KENT ANTIQUES ISLAMIC & INDIAN ART

SELECTED WORKS OF ART FROM THE ISLAMIC WORLD SELECTED WORKS OF ART FROM THE ISLAMIC WORLD

KENT ANTIQUES

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

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

We are indebted to many individuals for their assistance during We have taken care to select works of art that will not only the preparation of this catalogue. Mr Tim Stanley from the attract the attention of collectors but will also introduce the Victoria and Albert Museum kindly helped with the translation reader to the extraordinary richness and beauty of Islamic art. of Ottoman Turkish verse to English. Special thanks are due Every single work of art published in this catalogue can be to Mr. Nabil Saidi for his generous assistance and valuable appreciated for its formal and decorative property as well as remarks especially on works on paper. Distinguished epigraphist its art-historical, cultural and/or religious value. Mrs. Manijeh Bayani-Wolpert kindly offered her help for deciphering Persian and Turkish inscriptions and seals. We are The accompanying texts are meant to provide a basic grateful to Mr. Garo Kürkman for his insightful comments on description of the piece and information about its functional metalwork. We also would like to thank Professor Nurhan Atasoy and artistic background as well as bibliographic information for generously sharing her expert opinion on Ottoman textiles. about published comparable pieces in world museums and international collections. It is a delightful privilege for me to I would also like to take this opportunity to express my thanks offer such a broad spectrum of rare and fresh-to-the-market to my brother Dr Bora Keskiner who shouldered, in large measure, objects to both institutional and private collectors. 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 Mehmet Keskiner Director elegance and clarity, and fine art photographer Alan Tabor. A lARgE iznik PottERy jug

Turkey of compressed globular form with cylindrical neck Circa 1570 and S-shaped handle, painted in underglaze cobalt Height: 22 cm blue, turquoise and relief red and outlined in black with an all over pattern of four-dotted roundels interposed by tulips, the rim, base, neck and handle with scroll and geometric bands.

A comparable Iznik jug, decorated with similar motifs is published in Bernard Rackham’s Islamic Pottery 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, see Hülya Bilgi, Asırlar Sonra Bir Arada – Sadberk Hanım Müzesi’nin Yurtdışından Türkiye’ye Kazandırdığı Eserler , Vehbi Koç Vakfı, 2005, p. 72-73. Also see: Hitzel, Frédéric & Mireille Jacotin. Iznik – L’Aventure d’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 present calligraphy is a rare and important work the Timurid Vizier by Timurid vizier Abdallah al-Marwarid. It demonstrates Abdallah al-Marwarid Abdallah’s mastery in thuluth , naskh and riqa ‘ scripts. A comparable calligraphy signed by Abdallah al-Marwarid, Timurid dated 921 AH / 1515AD, is published in Abolala Dated 903 AH / 1497 AD Soudavar’s Art of the Persian Courts , Art and History Height: 26.2 cm Trust Collection, Rizzoli, New York, 1992, p. 157. The text Width: 37.3 cm 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 from Kirman 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 Abdallah Ansari. Muhammad married the daughter of another Timurid 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 musical instrument qanun and composed poetry under the penname ( takhallus ) Bayānī. He wrote a narrative poem, Khusrau u Shirin and various shorter works which were collected into a dīvān entitled Munis al-Ahbab . Abdallah was a close associate of Husayn Bayqara and served that ruler in various capacities. Shortly after the latter’s accession to the throne in 1470 Abdallah was appointed sadr and served in that capacity for several years. Later he composed official letters and documents and became the keeper of the royal seal. His contemporaries state that he displayed a remarkable aptitude for epistolary composition and was a skillful scribe particularly in the ta’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 several years. Writing in 1490-91, Ali Shir Nava’i remarks that Abdallah had resigned his court position and was living in retirement. Following the demise of Qavam-al-din, Abdallah returned to Husayn Bayqara’s service with the rank of amir and was given the privilege of being the first of the amirs to affix his seal on documents, an honor previously accorded to Ali Shir Nava’i. During this period Abdallah became one of Husayn Bayqara’s closest Provenance: associates. He was, for example, entrusted with ministering Ex private collection donated to to the dying Ali Shir in 1500. He passed away in 1516. benefit the University of Oxford A kutAHyA CERAmiC BottlE dECoRAtEd witH FlowERs And lEAVEs

Turkey The body of flaring conical form rising to the 18th Century angled sloping shoulder, the tubular neck Height: 26.9 cm with a raised band below the slightly flaring mouth, the white surface painted in typical colours with bands of meandering flowering sprays, leaf-motifs around the neck, the mouth with small floral sprays, large conserved crack on shoulder.

