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PRESENTING VAṢṢĀL KALENDER’S WORKS: THE PREFACES OF THREE OTTOMAN ALBUMS 255 SERPİL BAğCI PRESENTING VAṢṢāL KALENDER’S WORKS: THE PREFACES OF THREE OTTOMAN ALBUMS The Ottoman bureaucrat and historian Mustafa ʿÂli like the “sherbet of reunion revives the heartbroken (d. 1600) added a verse epilogue (zeyl) to his Menāḳıb­ı beloveds.”2 Hünerverān (Exploits of the Artists), which he complet- Kalender, who was so praised by ʿÂli, a writer who ed in 1587.1 At the end of his text, the first biography rarely offers compliments, began his career as a royal dedicated to calligraphers in Ottoman literature and the herald (çavuş) at the imperial palace. The historian Sela- only existing work on the masters of painting, illumina- niki (alive in 1600) notes that Kalender Çavuş was tion, and paper decoupage, ʿÂli notes that the last step appointed as the trustee of Sultan Selim I’s endowments (āḫir­i kār) in the completion of a book is the joining in late April/early May 1598 (evāḫir­i Ramażān 1006). He (vaṣl) of the entire volume at the spine. As it was fitting also identifies him as steward at the Porte (ḳapu to cite in the epilogue the name of a paper joiner who ketḫüdası) and cites him among those presented with produces rarities (vaṣṣāl­i nādire­kār), ʿÂli dedicates a robes of honor (ḫilʿat) after the trial and execution of a piece of poetry to the vaṣṣāl Kalender Çavuş (d. 1616). pasha who rebelled on February 7, 1600 (22 Rajab 1008).3 In his eulogy, ʿÂli provides invaluable information The rank of ḳapu ketḫüdası is not only important within about the artistic identity of Kalender Çavuş as he the hierarchy of the palace but also indicates that Kal- praises his technical competence in joining and con- ender enjoyed close ties with the palace eunuchs and serving sheets of paper, as well as his virtuosity in other inner palace pages. The contemporary historian aspects of the arts of the book. According to ʿÂli, Kalen- Mehmed-i Rumi b. Mehmed (d. 1640–41) mentions in der was also unmatched among equals in his skill as a his Ṭārīḫ­i āl­i ʿOsmān (History of the House of Osman) bookbinder. His ability to join qiṭʿas (a single-sheet cal- that Kalender was a member of the corps of court ush- ligraphy, painting, or drawing), which he composed of ers, as well as a trustee of sultanic endowments in Istan- colorful sheets of paper, resembles the rainbow across bul. According to Mehmed, he worked as a keeper of the the face (i.e., page) of the sky. No one can discern the imperial purse (ḫarc­ı ḥāṣṣa emīni) for an extended line where he attaches the sheets; the eye of the imagi- period of time. Since officers of this rank served at the nation perceives these as single pages. When he joins palace, Kalender mingled with the eunuchs of the harem paper and leather, even the most discerning, those able (dārü’s­saʿāde aġaları) and other palace eunuchs and to see the finest things, find no words to describe his pages (aġalar) during this period, ultimately affiliating work. God has bestowed upon him the arts of ḥalkār himself with the palace pages (ḳapu oġlanları). In partic- (illumination with varying dilutions and densities of ular, he earned the favor of the chief black eunuch gold) and zerefşān (gold sprinkling), as well as cedvel el-Hacc Mustafa Agha (d. 1624), and, upon his recom- (framing) and pervāz (margining). Each of his knotted mendation, was appointed as second treasurer patterns in the margins surrounding the qiṭʿas “be wilders (defterdār­ı sānī).4 Subsequently, when a building super- the viewer and binds a knot around the feet of visor (binā emīni) was needed in 1610 (1018) for the con- the mind.” ʿÂli also mentions Kalender’s ability to struction of the mosque of Sultan Ahmed I (r. 1603–17), mend torn pieces of paper with his preparations, just Mustafa Agha recommended that Kalender be desig- 256 SERPİL BAĞCI nated financial supervisor of construction (ḥāfıẓ­ı māl). KALENDER’S ALBUMS FOR SULTAN AHMED I In November 1614 (Shawwal 1023), when Kalender was eagerly carrying out the duties of these posts, the vizier Today we are familiar with Vaṣṣāl Kalender from his Yusuf Pasha died and Kalender inherited both his vizier- close association with the arts of the book—which ex- ate and properties.5 He died two years later and was ceeded that of a mere hobbyist—and from various sur- interred in the garden of the Atik Ali Pasha Mosque.6 viving works of art in his hand. The art of paper joinery Mehmed concludes his narrative of Kalender Pasha by consists of attaching pieces of paper to one another so noting that he was not only moderate (muʿtedil) and as to mask the individual joints. However, vaṣṣāls also abstinent (perhīzkār) but also an unequaled paper demonstrated their talents by restoring manuscripts joiner (vaṣṣālī) and bookbinder (mücellid).7 and framing pages