- 174
An Ottoman Painted Wood Room, Turkey or Syria,19th century
Estimate
20,000 - 30,000 GBP
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Description
- Tilleul, chene, contreplaqué, peint en polychromie, réhaut doré (Afrique du Nord ou Moyen Orient)
comprising forty-five fitted parts, including five panels with open arches, four panels with shuttered windows, a door, with decorative beams fitted in between and calligraphic panels above, including a raised panel with a carved inscriptive cartouche, polychromatic paint and relief work composed of gilt gesso
Condition
some ware and flaking of paint to areas consistent with age and use, 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
The painted inscriptions in the panels consist of Arabic verses in praise of a noble family. In one of the couplets, a reference is made to the legend of the prophets in Mount Qasioun (overlooking Damascus).
There is also a tughra, which is, unusually, in negative, that reads:
‘His Holiness Sayyid Yahya second appearance (In presence of [the leader]?)’
This may be a reference to Sayyid Yahya Shirvani of the Halveti order, who was known as pir-e thani, second only to the founder of the order, who died in 1464. The fact that the tughra is negative may be connected with the fact that he was no longer alive.
In the carved, polylobed panel:
It starts with a saying of the prophet on the rewards of building mosques and ends with a quatrain confirming the belief in the Five Holy Ones (Muhammad, Fatima, ‘Ali, Hasan and Husayn) followed by a text that seems to be a signature, with the word katabahu (‘he wrote’) and names: Muhammad and ‘Ali. In the right-hand corner digits ‘109’, which if a date, it could possibly be read as 1[0]59 (1649-50 AD) or 1[0]09 (1600-1601 AD).
This room, which consists of carved, assembled and decorated wood panels, would have featured within the home of a prominent and elegant family as indicated by the inscriptions. The painted designs, which include floral bouquets, fruit-filled baskets and outdoor scenery, show evidence of a European influence. The overall effect is one of refined luxury, enhanced with gilt gessoed details and calligraphic cartouches.
Although it is unclear where this room was created, the style of its painted decoration points to a Turkish origin. Nonetheless, it is also possible that it was produced in Syria, which was famed for its production of such complex and beautifully-adorned interiors during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. An earlier, but comparable example is the so-called Damascus Room in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, acc.no.1970.170.
There is also a tughra, which is, unusually, in negative, that reads:
‘His Holiness Sayyid Yahya second appearance (In presence of [the leader]?)’
This may be a reference to Sayyid Yahya Shirvani of the Halveti order, who was known as pir-e thani, second only to the founder of the order, who died in 1464. The fact that the tughra is negative may be connected with the fact that he was no longer alive.
In the carved, polylobed panel:
It starts with a saying of the prophet on the rewards of building mosques and ends with a quatrain confirming the belief in the Five Holy Ones (Muhammad, Fatima, ‘Ali, Hasan and Husayn) followed by a text that seems to be a signature, with the word katabahu (‘he wrote’) and names: Muhammad and ‘Ali. In the right-hand corner digits ‘109’, which if a date, it could possibly be read as 1[0]59 (1649-50 AD) or 1[0]09 (1600-1601 AD).
This room, which consists of carved, assembled and decorated wood panels, would have featured within the home of a prominent and elegant family as indicated by the inscriptions. The painted designs, which include floral bouquets, fruit-filled baskets and outdoor scenery, show evidence of a European influence. The overall effect is one of refined luxury, enhanced with gilt gessoed details and calligraphic cartouches.
Although it is unclear where this room was created, the style of its painted decoration points to a Turkish origin. Nonetheless, it is also possible that it was produced in Syria, which was famed for its production of such complex and beautifully-adorned interiors during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. An earlier, but comparable example is the so-called Damascus Room in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, acc.no.1970.170.