Page 209 - The Age of Sultan Suleyman the Magnificent

of a series of triple balls rendered in three different sizes. The
largest balls are composed of three concentric crescents ori-
ented toward the centers of the clusters. The innermost cres-
cent encloses an off-center roundel; the middle one is plain;
and the outer one is filled with an elaborate rumi scroll. Al-
ternating with these large clusters are medium-size balls
flanked by three sets of smaller triple balls. The medium balls
contain two concentric crescents; the outer is plain, the inner
encloses a tiny roundel. The smallest balls have a single cres-
cent with a roundel. The increase in the number of concen-
tric crescents according to the size of the balls is masterfully
conceived.
The fabric is worn and frayed, indicating that it was once
part of a kaftan. Four pieces were used to construct this ex-
ample; other fragments from the same garment are in the
Museum of Fine Arts in Boston and in the Victoria and Al-
bert Museum. 69
Balls enclosing concentric crescents, employed in threes or
singly, were also combined with double wavy lines, rumis, or
scrolls bearing naturalistic flowers, frequently creating ogival
patterns, which were by far the most popular designs on Otto-
man textiles. 70
Among the more delicate and unusual ogival kemhas is a
gold-ground piece with scrolls bearing large rosebuds and
tiny leaves rendered in ruby red with touches of pale blue
and green (142). Hanging from the tip of each curved loz-
enge is a multipetaled blossom, possibly a peony, sprouting a
single leaf. In the center of the ogival medallions are two
large alternating floral motifs. One is a serrated plane-tree leaf
superimposed by a spray of tulips, carnations, and small blos-
soms amid leaves; the flowers grow from a single source and
surround a central pomegranate. The second is a stylized
flower and contains long petals interspersed with trefoils; in
its core is a large carnation, while tulips overlay the long pet-
als and other blossoms appear on the trefoils.
This fabric includes the most characteristic textile motifs:
serrate-edged plane-tree leaves and stylized hatayis overlaid
with sprays of naturalistic blossoms, rosebuds rendered in
three compartmented vertical units, three-pronged tulips, fan-
shaped carnations, multipetaled peonies, and abstracted
141. Kemha fragment with triple-ball pattern, mid-sixteenth century pomegranates.
(Los Angeles County Museum of Art, M. 85.237.1) A more common lattice pattern is composed of undulating
bands that meet to create alternately placed ogival medallions
filled with a variety of floral motifs. One of these fabrics
(143) has ruby red ogival medallions formed by gold bands
silver satin weave. The pile was always cut uniformly, unlike outlined in blue serrate-edged strips. The bands are overlaid
European velvets, which were at times looped (uncut) or in with ivory branches that alternately knot or sprout red tulips.
varied heights. The metal strips, generally gilded silver The ogival medallions contain gold lobed ovals framed by
wrapped on a yellow silk core and plain silver on a white ivory trefoils with pendants; in the center is an ivory plane-
core, are more pliable than the European examples and thus tree leaf overlaid by a spray of gold carnations, tulips, and
less likely to break and unravel. leaves flanking a central rosebud; surrounding it is a pair of
One of the earliest kemhas (141) has a ruby-red ground blue knotted cloud bands and a series of red blossoms.
with a blue, ivory, yellow, and gold overall pattern consisting This example contains the same plane-tree leaf with natu-

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