Şahkulu

Şahkulu (d. 1556) — Illumination (Tezhip).

Persian-born master who joined the Ottoman palace atelier after 1514 and became its chief. Şahkulu developed the “saz style”: long serrated saz leaves, composite hatayi blossoms, dragons, simurghs and peris drawn in a single sweeping ink line. His drawings fed the designs of İznik, textiles and bookbinding, and his student Kara Memi built the floral style upon his foundation.

Works on Matchless Pieces

'Saz'-style Drawing of a Dragon amid Foliage'Saz'-style Drawing of a Dragon amid FoliageCombat between dragon and lion, from an Ottoman album…Two pages from the Sultan Murad III Album (ANL…Dragon in foliage with lion and phoenix heads

Related works

Crystal earring for celibate Bektashi SufisCombat between dragon and lion, from an Ottoman album…Two pages from the Sultan Murad III Album (ANL…Istanbul photos by J.Lubbock 2018 1031Şahkulu CamiiIstanbul photos by J.Lubbock 2018 1032Istanbul (7266813668)Istanbul, Turkey (November 2023) - 664

Works

• 'Saz'-style Drawing of a Dragon amid Foliage
• 'Saz'-style Drawing of a Dragon amid Foliage
• Combat between dragon and lion, from an Ottoman album (TSMK H. 2147, f. 32b)
• Two pages from the Sultan Murad III Album (ANL Cod. mixt. 313 ff. 11b, 46a)
• Dragon in foliage with lion and phoenix heads