A comparable Kutahya bootle is published in Şebnem Akalın & Hülya Bilgi, Yadigar-ı Kütahya - Suna ve İnan Kıraç Koleksiyonundan Kütahya Seramikleri , Akdeniz Medeniyetleri Araştırma Enstitüsü, İstanbul, 1997, p. 67. A CAlligRAPHiC PAnEl signEd mEHmEd Es’Ad Al-yEsARi (d. 1798)

Signed Mehmed Es’ad The couplet in Persian: al-Yesari “Fanist jihan dar u vafa nist Turkey Baqi hama ust jumla fanis t” Dated (11)96 AH / 1781 AD (This world is perishable and has no fidelity Height: 35.8 cm Only God is eternal, the rest is mortal) Width: 49 cm

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 the right side and afflicted with tremors on the left, making his talent for calligraphy, and in particular the tal'iq script even more notable. He first studied with a master of ta'liq , Shaykh al-Islam Wali al-Din Efendi (Veliyüddin Efendi) and then with Dedezadeh Muhammad Sa’id Efendi from whom he received his calligrapher's diploma (ijaza) in 1754.

The present panel ( levha ), dated AH 1196, corresponds to the very beginning of what can be described as Yesari’s career peak with his innovative style, between AH 1196/1782 AD and AH 1200/1786 AD. Having closely followed the style of the great Safavid master of nasta'liq script, Mir ‘Imad (1554-1615) - he was sometimes known as ‘ Imad-i Rum , the ‘Imad of Anatolia, Yesari began to develop his own style which led to a new Ottoman method. 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 mihrab of the Hagia Sophia and others for the Tomb of Sultan Mehmet II, the Barracks of the Black Eunuchs at Topkapi, the Beylerbeyi Mosque and the Aynali Kavak Sarayi which are amongst the finest 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 mastery of the calligrapher in the nas-ta‘liq script with its wonderfully well-proportioned and sharp letters.

Provenance: Ex-private UK collection

An unusuAl sAmson CAndlEstiCk witH BuddHA-liPs AFtER An iznik oRiginAl

France With slightly tapering cylindrical body and flat wide shoulder, 19th Century mouth with flaring rim, underglaze painted stylised green wave Height: 20.5 cm and lip motifs around both the upper and lower parts of body. Diameter: 16 cm The Iznik archetype which was used as a model for the present piece is published in the exhibition catalogue Exposition d’Art Musulman , Alexandrie, 1925, pl. 34.

Compared with this archetype, the candlestick in hand demonstrates the precision and mastery achieved by the Samson workshop. A comparable Iznik bowl, decorated with underglaze painted lip motifs is in the Sadberk Hanim Museum in Istanbul, see Hülya Bilgi, Asırlar Sonra Bir Arada – Sadberk Hanım Müzesi’nin Yurtdışından Türkiye’ye Kazandırdığı Eserler , Vehbi Koç Vakfı, 2005, p. 44-45. Related pieces of Samson ceramic production inspired from 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

Turkey The velvet panel consists of two pieces of fabric joined together lenghtwise. The 16th century design is in the form of a closed composition surrounded by a border. Here the Height: 173 cm çintemani spots are not arranged in the usual offset pattern but in straight rows. Each Width: 123 cm spot is filled with a design of tulips, carnations, rosebuds and hyacinths. The central section 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 area during 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 motifs characterized by wavy vertical stems with blooming palmettes (52.20.21), carnations, or pomegranate fruit (52.20.19), to large-scale ogival layouts with delicate peony blossoms creating a lattice pattern (49.32.79).

Lattice layouts became popular during the reign of Süleyman I and may also reflect layouts and motifs used in architectural tile decoration from Iznik, or earlier Mamluk silks themselves inspired 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 including carnations, 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 in Kjeld 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’s A Wealth of Silk and Velvet , Eidition Temmen, Bremen, Undated, pp. 88-93.

Literature An 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.

Provenance: Ex-private UK collection

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

Turkey Decorated with mother of pearl and jade with ruby finial. This 1st half of the 18th century cylindrical pen-case is made of paste-board, and the outside is Height: 23.3 cm covered with an imbricated pattern of mother of pearl with gilt bands. The paste-board sliding inside the cover is decorated with gold 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 Osmanlı Gümüş 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’s box, similarly decorated with mother of pearl is in the Sadberk Hanim Museum in Istanbul, see Hülya Bilgi, Asırlar Sonra Bir Arada – Sadberk Hanım Müzesi’nin Yurtdışından Türkiye’ye Kazandırdığı Eserler , Vehbi Koç Vakfı, 2005, p. 168-169. A CAntAgAlli iznik-stylE FootEd Bowl

