Author
Poor Solomon.
Author Original
الفقير سليمان
Publication Date
First half of the eleventh century/first half of the seventeenth century
Publication Place
-
Royal Museum, National Museum of Scotland NMS
Subject
Gouache and gold on paper.
Type
Other
Language
Undetermined
Digital
Yes
Manuscript
No
Physical Dimensions
29×19.9 سم مع الإطار؛ 19×12.7 سم بدون الإطار
Library
Museum With No Frontiers
Library Asset ID
A. 1888.88 fol. 11 A
Record ID
object;ISL;uk;Mus03;24;ar
Library Location
Royal Museum, National Museum of Scotland NMS
Date
First half of the eleventh century/first half of the seventeenth century
Notes
This gouache miniature on a piece of paper represents a portrait of the Ottoman Sultan Mehmed I (1012-26 / 1603-17), and was once part of an album of Ottoman Turkish and Persian miniatures, apparently collected in the 12th / 18th century. The young ruler, known as the founder of the Blue Mosque in Istanbul, is represented sitting on a large, densely decorated throne under a pointed arch, leaning on an ornate cushion, and wearing a white turban decorated with two long feathers emanating from a studded goblet shape. His wide dress, made of green and gold brocade, has spherical gold buttons under the chest, and it is supported by a studded gold belt with three pointed circular pieces in the front, from which a studded dagger handle is visible to the right. The Sultan wears a reddish-orange coat with small golden buttons in the front, and is trimmed with fur at the edges, and golden slippers are visible from underneath the garment. In his left hand, whose little finger is decorated with a golden ring with a round stone, Sultan Ahmed holds a ceremonial handkerchief with gilded details, while in his right hand he holds a book of poetry of the type whose pages are connected at the top, narrow side. The gilded cover features an elaborately drawn central medallion surrounded by an elongated, arc-shaped frame. Above the Sultan’s painting is a continuous inscription within two elongated, tapered frames written on a blue background and decorated with white floral details. It mentions the following phrase: “Hazrat Sultan Ahmad bin Sultan Muhammad Khan.” The small inscription on the lower left side mentions the names of the painter, “The Poor Suleiman.” The painting is surrounded by a green inner frame and an orange outer frame, as well as blue, red, gold and green frames between them and around the outer frame.
Sample Text
Ulrike Al-Khamis “Portrait of the Ottoman Sultan Ahmed I” in Discover Islamic Art. Museum Without Borders, 2026. https://islamicart.museumwnf.org/database_item.php?id=object;ISL;uk;Mus03;24;ar