Page 132 - The Age of Sultan Suleyman the Magnificent

62 (above and below). Jeweled rock-crystal and gold pen box, second half
sixteenth century (Istanbul, Topkapi Sarayi Miizesi, 2/22)

This section is attached by a chain to the lid and can be lifted
out; under it is a large compartment for storing documents,
its sides decorated with painted designs. The underside of the
base is covered with gold and incised with medallions.
Some of the gems are left in their natural state, the larger
ones are cabochon-cut, and others, particularly the emeralds
on the framing bands, are rose-cut. The faceting of the stones
points to the second half of the sixteenth century, when Otto-
man jewelers began to cut gems.
An even more popular material in the court was jade, the
color of which ranged from pale to dark green. All the jade
objects in the Hazine are made of nephrite, presumably
brought in large quantities from Turkestan, which had large
deposits of it and supplied both eastern and western Asia. 46
Among the earliest Ottoman jade objects is a pair of small
boxes with sliding lids. The dark-green jade plaques used for
the lid and sides of the base have an overall pattern of gold
blossoms. In their cores either rubies or turquoises are held
with prongs, as they are set on the tutya jugs (see 56 and
57). Sprinkled between the gems are tiny gold roundels. The
plaques are held together by nielloed gilded silver brackets
and rest on four dragon-shaped legs.

131