Italy Rising from trumpet foot to wide rounded sides with slightly flaring rim, the 19th Century white ground decorated with cobalt-blue, manganese purple, green hatayi Heigth: 28.5 cm flowers and saz leaves, the foot with a band of scrolls followed by scrolling Diameter: 41 cm saz leaves bordered above with band of stylized flowers, the interior with floral 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 typical size and form of many Cantagalli vessels reveals that the Italian producers did not seek simply to create Iznik reproductions. The polychrome style and saz leaf motifs borrowed from Iznik are however quite similar and has even 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 ( juz z )

Signed Muhammad Wafa The present Qur’anic juzz is written in exteremely Turkey fine, sharp and precise naskh script indicating the Dated 1231AH/1815AD level of stylistic perfection naskh achieved during Height: 24 cm the 19th century. The quality of both the calligraphy Width: 16.5 cm and 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 manuscript is 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 to Nurhan 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 rather bizarre shape are almost identical to those found 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.

Provenance: Ex-private UK collection A RARE iznik PottERy jug

Turkey The body of globular form supported on a broad footring, Circa 1540 the high cylindrical neck slightly everted toward the rim, an Height 20.2 cm s-shaped handle ring from the rim to the shoulder, decorated in underglaze cobalt blue and turquoise with chintamanis and paired white tulips, the footring exterior and interior with a pale 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 and pale blue palette was continually used throughout the 16th century as can be observed in the present jug. A comparable jug decorated with paired tulips, although on a white ground, is published in Bernard Rackham, Islamic Pottery and Italian Maiolica , London, 1959, pl. 42.

Provenance: Ex-Collection of Dr. and Mrs. William T Price Kevorkian 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 )

Turkey of baluster form on a slightly splayed, bevelled foot, with a tall waisted neck and 1st half of the 18th century domed stopper with chain attached to body, the serpentine spout also with a small Height: 36.5 cm stopper 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 storing the 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 in 15th-century forms and styles of decoration. The style called “Classical Ottoman” takes shape during the early 16th century. Of special importance during the 16th and 17th centuries are harmoniously-proportioned candlesticks that have austerely-styled forms and are lacking in embellishment but contemporary with them are interesting examples of works whose surfaces are entirely covered with rumi-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 the Topkapi Sarayi armory were stamped with a seal resembling the brand of the Kayl clan, of which the Ottomans were originally a member. Pots and pans used in the great kitchens of the Ottoman palace frequently contain inscriptions indicating who they belong to. Objects bequeathed to mosques and tombs also bear mostly tughra-like dedicatory inscriptions. Both in terms of its design and condition, the present 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 for scholarship 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 the Nuruosmaniye complex, completed by Osman III in 1755. A very similar tombak ewer 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 difficult process. Tombak arms and armour including shields, helmets, weapons, maces as well 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 ( ijAzA t ) giVEn to mEHmEd HAṡi B PAsHA’s son mEHmEd EsHREF BEyEFEnḋi By His tEACHERs mEHmEd sHEḞi k BEy (d. 1880) And ABdullAH zuHḋi BEy (d. 1879)

Turkey Arabic manuscript on paper, 3 lines to the page, written in thuluth and Dated 1272 AH / 1855 AD naskh and the rest in ijaza script, in black ink within cloud bands, set Height: 22.9 cm against a gold ground with pin-pricked cintamani motifs and polychrome Width: 30.2 cm rococo decoration, outer margins of scrolling ribbons and flowers, laid down on stout paper.

The present ijazeh was given to Mehmed Eshref Bey Efendi, son of Mehmed Hasib Pasha, and signed by his tutors Abdullah Zuhdi and Mehmed Shefik, in 1272 AH/1855 AD. The calligrapher is the son of Mehmed Hasib Paşa who was the minister of pious endowments (evkaf naziri 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 Mustafa Izzet Efendi. In 1845 he was appointed teacher of calligraphy to the Muzika-i Hümayun, the imperial brass band. Together with the master calligrapher Abdulfettah, he was sent by Sultan Abdulmecid (r. 1839–61) to Bursa to repair the inscriptions in the Ulu Cami (congregational mosque), which had been severely damaged in the earthquake of 1855. His inscriptions there are among his finest works. During the three years he spent on this project he also wrote inscriptions in other mosques. He passed away in 1880.

Abdullah Zuhdi was born in Damascus and came to Istanbul as a child. He studied calligraphy first under the supervision of Rashid-i Eyyubi and later Kadıasker Mustafa Izzet Efendi. He became a famous for his mastery both in calligraphy and painting. Sultan Abdulmecid who appreciated his works, ordered him to design the monumental calligraphic bands of the Haram al-Sharif in Medina. He stayed in Medina and worked on the monumental inscriptions of the mosque of the Prophet Muhammad. He then moved to Cairo and lived there until his death in 1879.

