the tomb of Sultan Süleymanin Istanbul. See; Petsopoulos 1982, p.183, no. 160. Also see: Islam – Faith and Worship, Abu Dhabi Culture and Heritage,Abu Dhabi, 2009, p. 322-323. For 16th and17th century fragments of interior Kaabacloths with similar calligraphic zig-zag bands see: Islam – Faith and Worship, AbuDhabi Culture and Heritage, Abu Dhabi,2009, pp. 310-311 and pp. 316-317.

A RARE ottomAn lACQuEREd PEnCAsE

Signed AhmedDated 1196 AH / 1781 ADHeight: 30.6 cm

of cylindrical form painted with flower bouquets amongst dark green ground, with oblique cartuches of poetry in nas-ta‘liq script.

The poem in ottoman Turkish in nas-ta‘liq script on the pencase reads:

“Aceb nakş oldu bu resmin edâsıGüzel düşmüş tûtî yeşil boyasıNukûşu ol kadar … ü rânâAltun ile gümüş tahrir arasıMüzeyyen oldu nukûşu güller ileŞükûfe üzre sabra karar alası… devât-ı hûb ü rânâBakınca ziyâde olur safâsı”

How wonderfully the design has been painted!How beautifully the parrot-green colour has turned out!The motifs are so [graceful] and exquisite:Within the outlines of gold and silver,The composition has been ornamented with flowers.Upon the blossoms …[…] an inkwell so fine and elegant.When anyone looks at it, how great will be their pleasure!

The artist who signed his name Ahmed, appears to be Hezargiradi-zade AhmedAtaullah Efendi, a well-known Ottoman lacquer master active in the first half of the 19th century.

Provenance: Ex-private American collection

An ottomAn motHER oF PEARl inlAid woodEn sCRiBE’s BoX

TurkeyReign of Sultan Abdulaziz(r. 1861-1876)Height:18.8 cmWidth: 20.1 cmLength: 30.5 cm

of rectangular form, the lid with the inlaid tughraof Sultan Abdulaziz, the top surface and sides decorated with mother of pearl, inlaid interlacingvegetal motifs. The application of the imperialmonogram, the tughra, on the cover indicatesthat the box was produced for a patron from or closely related to the Ottoman palatian circles. A comparablewalnut book stand produced in a similar design, bearing thetughra of Sultan Abdulaziz, is in the Topkapi Palace Museum (inv. no. 8/496), Istanbul. See: Cevdet Çulpan’s Rahleler, Istanbul, 1968, p. 34.


A PAiR oF FinE ottomAn EmRoidEREd silk CEREmoniAl CoVER

Turkey18th centuryHeight: 133 cm Width: 57.6 cm

The emboidered red silk covers in hand belong to a small group of Ottoman embroidered silk ceremonial covers whichwere produced in Istanbul, in the 18th century. Published examples of similar embroideries, including hairdresser’s futas,are preserved in the Topkapi Palace Museumand the Sadberk Hanim Museum in Istanbul(See: Bilgi, Hulya. Asirlar Sonra Bir Arada, Sadberk Hanim Muzesi’nin YurtdisindanTurkiye’ye Kazandirdigi Eserler, Istanbul, 2005, pp. 182-195). Also see: Patricia L. Baker,Islamic Textiles, British Museum Press, London, 1995, p. 159

A RARE PAiR oF ottomAn RuBy And EmERAld sEt mARinE iVoRy sPoons

Turkey18th-19th CenturyLengths: 23.6 cm

comprising two spoons, each carved from walrustusk ivory, the handles with a diamond pattern, set with a ruby near the bowl, the top mounted with an emerald- and ruby-set palmette.

These spoons, made of exotic and expensive materials such as walrus tusk, ruby and emerald,should be regarded not only as utensils but also appreciated for their aesthetic value. They illustratethe Ottoman taste for refined and luxurious objects throughout all aspects of daily life. A pair of almost identical spoons are preserved in the Topkapi Palace Museum (inv. nos. 2/2497 and2/2498, published in Atasoy 1992, p.204). A comparable 18th century spoon, decorated with choral is in the Sadberk Hanim Museum in Istanbul, see Hülya Bilgi, Asırlar Sonra Bir Arada – Sadberk Hanım Müzesi’nin Yurtdışından Türkiye’yeKazandırdığı Eserler, Vehbi Koç Vakfı, 2005, p. 214-215. Also see; Gül Irepoğlu’s Imperial Ottoman Jewellery, BKG Publications, Istanbul, 2012, p.136

An ottomAn PAintEd And miRRoREd wood sCREEn

TurkeyLate 18th -19th Centuryeach panel: 183 by 38 cm

comprising four panels, each joined together bytwo hinges, including a central hinge used for locking, painted with a bluish-grey background and trompe-oeil architectural elements containinglight pink floral stems against a light blue ground,each panel with an eight-pointed star to the topand bottom and a large mirror in the centre dividedinto four sections with carved relief spandrels, the back a plain greenish-grey colour.

