Page 100 - The Age of Sultan Suleyman the Magnificent

45a and 45b. Saz leaves (above) and hatayi blossoms (right) from an album,
mid-sixteenth century (Istanbul, Topkapi Sarayí Müzesi, H. 2147, fols. 22b
and 23a)

44 (left). View of Lepanto, mid-sixteenth century (Istanbul, Topkapi Sarayi
Müzesi, 17/348)

twist, turn, and pierce themselves in a manner aptly termed Another folio from the same album represents a compound
as "suicidal." 95 The strength of the bold brushstrokes defining hatayi (45b), a second essential ingredient of the saz style.
the main design elements and the delicacy of the feathery- Also drawn on gold-speckled paper, the blossom springs from
edged secondary features indicate great skill on the part of a spiral scroll placed on the right, its stem flanked by smaller
the artist. The drawing is disturbing, since one does not ex- leaves and buds. The large stylized blossom, overlaid with ad-
pect such harshness, even cruelty, from a spray of leaves; on ditional petals and buds, has yet another pod growing from
the other hand, its execution is extremely lyrical and sensi- its top, itself composed of a multitude of petals and buds. The
tive. The combination of strength and lyricism creates a pow- main components of the design are rendered once again with
erful visual impact. bold brushstrokes, while delicate lines define the curves of

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