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Süleymanname Illuminations
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1550s. Gold floral headpieces and the Divan of Muhibbi — the birth of the naturalistic Ottoman style.Historical contextThis work belongs to the history of Illumination (Tezhip), a tradition traced on Matchless Pieces from its origins to the present.
| Artist / Maker | Kara 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.
Condition
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