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Divan of Sultan Süleyman (Muhibbi) — public domain / Wikimedia Commons

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Written by: William RomanoSenior Specialist · Illumination (Tezhip)
Illumination (Tezhip) · Catalogue no. 711
Kara Memi

Divan of Sultan Süleyman (Muhibbi)

StatusReference work · Not for sale
Held byPublic collection
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1566. Floral illumination.

Artist / MakerKara Memi
About the Artist

Kara Memi (fl. 1545–1566) — Illumination (Tezhip).Kara Memi (Kara Mehmed Çelebi) was the student and successor of Şahkulu and head illuminator (sernakkaş) of the palace atelier under Süleyman the Magnificent. He created the naturalistic "Kara Memi style" (Ottoman floral style): tulips, carnations, hyacinths, roses and blossoming fruit trees rendered in fresh colour and gold, often with a bent, wind-tossed tulip as his signature. His masterpiece is the illumination of the Divan-ı Muhibbi (1566), the poetry of Süleyman himself. The vocabulary… Full biography →

Provenance & Source

Documented provenance available on request.

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