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

Signed RUMI The present inkwell is an extraordinary example Dated 1120 AH / 1708 AD of Ottoman metalwork. The inscriptions on the Turkey piece tell us that it was produced in 1708, for Height 4.8 cm the head of the Ottoman imperial chancery Diameter 3.9 cm Muhammad 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.

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”)

RUMI Rumi 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).

5 The only comparable inkwell known to us is in the Mesud Hakgüden Collection in Istanbul. Signed by the 4 same artist, Rumi, and dated 1113 AH / 1701 AD.

See: Garo Kürkman, Osmanlı Gümüş Damgaları , 3 Istanbul, 1996, p. 80, 81.

2 Rumi is the earliest recorded Ottoman silversmith who is particularly famed for his ingenious divits and inkwells. A divit signed by him is 1 in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London

(V.&A. no:1117.69). See: Garo Kürkman’s 0

Osmanlı Gümüş Damgaları , Istanbul, 1996, p. 104. cm THE PoEM In oTToMAn TURKIsH on THE InKWELL In nAsKH scRIPT:

“Zihî zîbâ hoş muhbere-i âlâ Kim verir ehl-i dile seyri cilâ Gûyâ bir dilber-i pâkîzedir Seyr iden küttâbı eyler mübtelâ Tarz-ı Şa‘bândır bu râ‘nâ tarz-ı pâk Zâhir olursa İbn-i Şa‘bândır sezâ – Fi Üsküdar”

TRAnsLATIon of THE PoEM

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 A PAiR oF tEkFuRsARAy tilEs

Turkey of square form, decorated in underglaze cobalt blue, light blue, green 1st half of the 18th century and relief red with a design of a flower bouquet. Height: 25 cm Width: 22.5 cm Under Sultan Ahmed III, with the enterprise of Grand-vizier Damad Ibrahim Pasha a tile workshop was established in the Tekfur Saray, in Istanbul, to revive tile production. Damad Ibrahim Pasha established a tile workshop in the so-called Tekfur Palace to revive tile production. The Tekfur Palace was part of a group of Byzantine palaces known collectively as the Blachernae Palaces 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 produced in Tekfur Saray Palace workshops are found on the Sultan Ahmed III fountain, in the Ayasofya Library, the Ferruh Kethuda Mosque in Balat, the Hekimoğlu Ali Pasha Mosque in Kocamustafapaşa, the Kaptan Paşa Mosque in Üsküdar, the Mehmed Ağa Mosque in Çarşamba, the Kandilli Mosque in Kandilli, and the Holy Mantle Pavilion in the Topkapi Palace. In addition, the Cezeri Kasım Pasha Mosque tiles are dated 1725 and the fireplace of the Fuad Pasha Yalısı, which burnt down in 1864, now in the Victoria and Albert Museum, is signed and dated 1730.

Provenance: Private UK collection A nAstA’liQ QuAtRAin

Signed Raif Ali Bursawi As his nisba Bursawi indicates the calligrapher Turkey Raif Ali was from the city of Bursa. He was 18th Century active in the first half of the 18th century. Height: 19.8 cm The specimen in hand signed by him displays Width: 12.9 cm the decorative repertoire favoured during this period. The text is a Turkish quatrain which addresses an unnamed dignitary. A RARE kutAHyA CERAmiC RosE-wAtER sPRinklER

Turkey The present charming rose-water sprinkler 18th century belongs to a small group of ceramics used for Height: 17.3 cm serving 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 Medeniyetleri Araştırma Enstitüsü, İstanbul, 1997, pp. 42-51. Also see the exhibition catalogue: Splendeurs de la Cermamique Ottomane des Collections Suna-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 Heravi also signed his name Ali al-Husayni. (Mir Ali al-Heravi, d. 1544) The best known example of this application is the anthology of poetry, made in 1524, for vizier Khawaja Folio: Malik Ahmad, who was governor of Herat under Shah Height: 31.8 cm Ismail. “The anthology bears the signatures of several Width: 22.7 cm masters including Ali al-Husayni (that is, Mir Ali), Calligraphy by Ali al-Husayni: Muhammad Qasim b Shadishah and Muhammad Height: 13.2 cm Khandan”. See: David Roxburgh, The Persian Album , Width: 6.9 cm Yale University Press, 2005, p. 179. An illustrated copy of the Panj Ganj of Abd al-Rahman Jami, signed Ali Husayni is in the Golestan Palace Library (inv. no. 709). A Gulistan copied in 975 (1567/68) and signed Mir Ali Husayni (Mir Ali al-Husayni al-Katib al-Sultani) in Bukhara is in the British Library (BL Or 5302). It includes six Bukhara-style paintings which were commissioned apparently at Akbar's request. Mir Ali Heravi was a master calligrapher of the nasta’liq script active in the city of Herat during the 16th century until he was taken to Bukhara in 1528 by the Shaybanid ruler Ubaydallah Khan Uzbek. He passed away in 1544.

