Page 47 - The Age of Sultan Suleyman the Magnificent

8. Frontispiece from a Koran illuminated by Bayram b. Dervi$ in 1523/1524
and dedicated to Sultan Suleyman (Istanbul, Topkapi Sarayí Müzesi, E.H. 58,
fols. lb-2a)

(8). A wide frame with reciprocal arches, accented by oval ran transcribed by Hamdullah discussed above.
medallions, encloses the central field, which contains a geo- The 1523/1524 Koran, dedicated to Suleyman a few years
metric pattern composed of eight-pointed stars interspersed after his accession, was obviously produced with extreme
with crosses. Both the frame and central field are decorated care by the best talents in the court and was considered to be
with layered rumi and hatayi scrolls, which create a fine of such high quality that its calligrapher and illuminator were
mesh over the entire surface. honored by being mentioned in the colophon. Its outstanding
Bayram's illuminations reveal a conservative style, employ- binding was also the work of an imperial master, whose
ing traditional compositions and decorative elements. Pro- name, unfortunately, was not recorded.
duced at the height of his career, they also reflect a refined Manuscripts in the Topkapi Palace collections were periodi-
and restrained execution. The illuminator must have worked cally repaired and their bindings restored or replaced. One
on a number of other manuscripts, possibly even on the Ko- such example is the Koran copied in 1546/1547. Its original

46