Lot 34: A SUFI OTTOMAN CALLIGRAPHIC LEVHA WITH IMPERIAL TUGHRA PAINTING , TURKEY, 19TH CENTURY

This Ottoman calligraphic levha is executed in ink and pigment on paper. The central element is a large Tughra, a stylized imperial monogram, which incorporates the name of the Sufi saint Sayyid Abul Hasan Ali ash-Shadhili. This specific calligraphic arrangement is associated with the reign of Sultan Ahmad III (r. 1703-1730). The Tughra includes three vertical shafts, two nested loops filled with dense fine-line scrollwork, and sweeping horizontal strokes. Additional calligraphic script is positioned beneath the primary emblem. To the upper right is a polychrome painting of an Ottoman kavuk, or headpiece, featuring a brown cap and a green and black striped turban resting on a fringed cushion. The work is housed in a modern black frame.

67 x 56cm