Compare with another album page decorated with similar illuminated devices in the outer borders reminiscent of those which decorated Safavid Qur’ans of 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

France With scalloped rim, the white ground finely decorated with 19th Century vines and bunch grapes and peony-like blossoms around, Diameter: 44.5 cm 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 cm

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An illuminAtEd mAnusCRiPt oF tHE sAyings oF kHAwAjA ABdAllAH Al-AnsARi. 16

Signed Richly decorated with illuminated sections THE cALLIgRAPHER: Mahmud B. Ishaq al-Shihabi and birds. Lacquered binding decorated with MAHMUD B. IsHAq AL-sHIHABI 15 Written in the city of Balkh gold shams motif and saz leaves. The calligrapher Mahmud b. Ishaq al-Shihabi

Dated 971AH / 1563 AD Seals of Shah Safi II (Suleyman I, r. 166 6-1694) is one of those mentioned by the biographer 14 Height: 23 cm and Nasr al-Mulk Naib al-Saltanat and of Qadi Ahmad because his nas-ta‘liq script was Width: 14.8 cm Ottoman owners including Sultan Mahmud highly prized not only among the Shaybanid II’s court physician Mustafa Mes‘ud Effendi Uzbek rulers but also in Iran among the (dated 1228/1812). Safavid rulers and, in India. According to Qadi 13 Ahmad, Mahmud b. Ishaq came from a village The text is in Persian. Khawaja Abdullah near Herat and may have been born there

al-Ansari of Herat (100 6 -1088) also known between 1510 and 1520. His father, Khawaja 12 as Pir-i Herat (the chief saint of Herat) was a Ishaq, became mayor of Herat but was forced famous sufi who lived in the 11th century in to leave with his family and children in 1528, Herat. He was one of the outstanding figures when the city was seized by the Shaybanid 11 in Khorasan in the 11th century, famed as a ruler Ubayd Khan Uzbek. commentator of the Qur’an, traditionist, polemicist, and spiritual master, known for The famous calligrapher Mawlana Mir Ali his mastery in oratory and poetic talents in Heravi (d. 1544) was travelling with the same 10 Arabic and Persian. His shrine, built during group of captives from Herat to Bukhara the Timurid period, is still a popular and took as his pupil Khwaja Mahmud, who pilgrimage site. received education and made such progress 9 in Bukhara that his writing was preferred Nasir al-Mulk Na'ib al-Saltanah (Abu'l-Qasim by some to that of his master, Mir Ali. By Khan Qarahqozlu Hamadani), one of the 1530–31, Mahmud b. Ishaq had already ex-owners of the manuscript, was educated written a major work, The Collection of Wise 8 in Oxford and entered the Royal service after Sayings of Ali . Khwaja Mahmud spent some his return to Iran. He receieved the title Nasir time in Bukhara but after the death of Ubayd

al-Mulk after his grand-father's death in early Khan in 1539 evidently took up residence in 7 1305 (1887-8). Among his posts were Minister Balkh, where he is said to have joined the of Treasury in 1325 (1907-08); Prime Minister service of Shah Husayn Balkhi Shihabi and for only a couple of months, when he thus added the title Shihabi to his own name. resigned without Shah's permission and was 6 about to be sentenced to death when the Qadi Ahmad writes, “Many people assembled British intervened and instead, he left for round him and he had no need of making

Europe to return after Muhammad 'Ali Shah inscriptions and producing specimens; 5 was deposed. He was appointed Na'ib therefore his writing is scarce.” Apart from al-Saltanah to the young Ahmad Mirza in the Collection of the Wise Sayings of Ali of 1329 (1911-12) and kept his post up the 937 (1530–31) and the Yusuf va Zulaykh ¸ 4 time Ahmad Mirza became king in 1322 manuscript of 964 (1557), he wrote a further (1913-14). He left Iran to return later and manuscript after having returned from Balkh died in 1346 (1927)' (M. Bamdad, Dictionary to Bukhara to work for the Shaybanid ruler of National Biography of Iran ,1700-1960, Abu’l Ghazi Abdullah b. Iskandar (1557–98). 3 vol. 1, Tehran, 1966, pp. 66-70). He may have died in 991 (1583), when he was in his late sixties or early seventies.”

