Page 104 - The Age of Sultan Suleyman the Magnificent

ments, long-necked wine bottles and cups, bunches of flow-
ers, or peacocks, offering the delights of paradise.
A typical example (48a), pasted below an illuminated panel
with a verse of poetry, depicts the fantastic creature flying
over a landscape while playing a lute. The landscape is ren-
dered in full color and represents trees interspersed with clus-
ters of flowers and bushes. The figure, executed in bold out-
lines, is delicately detailed with washes, touches of gold, and
pink tints applied to select areas. She wears the outfit charac-
teristic of the peris: the feathery hat surmounted by leaves
and infinitesimally decorated double-tiered tunic over a long
skirt. Spiral scrolls bearing blossoms embellish the neck of her
undergarment, the cuffs of her tunic, and the long knotted
ribbon tied to her chest; a larger version of the same scroll
appears on the long sleeves and lower tier of her tunic; the
cloud collar enclosing the shoulders of her tunic has a similar
scroll with birds, and her skirt shows cranes flying amid
cloud bands. She wears jeweled earrings, rings, and a belt

48a. Peri with a lute from .an album, mid-sixteenth century (Istanbul,
Topkapi Sarayi Muzcsi, H. 2162, fol. 9a)

48b. Seated peri attributed to Velican from an album, second half sixteenth
century (Istanbul, Topkapi Sarayí Müzesi, H. 2162, fol. 8b)

composed of plaques and fastened with a large scalloped buck-
le; a circular container hangs at the side. This type of belt,
which can be traced to fifteenth-century Timurid paintings,
was a common accessory in the Ottoman court: examples
made in mother-of-pearl and ivory inlaid with gold and gems
were worn by men and women alike.
Displaying extremely refined execution, this representation
is the work of a master. Its style recalls that of the Freer peri
bearing the name of §ahkulu, suggesting that it may have
been made by him or by one of his close followers, possibly
Kara Memi, his famous student.
The same album contains a slightly later drawing of an-
other peri (48b) bearing the inscription "kalem-i [pen of]
Velican." The posture of the figure, who sits in three-quarter

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