Page 126 - The Age of Sultan Suleyman the Magnificent

bous body tapers toward the short cylindrical neck and rests around. A few stones, including the large one on the lid and
on a high splayed foot; on one side is a small curved spout several on the foot and body, are rose-cut.
terminating in a dragon head, while two additional dragon Such diversity is explained partially by a notation inscribed
heads project from the shoulders, one holding in its mouth a on the head of the dragon with the pearl: "640 dirhems," the
large pearl and the other an emerald. The domical lid, sur- weight of the piece (almost two kilos, or four and a half
mounted by a large ruby, has two gold chains connected to pounds), and "tecdid," which means refurbished (unfortu-
the shoulders by the pair of rings that also attach to the gold nately, the date of the refurbishing is not mentioned). The lid
mesh handle. and the rose-cut gems must date from the time the canteen
The piece, encrusted with gold palmettes, pale-green jade was repaired, a decade or so after it was made.
plaques, and gems, is vibrantly articulated. .The surfaces are The jade plaques used on the matara are embellished in the
further embellished with chased and incised floral scrolls with same manner as those used on Koran bindings (see 20 and
ring matting applied to the sunken backgrounds, enhancing 21), one of which has a manuscript transcribed in 1570/1571,
the multilayered effect. indicating that the technique of decoration was established by
Both the flattened front and back have an oval jade plaque that date. Identical lobed oval plaques 40 were used on arms
affixed to the center and a series of double palmettes that en- and armor and horse trappings, and the same technique was
circles the outer edges. The jade plaques are decorated with applied to jade objects.
twisted wire scrolls bearing leaves and flowers with high cen- Similar canteens appear in manuscript illustrations repre-
tral collars holding gems; in the center of each plaque is a senting Süleyman and Selim II, who are accompanied by a
large emerald rising from a multipetaled blossom. Gems set pair of Has Oda officials, one carrying the sultan's sword, the
into both the recessed areas and the raised palmettes show a other his matara. The earliest depiction of a gem-encrusted
different setting: the flowers rise to create truncated forms, gold example is in the account of the Szigetvár campaign by
with the stones set into their apex. The sides of the canteen, Ahmed Feridun Pa§a, dated 1568/1569. An almost identical
superimposed with gold medallions, also have similarly deco- canteen is found in the Tarih-i Sultan Süleyman of Lokman,
rated jade plaques as well as truncated gem settings in both dated 1579/1580, in the scene showing Süleyman's visit to
the recessed and raised areas. The same mounts appear on the Mausoleum of Eyüb Ensari (see 43a). This type of
the neck, spout, and foot. jeweled canteen appears to have been used after the mid-six-
The lid, on the other hand, shows yet another setting: the teenth century and, together with the sword, represented the
stones are encased in straight-sided geometric mounts with sultan's imperial authority. Although an attendant carrying a
squares used on the outer zone, triangles in the inner zone, sword was an integral part of a ruler's retinue in all Islamic
and a high circular one for the large central stone. The lid ex- dynasties, the use and display of the canteen was a tradition
tends into the neck with a gold cylindrical cone, chased with unique to the Ottomans. 41 The shape of the matara can be
medallions and inlaid with niello. traced to leather examples made in central Asia as far back as
Most of the gems used on the matara appear to be emer- the fifth century B.C., such as those found in the Pazyryk bar-
alds and rubies, although there are also lavender, purple, and row graves. A later leather canteen with appliquéd decoration
colorless stones, which may be amethysts, almandites, sap- was presented by Murad III to the Habsburg emperor Ru-
phires, or diamonds. Almost all the gems are unfaceted, with dolph II (see 105), which indicates the same material was
the largest ones used in the apex of the lid, in the centers of used in the Ottoman court.
the jade plaques, in the blossoms encircling these units, and Another ceremonial gold piece with a practical use is a
on the spout; medium and small examples are sprinkled padlock commissioned for the Kaaba by Süleyman (55). Its
shape follows the traditional locks made for the sanctuary: a
thin and long cylindrical shackle attached to a shorter but
55. Gold-sheathed Kaaba lock made for Sultan Süleyman 1565/1566
(Istanbul, Topkapi Sarayí Müzesi, 2/2274) wider octagonal barrel, surmounted by a lobed, arch-shaped

Detail, 54 (left) 125