2 Provenance: Ex private collection donated to benefit the University of Oxford 1

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0 0 An imPoRtAnt iznik PolyCHRomE PottERy disH

Turkey of deep rounded form, decorated in underglaze cobalt blue, pale Circa 1580 turquoise, relief red and olive green, outlined in black, with a central Diameter: 30.6 cm foliate motif issuing sprays of small tulips and rosettes, two large tulips, three large rosettes and three hyacinths, the rim with circular and spiral motifs, 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 small group 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 from the 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 a movement both clockwise and counter clockwise, display a truly successful execution of this courtly style.

For scholarly discussion on the evolution of Iznik pottery during 1580s see: 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 Gulbenkian Museum 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, 1996 Iznik – 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

Turkey of deep rounded form, decorated in underglaze Circa 1600 blue, relief red and olive green, outlined in black, Diameter: 21.5 cm with a central depiction of a house, the rim with black circular and spiral wave motifs.

A comparable Iznik dish, decorated with an underglaze painted house scene is in the Sadberk Hanim Museum in Istanbul, see Hülya Bilgi, Asırlar Sonra 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 du Musée Sadberk Hanım , Musée Jacquemart-André – Institut de France, Istanbul, 2000, p. 95. 35

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A RARE ottomAn lAdy’s silVER EwER And BAsin ( zEnnE ) 33 stAmPEd witH tHE tugHRA oF sultAn ABdulHAmid ii (1876-1909) 32

Turkey of elegant melon fluted baluster form with high 31

Reign of curving tubular spout, s-scroll handle linking neck 30 Sultan Abdülhamid II and belly with cast curved leaf design, upper handle (1876-1909) with hinge to domed cover with pointed finial, the 29

Ewer height: 26.8 cm basin of wide flaring fluted form, the central aperture 28 Basin diameter: 27.7 cm closed by a pierced support for the ewer, fully 27 Set height: 34.1 cm marked with the tughra of Sultan Abdülhamid II. 26 Silver ewer and basins were highly in demand in 25 Ottoman houses where they were part of daily life, used by members of the household and guests to 24

wash hands and ablution. The present ewer and 23 basin is a rare and unusual example of its kind since it is noticeably smaller than standard silver ewer 22

and basins which usually measure 50 cm. plus in 21 height. This is probably because it was produced 20 on special order the use of a lady or a child. 19 Provenance: 18 Private French collection 17

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Turkey slightly curved double-edged watered Dated 1319 AH / 1901-2 AD steel blade, horn hilt with silver mounts Length: 35 cm featuring 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, THE cALLIgRAPHER: osMAn AL-UWAIsI (D.1724) a descendant of Uwais al-Qarani Sayyid Osman al-Uwaisi b. Sayyid Muhammad Said b. Osman, better known as Osman al-Uwaisi studied Turkey calligraphy under the supervision of master Dedezade End of 17th, Mehmed Said Effendi (d. 1749). He was the Sheikh of the early 18th Century Hirka-i Sherif Camii (the Mosque of the Mantle of the Height: 22 cm Prophet – ar. al-Burda -) in the Fatih district, Istanbul, and Width: 15.3 cm an eminent calligrapher particularly celebrated for his mastery in nas-ta’liq script. He was the great-grand-son of Persian quatrain in Shukrullah al-Uwaisi, a successor of saint Uwais al-Qarani elegant nas-ta’liq script (d. 657), who brought the Burda (the mantle of the Prophet) to Istanbul on Sultan Ahmed I’s order. When Osman al-Uwaisi was the Sheikh of the Mosque of the mantel 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 of Islam, from Yemen. He lived during the lifetime of Prophet Muhammad, but never had the chance to meet the Prophet in person. The Prophet, who knew Uwais al-Qarani’s affection and loyalty to himself, is said to have sent his mantle ( al-Burda ) to him as a gift. As reported by the renowned historical scholar Ibn Battuta, Uwais was martyred 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 Uwaisi family has been famous for owning and preserving the mantle of the Prophet.

Provenance: Ex-private UK collection A kutAHyA disH dECoRAtEd witH tHE tugHRA oF sultAn ABdulHAmid ii (R. 1876-1909)

Turkey The present dish bears the tughra of Sultan Between 187 6-1909 Abdulhamid II (r. 1876-1909), also bears a prayer Diameter: 27.3 cm to the Sultan in Turkish, “ muzaffer ol daim ” (May you be always victorious) in thuluth script. The upper half of the dish is decorated with the Ottoman imperial arms.

