Page 171 - The Age of Sultan Suleyman the Magnificent

contains silver, tortoiseshell, and a type of iridescent mother-
of-pearl called arusak in addition to mosaic units composed of
silver, white and green dyed ivories, and ebony. The decora-
tion relies on floral motifs accentuated by geometric elements
as well as inscriptions.
The piece, conceived as a cube resting on four stout legs, its
lid surmounted by a large dome, resembles a funerary monu-
ment. Each of the side panels of the base has a lobed central
oval attached to a pair of blossoms and palmettes with trefoil
finials, surrounded by a pair of cloud bands and relatively
large mosaic hexagons, and enclosed by lobed corner span-
drels. The borders around the edges as well as the legs are
alternately inlaid with rumi cartouches and small mosaic hex-
agons. All the motifs are inlaid with ivory, except the blos-
soms and the trefoil finials, which are rendered in mother-of-
pearl with silver cores. Carved ivory hemispherical bosses are
affixed to the cores of the central ovals.
The sides of the lid bear carved ivory oblongs with inscrip-
tions interspersed with quatrefoils that enclose rumis and
turn the corners. The rumis and the stilus inscriptions, which
contain the Throne Verse from the Koran together with addi-
tional prayers, are rendered in relief against a green-painted
ground. An ivory band, decorated with mosaic lozenges, hex-
agons, and cartouches that turn the corners, frames the flat
upper surface of the lid. On the same surface a circular ebony
band, inlaid with ivory floral scrolls and mosaic hexagons,
encircles the base of the dome. The triangular corners be-
tween these two bands show empty sockets that possibly held
small hemispheres, echoing the architectural type that has a
large central dome flanked by four smaller ones.
The dome is inlaid with alternating ivory and ebony bands
that not only create a chevron design, but also produce a
ribbed effect, intentionally stressing the seams between the
panels. The scalloped collar at the top is inlaid with tortoise-
shell. Above are a series of ebony and ivory bands with recip-
rocal palmettes, mosaic hexagons, and mother-of-pearl flo-
rals. The dome is superbly designed, showing different motifs
that blend with those in the adjacent areas. The composition
accelerates toward the top and must have terminated with a
majestic finial.
The lid is attached to the base with a pair of hinges and
two chains. The underside of the flat surface is painted with
black rumis on a red ground; the dome, painted cream, has a
gold central medallion surrounded by five black rumi car-
touches. The composition recalls the decoration found in
domed buildings. Inside the base are five compartments, with
four oblongs placed around a small square. Books were ob-
viously placed in the oblong compartments and notes and pa-
pers in the central unit. The interior, now bare, must have
originally been lined.
Another Koran box produced in the second half of the
sixteenth century (110) was found in the Mausoleum of 110. Inlaid wood Koran box, second half sixteenth century (Istanbul, Turk
Mehmed III, who died in 1603. This example, constructed as ve Islam Eserleri Müzesi, 13)

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