A rare carved limestone roundel portrait of Suleyman the Magnificent (r.1520-66), France, 19th century

composed of limestone, featuring a bust portrait of Suleyman the Magnificent carved in deep relief, the border frame with a Latin inscription

In overall good condition, small chip to top and bottom of frame with some abrasions to external edges, small chip to chin and part of moustache on figure, with scratches and rubbing to surface, reverse plain, with a drill hole to top, set on custom mount, as viewed.
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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."

Limestone and terracotta roundels with portraits were first favoured by the European courts and the church in the sixteenth century. The interest in roundels with portraits was revitalised in the nineteenth century and monumental portraits were produced such as the ones of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert installed in the Grand entrance of the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. 

The present roundel was produced in the second half of the nineteenth century. It was inspired by the sixteenth and early-seventeeth-century portraits of Suleyman the Magnificent found on medals and prints, particularly those produced by Dominicus Custos (d.1612) and Nicolas de Clerck (d.1625). Admired and feared at the same time by his contemporaries who recognized him as one of the vir illustris of his time, Suleyman was frequently portrayed on medals, like Sultan Mehmed II (r.1444-46, 1451-81) before him.

Following these prototypes, the inscription in Latin on the present portrait reads Solimanus Imp Turchorum('Suleyman Emperor of Turks'). Similar labels in Latin are found on medals and prints of the Turkish sultans, sultanas and other historical figures. The present work is a rare collector’s item documenting the ongoing interest in the legacy of Suleyman the Magnificent across Europe.