- 112
A Portrait of Sultan Mehmet IV (r.1648-1687), Turkey, Istanbul, 1700-1720
Estimate
10,000 - 12,000 GBP
bidding is closed
Description
- gouache on paper
Ink and gouache on paper, heightened with gold, depicting the seated sultan wearing a tall turban, a line of black nasta'liq script above the painting, ruled in blue, gold, green and red
Condition
In generally good overall condition, some creases and small abrasions to the middle right of the miniature, paper repairs to the outer margins, gold bright, 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."
"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."
Catalogue Note
Sultan Mehmet IV (d.1693) is depicted here in what is probably one of the works dealing with the physiognomy of the Ottoman sultans, among which the most famous is Seyyid Lokman's Kiyafetü'l-Insaniyye, completed in 1588-9. Authors and artists after this date continued to add descriptions and images of later Sultans to Lokman's original, as is the case in a copy of the work in the British Library. It is possible that this painting comes from one of these extended versions of the Kiyafet or a later work on the same subject, such as Osmanzade Taib's (d.1724) Hadikatu'l-Mulük.
Mehmet IV ascended the throne in 1648 at the age of seven, when the political situation had long been unstable. Ruling for almost forty years, Mehmet was deposed by the janissaries in 1687, after having altered the political dynamic of the Ottoman government by ceding most of his executive powers to the Grand Vizier. Although initially he was imprisoned, he was allowed to return to the Edirne Palace to die in 1693.
Mehmet IV ascended the throne in 1648 at the age of seven, when the political situation had long been unstable. Ruling for almost forty years, Mehmet was deposed by the janissaries in 1687, after having altered the political dynamic of the Ottoman government by ceding most of his executive powers to the Grand Vizier. Although initially he was imprisoned, he was allowed to return to the Edirne Palace to die in 1693.