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AN OTTOMAN PAINTED WOOD TURBAN STAND WITH TORTOISESHELL AND IVORY-INLAID CASE, TURKEY, 18TH CENTURY |
Estimate
40,000 - 60,000 GBP
bidding is closed
Description
- stand: 26.5cm. heightcase: 37.2cm. height
the turban stand of domed cylindrical form on a pentagonal base, the lower section painted in red with gilt arabesques, the base with a single line of cursive calligraphy on each face in gilt on a green ground, the wooden case of octagonal form with a deep hinged door with gilt-copper mounts, the decoration composed of inlays of mother-of-pearl, tortoiseshell and ivory with panels of symmetrical floral designs alternating with interlocking geometric motifs, the interior lined with green cloth
Exhibited
Couleurs d'Orient, Brussels, 2010.
Turkophilia, Paris, 2011.
Turkophilia, Paris, 2011.
Literature
Brussels 2010, p.10.
Paris 2011, p.11.
Paris 2011, p.11.
Condition
The turban stand with old woodworm damage, a small break on the side shows the interior with the damage, which has also left some vertical cracks in wood, general wear as consistent with age and use. The case with some restoration to the mother of pearl and tortoiseshell and ivory inlaid sections (few small replacements), 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
inscriptions
Around base of turban stand:
destar gibi başım üstünde yerin var
'Like the turban, your place is on top of my head'
The carefully inscribed gilt lettering on this decorative stand is composed of stanzas from the Ottoman Turkish poet Mahtumi Vahidi (d.1732), otherwise known simply as mahtumi. Hinting at a romantic oeuvre, further information on the writing styles of this poet can be found in The Cambridge history of Turkey: The Later Ottoman Empire 1603-1839, pp.499-500. Other examples of romantic poetry involving the turban can be found in the work of the Ottoman Sultan Ahmed I (1590-1617). The poetic Sultan wrote “If only could I bear over my head like my turban forever thee, if only I could carry it all the time with me, on my head like a crown, the footprint of the Prophet Muhammad, which has a beautiful complexion, Ahmed, go on, rub your face on the feet of that rose” (https://ottomanhistory.net/node/269). Described as “so important in signalling rank and status” (Istanbul 2001, pp.52-53.), turbans were key in establishing social groupings in Ottoman court scenes, and through their place in literature, appear to hold an authority and grandeur of their own. It can thus be deduced that a turban indicating high rank would enjoy storage and display of the calibre witnessed in the present lot.
Perhaps created for a sikke or turban cap, which may bear some resemblance to those worn by the dervish orders of Sufi Muslim ascetics, the poetic inscription at the base of the stand provides concurrent evidence of its purpose in holding a turban. The Victoria and Albert Museum in London has a number of illustrative and lithographed drawings of such turban caps. Proving a popular subject matter for orientalist painters across Europe, Luigi de Brocktorff produced a watercolour portrait between 1830 and 1840 (Victoria and Albert Museum, London inv. no. SD.175) which depicted dervishes sporting turbans and turban caps, likely to resemble those housed within this opulent case. Not only does the Topkapi Palace Museum hold an Ottoman painting of Suleyman the Magnificent (r.1520-66), wearing a red cap and turban appropriate for this stand (Topkapi Palace Museum, inv. no. R.804, folios 52a and 111b), but their collection also boasts a cap dated to the eighteenth century that would befit a stand and case of this style and luxury (see Washington 2000, p.136, no.C14, inv. no. 24/2113).
Around base of turban stand:
destar gibi başım üstünde yerin var
'Like the turban, your place is on top of my head'
The carefully inscribed gilt lettering on this decorative stand is composed of stanzas from the Ottoman Turkish poet Mahtumi Vahidi (d.1732), otherwise known simply as mahtumi. Hinting at a romantic oeuvre, further information on the writing styles of this poet can be found in The Cambridge history of Turkey: The Later Ottoman Empire 1603-1839, pp.499-500. Other examples of romantic poetry involving the turban can be found in the work of the Ottoman Sultan Ahmed I (1590-1617). The poetic Sultan wrote “If only could I bear over my head like my turban forever thee, if only I could carry it all the time with me, on my head like a crown, the footprint of the Prophet Muhammad, which has a beautiful complexion, Ahmed, go on, rub your face on the feet of that rose” (https://ottomanhistory.net/node/269). Described as “so important in signalling rank and status” (Istanbul 2001, pp.52-53.), turbans were key in establishing social groupings in Ottoman court scenes, and through their place in literature, appear to hold an authority and grandeur of their own. It can thus be deduced that a turban indicating high rank would enjoy storage and display of the calibre witnessed in the present lot.
Perhaps created for a sikke or turban cap, which may bear some resemblance to those worn by the dervish orders of Sufi Muslim ascetics, the poetic inscription at the base of the stand provides concurrent evidence of its purpose in holding a turban. The Victoria and Albert Museum in London has a number of illustrative and lithographed drawings of such turban caps. Proving a popular subject matter for orientalist painters across Europe, Luigi de Brocktorff produced a watercolour portrait between 1830 and 1840 (Victoria and Albert Museum, London inv. no. SD.175) which depicted dervishes sporting turbans and turban caps, likely to resemble those housed within this opulent case. Not only does the Topkapi Palace Museum hold an Ottoman painting of Suleyman the Magnificent (r.1520-66), wearing a red cap and turban appropriate for this stand (Topkapi Palace Museum, inv. no. R.804, folios 52a and 111b), but their collection also boasts a cap dated to the eighteenth century that would befit a stand and case of this style and luxury (see Washington 2000, p.136, no.C14, inv. no. 24/2113).