Page 149 - The Age of Sultan Suleyman the Magnificent

steel decorated with gold, employing a particular technique and were not an integral part of the sultans' outfit as they
called küftgari, in which gold wire was hammered onto the were in Iran and India.
roughened steel, resembling overlaying. The matching scab- The most decorative and yet extremely functional Ottoman
bards, covered with leather similar to the hilts, have silver or battle accoutrements were wicker shields (see 98-102), em-
steel chapes, lockets, and sling mounts used for attaching the broidered with silk as well as silver and gold threads, lined
weapons to belts and decorated in the same manner as the with velvet and padded, and supplied with steel bosses, fre-
pommels and guards. Some of the mid-sixteenth-century ex- quently decorated with gold inlays and gems. Their laborious
amples were also embellished with jeweled plaques. The steel technique involved wrapping long strands of twigs with silk
blades are inlaid or overlaid with gold and at times embel- and metal threads and stitching them into place to form the
lished with gems. Many examples contain the figure of a fish shields. Wicker, an extremely strong and resilient material,
placed on the hilt, which appears to be a talismanic symbol; was also lightweight, an asset for cavalrymen and foot sol-
its proper meaning is yet to be understood. diers alike. Similar shields appear to have been used in India
Also made for Süleyman was a different type of sword and Iran. Although extant Indian examples have not been
called mec, shaped like a skewer (see 87). The weapon, which published, warriors carrying shields with concentric lines,
dates to the reign of Mehmed II, was produced in limited obviously representing wound wicker, are depicted in late-
numbers and obviously functioned more as a piercing instru- sixteenth-century Mughal manuscripts. A few Iranian ex-
ment than a cutting one, possibly to penetrate heavy armor. amples have survived, the most interesting of which is
Ceremonial swords dating from Süleyman's reign are daz- decorated with a series of lions attacking bulls. 76
zling works of art, richly inlaid with gold and encrusted with Embroidery also adorned bow cases and quivers (see 103
gems. They include the sword of Osman, which was redecor- and 104) made of leather or of velvet lined with leather. A
ated in the mid-sixteenth century, its blade totally covered number of leather examples were appliquéd with leather
with gold inlay and its guard swooping down and terminat- pieces, some of which were gilded. Embroidered and appli-
ing in dragon heads, 72 and the unique yatagan (see 86) made quéd leather were also used for saddles, saddlecloths, riding
73
for the sultan by Ahmed Tekelii. The yatagan, obviously a boots, canteens, and caskets or boxes (see 105 and 106).
display piece, with fantastic decoration of animated scrolls Another technique applied to saddles, canteens, containers,
and combats between mythical creatures, is unique in its rep- bow cases, and quivers as well as to bows and arrows was
resentation of figurai themes associated with the saz style. lacquer in intricate designs painted on wood and leather and
Other ceremonial pieces reveal the same interest in gem en- covered with a thick varnish. Their decorative repertoire re-
crustation found on the Hazine objects produced in the sec- veals the hands of nakka§hane artists who must have been
ond half of the sixteenth century, and include helmets, parts employed to work on these items. Ottoman bows were world
of armor, maces, daggers, archer's rings, and shields. renowned, and archery was particularly favored by the sul-
Ottoman helmets (see 84) were conical, with swelling sides tans, especially by Bayezid II, who was an expert bow maker.
tapering toward the apex, their shape resembling turbans; Although the Ottomans were preoccupied with military re-
they were supplied with visors, neck guards, and movable galia and the representation of the power and wealth of the
nasals; some also had ear guards, sockets for plumes, and empire through a dazzling display of weapons, costumes,
chain mail protecting the neck and shoulders. The majority banners, and bands, no complete military outfit or full-horse
77
are of steel, inlaid with gold and at times set with gems; there armor has survived from the reign of Süleyman. The best
are also gilded-copper examples with incised decoration. 74 preserved banners, tents, and horse trappings, captured in
There are extremely few complete suits of body armor, 75 al- 1683 during the second siege of Vienna, are in Krakow. The
though there exist a number of arm guards with gloves, leg richness of these items is indicative of what must have ac-
guards, and breastplates decorated in the same fashion as the companied Süleyman when he besieged Vienna at the height
imperial helmets. Ottoman maces, with gold-sheathed iron of Ottoman power 150 years earlier. There exist, however,
(see 85), rock-crystal, or jade heads, were beautifully fash- several janissary headdresses, shields, and parts of horse trap-
ioned, either simply carved or embellished with gems. These pings from the mid-sixteenth century, which provide clues to
decorative pieces were also formidable weapons, their elegant the splendor of the sultan's army. 78
shapes and surface embellishment belying their deadly Ottoman arms and armor, as well as Hazine objects, had a
purpose. strong impact on the artists of the neighboring countries, par-
Süleyman was hardly ever represented wearing a dagger, ticularly on the Hungarians, Austrians, and Venetians who
even though a number of these weapons were produced dur- produced similar pieces decorated with Turkish designs. 79
ing his reign (see 92-94). Some of the daggers have carved Among the most spectacular gold-inlaid and gem-encrusted
rock-crystal and ivory hilts, while other hilts are made of jade helmets preserved in the Hazine of the Topkapi Palace is an
or ivory inlaid with gold and set with gems. Most of these example with a conical body that tapers toward the high fin-
daggers appear to have been made as gifts or display pieces ial (84), supplied with a nasal, visor, and neck guard. The

148