Page 150 - ART OF THE ISLAMIC AND INDIAN WORLDS Carpets, Ceramics Objects, Christie's London Oct..27, 2022

A RARE PORTRAIT MEDALLION OF

SULTAN MEHMED THE CONQUEROR

†130
A RARE PORTRAIT MEDALLION OF SULTAN MEHMED II
SIGNED CONSTANZO DA FERRARA, NAPLES, 1481
The obverse with a profile portrait of Mehmed II, inscribed 'SULTANI Though five different portrait medals are known to feature Mehmed II,
MOHAMMETH OCTHOMANI VGVLI BIZANTII INPERATORIS', the reverse Constanzo da Ferrara’s is not only the best of the group, but has been
with mounted figure in a rocky landscape in front of two trees, inscribed
described as one of ‘the finest portrait medals of the Renaissance’ (J. Raby,
'MOHAMETH ASIE ETERTIE INPERATORIS YMAGO EQVESTRIS IN
op. cit., p.176). Little is known about the artist, a Venetian who worked at
EXERCITUS' and 'OPUS CONSTANTII'
the court of King Ferrante of Naples (r.1458-94) and was sent to Istanbul in
4q in. (11q cm.) diam.
response to Mehmed II’s request for an Italian portraitist. The characterful
£40,000-60,000 US$46,000-69,000 bust of Mehmed on the obverse, with its carefully-observed kaftan and
€46,000-68,000 turban, is likely to have been carved from life. The reverse shows Mehmed
mounted on a horse in front of a landscape reminiscent of those in Italian
PROVENANCE: Renaissance portraits. The fortress visible in the background may be Scutari,
Private collection of Charles Dupriez (1871-1952) which Mehmed captured from Venice in 1479. The inscriptions describe him
Thence by descent
as the Emperor of Asia and Greece, and of both the Ottoman and Byzantine
realms. Though heavily based on Italian aesthetic vocabulary, Gülru
As the ‘Lord of the Auspicious Conjunction’, the patronage of Mehmed
Neçipoğlu points out that Rum Seljuq coins had also featured equestrian
II (r.1444-46, then 1451-81) reflected his cosmopolitan interests. As well
portraits of rulers, and that Alaüddin Keykubad had even been depicted in a
as engaging in complicated diplomatic manoeuvres with the city-states
toga (G. Neçipoğlu, Visual Cosmpolitanism and Creative Translation, Leyden,
of Renaissance Italy, he cultivated a profound interest in the cultural and
2012, p.30). Rather than importing an alien tradition, through his patronage
intellectual developments of the Quattrocento. It was he, for example, who
of portrait medals Mehmed II aimed to remind the rulers of Europe that they
first realised Alberti and Filarete’s design for a star-shaped fort which came
both traced their heritage back to a shared classical past.
to define European defensive architecture for the next two centuries (J. Raby,
Pride and Prejudice: Mehmed the Conqueror and the Italian Portrait Medal,
There are other copies of this medal in the Metropolitan Museum of Art,
Washington DC, 1987, p.171). He also shared with the princes of Renaissance
New York (1975.1.1269), the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford, and the Victoria
Italy a love of portraiture: the library of the Topkapi Palace even preserves a
and Albert Museum, London (A.208-1910). An earlier uniface portrait
number of sketches done by him as a youth, including many portrait busts.
medal of Mehmed II sold at Baldwin’s, Anon. sale, 25 April 2012, lot 129.
As a ruler, he enthusiastically followed his contemporaries on the Italian
This example was previously in the collection of Charles Dupriez (1871-
peninsular in adopting oil painting and the portrait medal as a means of
1952), a coin collector and dealer active in Brussels in the first years of the
promulgating his image.
twentieth century, who edited the journal 'La Gazette Numsimatique' from
1895 to 1913.
148 In addition to the hammer price, a Buyer’s Premium (plus VAT) is payable. Other taxes and/or an Artist Resale Royalty 149
fee are also payable if the lot has a tax or λ symbol. Check Section D of the Conditions of Sale at the back of this catalogue.