Page 138 - The Age of Sultan Suleyman the Magnificent

(70). The ewer, decorated with an an-hua (hidden) hibiscus
scroll rendered so delicately that it is barely visible to the na-
ked eye, has a curving handle with a ring at the top used to
attach the lid and a flaring spout connected to the neck by a
thick scroll. 50
The beauty of the ewer's shape and decoration was ob-
viously appreciated in the sixteenth century, since an effort
was made to preserve it after its rim was broken and lid lost.
The rim was not restored to its original height but was en-
cased by an articulated gold frame incised with saz flowers
and encrusted with lavender-colored stones set into plain
high collars. The same band encircles the edge of the gold lid,
which is surmounted by a large turquoise. The surface is in-
cised with saz leaves and blossoms and decorated with three
ovals created by the gems. The lid, whose shape resembles
the helmets of the age, tapers toward the top and is lined
with silver.
Another Chinese vessel, a molded celadon dating from the
late fourteenth or early fifteenth century (71), was most likely
also an ewer that lost its handle, spout, and parts of its rim. It

70. White porcelain ewer with jeweled gold lid, early-fifteenth-century
Chinese ware refurbished second half sixteenth century (Istanbul, Topkapi
Sarayí Müzesi, 15/2944)

71. Celadon canteen with gilded silver components, late-14th- or early-15th-
century Chinese ware refurbished second half sixteenth century (Istanbul,
Topkapi Sarayí Müzesi, 15/668)

was restored with gilded silver components and converted
into a double-spouted canteen. The placement of the spouts
followed that of the original appendages and appears slightly
askew. Each side of the flattened body contains a medallion
with a different design: one shows a crane diving down from
the clouds and the other, a bird flying over waves. Floral mo-
tifs fill the remaining areas.
The refurbishing consisted of fitting the neck with a wide
lobed band, a lid surmounted by a large coral knob, and two
curving spouts joined to the body with large plaques, their
lips decorated with petals. The spouts and lid have chains at-
tached to a palmette, which contains a hook used for hang-
ing the vessel. The edges of the rim and lid are incised with a
series of vertical panels filled with horizontal lines, creating a
texture not unlike the one used on the rock-crystal and gold
jug (see 61). The surfaces of the remaining metal components
are decorated with angular striations and multipetaled blos-
soms superimposed with six spokes, resembling the flowers
used on a gold Koran binding. 51 The artist who refurbished

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