For a comparable Kutahya-ware, similarly decorated with calligraphy, see Terres d’Islam – Les Collections de Céramique Moyen-Orientale du Musée Ariana a Geneve , Ariana, Geneve, 2014, pp. 270-271. Also see; Garo Kürkman’s Toprak, Ateş, Sır - Kütahya Çini ve Seramikleri , Pera Müzesi Yayınları, Istanbul, 2005, pp. 226-227. An ottomAn iVoRy inlAid woodEn sCRiBE’s BoX

Turkey of rectangular form, the lid with the inlaid tughra of Reign of Sultan Abdulaziz Sultan Abdulaziz, the top surface and sides decorated (r. 1861-1876) with fleshy ivory inlaid interlacing vegetal motifs, Height: 17 cm comprising intertwining scrolls. Depth: 28 cm The application of the Ottoman imperial monogram (tughra ) on the present piece indicates a palatial background. It must have been produced for a royal dignitary or a member of the palatial circle. A tughra is a calligraphic monogram, seal or signature of a sultan that was affixed to all official documents and correspondence. It was also carved on his seal and stamped 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 tughra belonged 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 Turkish and Islamic Art, Akbank, İstanbul, 2002, p. 318.

Provenance: Private French collection

A FinE ottomAn EmRoidEREd silk CEREmoniAl CoVER

Turkey The emboidered red silk cover in hand 18th century belongs to a small group of Ottoman silk Height: 134 cm ceremonial covers which were produced in Width: 126.4 cm Istanbul, in the 18th century, for the use of courtly 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 Yurtdisindan Turkiye’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

Persia Of slightly widening cylindrical form with pointed ridge below and 16th century flattened panel above, the surface very finely engraved and inlaid with Length: 4.2 cm spiralling gold tendrils, each leaf-motif also further worked within the gold design, the upper panel with scrolling motifs, slight loss to lower end, 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. Very few objects exist with which to compare the present piece, but the closest 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 body of 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 was completed in 1512. Here the arabesques are rendered in tile mosaic in the spandrels in gold on blue ground (Sheila Canby, The Golden Age of Persian Art , London, 1999, fig.13, pp. 26-8). The jug is assumed to have entered the Ottoman treasury after the battle of Chaldiran, when the conquering Turkish army took a huge booty back to Istanbul. It is tempting 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 hilted dagger with similar decoration was sold in Christie’s London, in the Islamic Art and Manuscripts sale on 29 April 2003, lot. 85. A mirror with a comparable handle, from the Topkapi Palace Museum, is published in The Anatolian Civilisations – Seljuk/Ottoman, vol. III, Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism, 1983, p. 158.

Provenance: Ex-private UK collection An ottomAn intERioR kAABA ClotH

Turkey 19th Century Height: 207.1 cm Width: 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 Süleyman in 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 and 17th century fragments of interior Kaaba cloths with similar calligraphic zig-zag bands see: Islam – Faith and Worship , Abu Dhabi Culture and Heritage, Abu Dhabi, 2009, pp. 310-311 and pp. 316-317. A RARE ottomAn lACQuEREd PEnCAsE

Signed Ahmed of cylindrical form painted with flower bouquets Dated 1196 AH / 1781 AD amongst dark green ground, with oblique cartuches Height: 30.6 cm 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 edâsı Güzel düşmüş tûtî yeşil boyası Nukûşu ol kadar … ü rânâ Altun ile gümüş tahrir arası Müzeyyen oldu nukûşu güller ile Şükûfe üzre sabra karar alası … devât-ı hûb ü rânâ Bakınca 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 Ahmed Ataullah 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

Turkey of rectangular form, the lid with the inlaid tughra Reign of Sultan Abdulaziz of Sultan Abdulaziz, the top surface and sides (r. 1861-1876) decorated with mother of pearl, inlaid interlacing Height:18.8 cm vegetal motifs. The application of the imperial Width: 20.1 cm monogram, the tughra , on the cover indicates Length: 30.5 cm that the box was produced for a patron from or closely related to the Ottoman palatian circles. A comparable walnut book stand produced in a similar design, bearing the tughra of Sultan Abdulaziz, is in the Topkapi Palace Museum (inv. no. 8/496), Istanbul. See: Cevdet Çulpan’s Rahleler , Istanbul, 1968, p. 34.

Provenance: Private French collection A PAiR oF FinE ottomAn EmRoidEREd silk CEREmoniAl CoVER

Turkey 18th century Height: 133 cm Width: 57.6 cm

The emboidered red silk covers in hand belong to a small group of Ottoman embroidered silk ceremonial covers which were produced in Istanbul, in the 18th century. 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 Yurtdisindan Turkiye’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

Turkey comprising two spoons, each carved from walrus 18t h-19th Century tusk ivory, the handles with a diamond pattern, Lengths: 23.6 cm 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 illustrate the 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 and 2/2498, 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’ye Kazandırdığı 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

Turkey comprising four panels, each joined together by Late 18th -19th Century two hinges, including a central hinge used for each panel: 183 by 38 cm locking, painted with a bluish-grey background and trompe-oeil architectural elements containing light pink floral stems against a light blue ground, each panel with an eight-pointed star to the top and bottom and a large mirror in the centre divided into four sections with carved relief spandrels, the back a plain greenish-grey colour.

