Page 121 - The Age of Sultan Suleyman the Magnificent

50. Silver plate
stamped with the seal
of Sultan Suleyman,
second quarter
sixteenth century
(Istanbul, Topkapi
Sarayí Müzesi,
23/1625)

The sultans did not wear jewelry in the manner of other His name appears only on this example, but the members of
Asian and European monarchs; their accessories were limited his society produced many buckles and plaques for belts and
to jeweled mother-of-pearl and ivory belts (see 76-78) and handles for daggers that they presented to the sultans during
gold turban ornaments (see 79-83). The Ottoman turban, bayrams. Documents enumerating these gifts distinguish wal-
yards of fine cloth wrapped around an inner cap, was embel- rus tusk (bahkdici) from elephant tusk (fildici), indicating that
lished with a sorguç, which held plumes. This ornament was the difference between the two materials was clearly known
stuck into the turban and secured by hooks attached to at the time.
chains. Both women and men wore these decorative belts There are a very few silver objects that have survived from
and turban ornaments, the ones for the ladies being smaller the reign of Suleyman. These include a unique plate, a group
and more delicate. of jugs with dragon-shaped handles, and several small items
Another personal accessory used by both sexes was the such as archer's rings. The sultan's collection must have in-
33
hand-held mirror, of which there are several dating from Sü- cluded many more silver vessels, probably melted down in
leyman's reign (see 72-74). Some were made of iron, inlaid later years to produce currency needed by the state.
or overlaid with gold, and had polished metal faces; others The only silver piece made for Suleyman that remains in
were of carved ivory with glass mirrors. One of them was the Topkapi Palace is a small silver plate with a slightly
made in 1543 by an artist named Gani (see 73), who must raised, rounded, and grooved rim (50). The central mark and
have been the most prominent member of the ivory carvers. a series of concentric rings at the back indicate that it was

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