An exceptional Ottoman Calligrapher's Table, Turkey, Second Half of 16th century

of rectangular form on four small arched feet with a drawer, composed of walnut, rosewood, ebony and inlaid with tortoiseshell, mother-of-pearl and ivory with an hexagonal pattern and alternating black and white geometric borders, some panels with a letter, with stylised cintamani motifs, or square kufic each with a shahada

Couleurs d'Orient, Brussels, 2010

Turkophilia, Paris, 2011

Brussels 2010, p.33

Paris 2011, p.68

 

In overall good condition, replacement handle to chest drawer, some minor restoration to inlay border pieces, possible replacement wood on feet, as viewed.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

The use of calligraphy is unusual, though not without precedent, on early Ottoman furniture. A register of squared kufic appears on the upper element of the qur'an box made for the tomb of Selim II (r.1566-74) at Ayasofya (illustrated in Rogers and Ward 1988, p.163, no.101). Objects, such as this calligraphers chest, with a more intimate connection to the chancery are, perhaps, more likely to have been embellished with an art practised by their owner. These geometric forms of script appear in calligraphic specimens by the great Ottoman calligrapher, Ahmed Karahisari, now in the Museum of Turkish and Islamic Art (ibid., p.70-71, no.16). Their origins most probably lie in texts seized from the royal Mamluk libraries captured in the conquest of Egypt and Syria.