Provenance: Private Italian collection BiBliogRAPHy EXHiBition CAtAloguEs

Akalın, Şebnem & Hülya Bilgi. Yadigar-ı Erber, christian. A Wealth of Silk and Velvet , Alexandrie 1925 - Migeon, Gaston. Kütahya - Suna ve İnan Kıraç Koleksiyonundan Eidition Temmen, Bremen, Undated. Exposition d’Art Musulman , Les Amis de’l Art, Kütahya Seramikleri , Akdeniz Medeniyetleri Alexandrie, 1925. Araştırma Enstitüsü, İstanbul, 1997. von folsach, Kjeld. Art from the World of Islam in the David Collection , Copenhagen, 2001. Istanbul 1983 - The Anatolian Civilisations – Arlı, Belgin Demirsar & Ara Altun. Tiles – Seljuk/Ottoman , vol. III, Turkish Ministry of Treasures of Anatolian Soil – Ottoman Period , Hitzel, frédéric & Mireille Jacotin. Iznik – Culture and Tourism, 1983. Kale Group Publications, Istanbul, 2008. L’Aventure d’une Collection , Musee National de la Renaissance – Chateau d’Ecouen, Budapest 1994 - Kanuni Sultan Süleyman ve Atasoy, nurhan & Julian Raby. Iznik , London, Paris, 2005. C¸ağı / Suleyman the Magnificent and his Age , 1989. Magyar Nemzeti Museum, Budapest, 1994. Irepoğlu, gül. Imperial Ottoman Jewellery , Atasoy, nurhan. Walter B. Denny . Hülya Tezcan, BKG Publications, Istanbul, 2012. geneva 1995 - Rogers, M. Empire of the Louise W. Mackie. Silk: Imperial Ottoman Silks Sultans: Ottoman Art from the Khalili and Velvets ; TEB Publications, London, 2001 Kayaoğlu, I . gündağ , Tombak , Istanbul, 1992. Collection , Musee d'art et d'histoire, Geneva, The Nour Foundation, London, 1995. Atasoy, nurhan. A Garden for the Sultan: Kürkman, garo. Osmanlı Gümüş Damgaları Gardens and Flowers in the Ottoman Culture , (Ottoman Silver Marks) , İstanbul, 1996. Paris 2000 - Splendeurs de la Cermamique Aygaz, Istanbul, 2002 Ottomane des Collections Suna-İnan Kıraç Kürkman, garo. Toprak, Ateş, Sır - Kütahya et du Musée Sadberk Hanım , Musée Ballian, Anna-Rosa. Selected Ottoman Çini ve Seramikleri , Pera Müzesi Yayınları, Jacquemart-André – Institut de France, metalwork from the Benaki Museum , University Istanbul, 2005. Istanbul, 2000. of London MA Thesis, 1982. Metalwork and material culture in the Islamic Alabama 2004 - Ottoman Treasures: Rugs Baker, Patricia L. Islamic Textiles , British world : art, craft and text : essays presented to and Ceramics from the Collection of Dr. and Museum Press, London, 1995 James W. Allan / edited by Venetia Porter and Mrs. William T Price , Birmingham Museum of Mariam Rosser-Owen, I. B. Tauris & Co. Ltd, Art, Alabama, 2004. Bayani, Mahdi. Ahval va Asar-e Khosh-Nevisan , London, New York, 2012. Tehran, 1348. Istanbul 2006 - Sandıklarda Saklı Saray ölçer, nazan. Museum of Turkish and Islamic Yaşamı , exhibition held in the Dolmabahçe Bilgi, Hülya. Asırlar Sonra Bir Arada – Sadberk Art , Akbank Culture and Art Publication No. 70, Palace, TBMM Milli Saraylar, Mas Matbaası, Hanım Müzesi’nin Yurtdıs¸ından Türkiye’ye Akbank, ̇Istanbul, 2002. İstanbul, 2006. Kazandırdığı Eserler , Vehbi Koc¸ Vakfı, Istanbul, 2005. Rackham, Bernard. Islamic Pottery and Italian Hong Kong 2007 - Crossroads of Ceramics – Maiolica , London, 1959. Turkey, where the East and the West Meet , Bilgi, Hülya. Osmanli Ipekli Dokumalari Çatma World of Ceramic Exposition Foundation, ve Kemha , Sadberk Hanim Müzesi, 2007, Ribeiro, Maria queiroz. Iznik Pottery – Museo Joseon Royal Kiln Museum, Kwon Doo Istanbul. Calouste Gulbenkian , Lisboa, 1996. Yhun, 2007.

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