within a margin (pervaẓ) in order to The artist’s name (or perhaps his sobriquet) implies enlarge them, as well as by designing books. This par- his association with antinomian dervish groups. Besides ticular process is especially important in the production the reference to his skill as an artist, a verse in ʿÂli’s of albums, which combine independent calligraphies, above-quoted poem, which defines him as a mine of tal- paintings, and drawings (qiṭʿas) that differ in content, ent (ḳān­ı maʿrifet), could be understood—albeit indi- as well as dimension, style, and technique. Undoubt- rectly—as related to the ability to know God with the edly, the traditional principles of the arts of the book heart’s eye on the path to Sufism.8 The metaphor of the guided the artists who produced such album-books. At crescent moon as Kalender’s earringed slave, in the sec- the same time, the creation of artistic collations that ond hemistich of the same couplet, brings to mind the were otherwise unrelated to each other resulted in inde- earrings worn by dervishes.9 Furthermore, Mehmed b. pendent, original works of design. In addition to intro- Mehmed’s description of Kalender as “abstinent” ducing the artist and his work, the texts that Kalender (perhīzkār), an adjective connoting self-restraint and placed at the beginning of his albums also present clues avoidance of sin and sexuality, suggests Kalender’s pref- regarding this process of design. erence for celibacy (mücerred). According to Bektashi Three albums that were certainly compiled by Kal- tradition, celibate dervishes wore heavy, metal earrings ender are known today, and some folios with stylistic in the shape of horseshoes or rings after their ears had and distinctive features attributable to him survived in been pierced during special ceremonies. These earrings other albums. Kalender composed these albums in were signs of celibacy in line with certain Bektashi der- almost identical format and style, though each contains vishes and clergy, allegedly including Hacı Bektaş and diverse content, fulfills distinct purposes, and is the Balım Sultan (d. 1516).10 Mehmed b. Mehmed’s indica- result of different processes of production. These three tion that the young Kalender was a learned/wise bābā albums, which have approximately the same dimen- among the court novices (cümlenüñ ʿizālarında bir sions, contain prefaces written in the naskh script that bābāy­i ʿālim) also implies his association with the cel- each directly address the contents of their respective ibate Bektashi bābās, the high-ranking dervishes whose volumes. organization was most likely founded after the 1550s.11 The motifs and colors of the illuminations at the These subtle intimations bring to mind Kalender’s Sufi beginning of all three album prefaces relate to those of affiliations. It is still impossible to establish which Sufi a tughra (calligraphic monogram) of Sultan Ahmed order Kalender Pasha may have belonged to, if any, but I that was signed by Kalender and appears at the begin- three factors suggest he may have been a Bektashi: first, ning of the Fālnāme (Book of Omens), his final work the Bektashi order had been recognized to some extent (fig. 5). The stylistic similarity between the heading illu- at the Ottoman court, particularly after the sixteenth minations of the prefaces and the tughra suggests that century; second, within the army, the janissaries had they are all by the same artist. While the overall concep- special connections to the Bektashis; and, finally, “Kal- tion of motifs and colors is almost identical in all of the ender” was commonly used as a name and sobriquet works, they are designed differently. The gold wash among the Bektashis.12 (ḥalkārī) decoration in the margins, which at times are PRESENTING VAṢṢĀL KALENDER’S WORKS: THE PREFACES OF THREE OTTOMAN ALBUMS 257 Fig. 1. Opening page of the Ahmed I Album. Topkapı Palace Fig. 2. Closing page of the Fālnāme. Topkapı Palace Museum Museum Library, B. 408, fol. 1a. (Photo: courtesy of Library, H. 1703, fol. 41b. (Photo: courtesy of the Topkapı Pal- the Topkapı Palace Museum Library) ace Museum Library) dyed brown, maroon, green, blue, or dusty rose, features illuminated designs. Most of the motifs are executed in large vegetal and floral motifs in the rūmī and ḫaṭāʿī paper-joining technique, which appear almost like col- styles. They also incorporate serrated leaves, at times ored drawings. Kalender masterfully hides the seams of placed in cartouches. The distinct decorative vocabu- the attached split-palmettes with gold lines, demon- lary and style function much like a signature, as if to strating the laudatory comments of Mustafa ʿÂli in his announce that the entire marginal design is the work of eulogy: “No one could possibly detect the joinings / Even Kalender.

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