Page 151 - The Age of Sultan Suleyman the Magnificent

Detail of neck guard, 84

steel surfaces have been blackened, inlaid with gold, and af- applied to the background, creating a faceted effect. Above is
fixed with gold cartouches set with rubies, turquoises, and a another raised and gem-encrusted gold section, continuing
few lavender-colored and green stones. Gem-encrusted gold the faceted design and terminating in a finial with a large
bands encircle the edge, crown, and finial, as well as the vi- lavender-colored stone set at the apex.
sor and neck guard. The nasal, inlaid with flat rumis as well as hatayis on a
At the edge is a wide band with reciprocal double pal- blackened ground, has a large turquoise at its apex; it slides
mettes, which display alternating use of two different tech- through a jeweled loop and locks in place with a palmette-
niques of gold inlay. One shows rumis and blossoms inlaid headed screw. The visor, affixed by gold studs, repeats the
into the blackened ground, and lies flush with the surface; design found on the upper portion of the helmet—gem-
the other has applied gold plaques with hatayi scrolls ren- encrusted ovals and oblongs on a flatly inlaid floral ground.
dered in relief on a ring-matted ground, encrusted with gems The flexible neck guard, attached by three hinges, is also sim-
set into petaled mounts that rise high in the center. The com- ilarly decorated except that it has two sprays of tulips flank-
bination of flat and raised inlays recalls the techniques used ing a central oval. Naturalistic flowers were rarely employed
on jades, creating a similar articulated surface. on Ottoman metalwork produced for the court, and the use
The same alternating techniques are employed on the up- of these gem-encrusted gold tulips is unusual.
per portion of the helmet, which has a series of raised gold This helmet is a tour de force, employing several tech-
ovals and lobed oblongs decorated with gem-encrusted hatayi niques, materials, and decorative themes. Datable to the mid-
scrolls; the interstices are filled with similar designs, but in- sixteenth century, it could only have been made for the sul-
laid flush into the blackened ground and sprinkled with tan. It belongs to a group of gold-inlaid and gem-encrusted
petal-mounted gems deeply embedded into the surface. At ceremonial helmets, some of which are decorated with in-
the tapering crown is a series of vertical panels embellished scriptions. None, however, mentions the owner, except a
with intersecting cloud bands rendered in reserve with gold gold-inlaid example in Vienna, which is inscribed with the

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