Provenance: Private Italian collection

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Metalwork and material culture in the Islamicworld : art, craft and text : essays presented toJames W. Allan / edited by Venetia Porter andMariam Rosser-Owen, I. B. Tauris & Co. Ltd, London, New York, 2012.

olcer, nazan. Museum of Turkish and Islamic Art, Akbank Culture and Art Publication No. 70,Akbank, Istanbul, 2002.

Rackham, Bernard. Islamic Pottery and ItalianMaiolica, London, 1959.

Ribeiro, Maria queiroz. Iznik Pottery – MuseoCalouste Gulbenkian, Lisboa, 1996.

Rogers, M. & H. Tezcan, s. Delibaş. The TopkapiPalace Museum, Istanbul, Topkapi – Costumes,Embroideries and other Textiles, Thames & Hudson, London, 1986.

Rogers, J. M., Hülya Tezcan, selma Delibaş.Topkapı - Costumes, Embroideries and otherTextiles, Thames and Hudson, London, 1986.

Roxburgh, David. The Persian Album, Yale University Press, 2005.

slitine, florence. Samson - Genie de l’Imagination, Massin, Paris, 2002.

soudavar, Abolala. Art of the Persian Courts, Art and History Trust Collection, Rizzoli, NewYork, 1992.

Tulips, Arabesques & Turbans: Decorative Arts from the Ottoman Empire, ed. Yanni Petsopoulos, Abbeville Press, 1982.

Walter B. Denny. Iznik: The Artistry of Ottoman Ceramics, London, 2004.

Alexandrie 1925 - Migeon, Gaston. Exposition d’Art Musulman, Les Amis de’l Art,Alexandrie, 1925.

Istanbul 1983 - The Anatolian Civilisations –Seljuk/Ottoman, vol. III, Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism, 1983.

Budapest 1994 - Kanuni Sultan Suleyman veCagı / Suleyman the Magnificent and his Age,Magyar Nemzeti Museum, Budapest, 1994.

geneva 1995 - Rogers, M. Empire of the Sultans: Ottoman Art from the Khalili Collection, Musee d'art et d'histoire, Geneva, The Nour Foundation, London, 1995.

Paris 2000 - Splendeurs de la Cermamique Ottomane des Collections Suna-İnan Kıraç et du Musée Sadberk Hanım, Musée Jacquemart-André – Institut de France, Istanbul, 2000.

Alabama 2004 - Ottoman Treasures: Rugs and Ceramics from the Collection of Dr. and Mrs. William T Price, Birmingham Museum of Art, Alabama, 2004.

Istanbul 2006 - Sandıklarda Saklı Saray Yaşamı, exhibition held in the DolmabahçePalace, TBMM Milli Saraylar, Mas Matbaası, İstanbul, 2006.

Hong Kong 2007 - Crossroads of Ceramics –Turkey, where the East and the West Meet, World of Ceramic Exposition Foundation, Joseon Royal Kiln Museum, Kwon Doo Yhun, 2007.

Paris 2008 - Melikian-Chirvani, AssadullahSouren. Le Chant du Monde L’Art de l’Iran Safavide 1501-1736, Musée du Louvre, Paris, 2008.

Istanbul 2009 - Sultan III. Selim Han, TopkapiPalace Museum, TC. Kultur ve Turizm Bakanlığı,Istanbul, 2009.

Abu Dhabi, 2009 - Islam – Faith and Worship,Abu Dhabi Culture and Heritage, Abu Dhabi,2009.

Istanbul 2010 - Ab-i Hayat – GeçmiştenGünümüze Istanbul’da Su ve Su Kültürü, Adell,Istanbul, 2010.

firenze 2011 - The Revival of Italian Maiolica: Ginori and Cantagalli, Edizioni Polistampa,Firenze, 2011.

geneve 2014 - Terres d’Islam – Les Collectionsde Ceramique Moyen-Orientale du Musee Ariana a Geneve, Ariana, Geneve, 2014.

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selected works of art from the islamic world - Kent Antiques

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