[Ottoman poetry and painting album]

This volume contains an album of drawings and select verses. These are mostly gazeller, belonging to poets who flourished about the middle of the 10th century AH (mid-16th century CE). The poets found in the volume include: Ulvi (died 993 AH/1585-86 CE; ff 3v, 7r, 8v, 13r, 15r, 19r); Rahmi (died 975 AH/1567-68 CE; ff 9r, 10v, 21v); Fevri (died 978 AH/1570-71 CE; f 5r); Aşık (died 979 AH/1571-72 CE; f 16r); Zati (died 953 AH/1546-47 CE; f 20r); Emri (died 983 AH/1575-76 CE; f 23r); and Hüdai (died 991 AH/1583-84 CE; f 28r). The illustrations contained within the volume are as follows:. f 2v : A woman, with leaves in her gold pill-box hat (takke), holding an apple;. f 3r : A young prince, possibly Osman II, on horseback. Grey horse with jeweled harness. Wearing a fur-lined kaftan, carrying a mendil, and wearing a large turban (örf) with two aigrettes;. f 4v : Possibly Ahmet I, riding a black horse which has an ornate saddle cloth and jeweled harness, as above. He is wearing a round white turban (örf) and a fur-lined kaftan;. f 5v : A woman holding a mendil and a fruit. Ottoman Turkish costume, pearl necklace and jeweled pendant earrings. ''Şems ve kamer'' are written above;. f 6r : A woman, in Ottoman Turkish costume, holding a fan (yelpaze) and an orange; ''elleri güzel'' is written above;. f 7v : A woman wearing an Ottoman Turkish costume and holding an orange and a fan (yelpaze). ''Güzel saçlar ile Raziye'' is written above;. f 8r : A woman wearing an Ottoman Turkish costume and holding a fan (yelpaze) and carnations;. f 9v : Drawing of a youth playing a tambur against a landscape in which the birds and the flowering trees are tinted. Hunting motif on his robe, with the inscription ''Levend-i Gürcü'' above;. f 10r : A Georgian youth (page?) sitting on the ground playing a tambur to a dappled grey horse, which stands listening, its ears pricked;. f 11v : A woman (her name is given as Zemane) in Ottoman Turkish costume, including high pattens (nalınlar), earrings and a necklace, holding a gold fan (yelpaze);. f 12r : A woman (her name is given as Mihrmah) holding a fan (yelpaze) and an apple, while wearing an Ottoman Turkish costume;. f 13v : Drawing of a youth (with the transcription ''Rana-yi Tabriz'') holding a scroll. He is wearing a Persian-style blue fur cap (acem külâhı) with a gold band;. f 14v : Similar subject to f 10r; drawing of a youth playing a tambur to a horse which has its ears laid back. Line drawing and only the saddle, saddle-cloth and turban are tinted;. f 15v : Line drawing of a youth holding a book in a landscape under the inscription Gürcü bağcısı;. f 16v : A Mevlevi derviş called Ömer, holding a fan and reading a red book;. f 17r : Another Mevlevi derviş, named Süleyman. He is holding a fan and has a book tucked in his robe;. f 18r : A youth holding a goshawk on his green gauntlet. The hawk has a halsband and jesses. Lure (?) hanging on the youth's belt. He is wearing a blue tunic, white skirt, red trousers, yellow ankle boots with open sides and a fur-brimmed hat;. f 19v : Line drawing of an ''Bağban-i Acem'', according to the inscription. A youth holding a spray of blossom and a book;. f 20v : A line drawing of a youth holding a dappled horse. Only the saddle cover, saddle cloth, harness, and youth's hat are tinted;. f 21r : A goshawk standing on a perch. It is wearing bewits, bells, jesses, and a halsband;. f 22r : A line drawing, gold-tinted, of a partridge standing on a rock;. f 23v : An ink drawing of an angel (''Asman-i peri'') with face and hands tinted pink, holding a pomegranate;. f 24v : A young man riding a dappled horse holding a bow and arrow, escorted by a youth on foot. The man is described as ''Gürcü timari'';. f 25v : A woman, as in f 11v, whose name is also given as Zemane, in Ottoman Turkish costume and holding two carnations;. f 26v : Two warriors wrestling. Their names are given as Bedi and Kasım. Both are wearing helmets with earflaps and large feathers (eagles?), armour and weapons;. f 27v : A good study of a solak, the archer bodyguard of the Sultan, wearing the distinctive high headdress (kuka) with the large white plume (süpürge sorguçlu), under the inscription ''Mehmet Solak'';. f 28v : A derviş wearing a round, loosely wound turban and a white robe with books tucked into it. He has bare legs, red slippers and a yellow cloak;. f 29r : Two women in Ottoman Turkish costume outside, each holding a rose. The inscription ''Rana-yi Tebriz'' (f 13v), which appears to connect this album to Tabriz. This manuscript was likely produced towards the end of the 16th century CE.

Restrictions to access apply please consult British Library staff

Rieu, Catalogue of the Turkish Manuscripts in the British Museum, p. 211; and Titley, Norah M., Miniatures from Turkish Manuscripts: A Catalogue and Subject Index of Paintings in the British Library and British Museum (London: The British Library, 1981), pp. 1-2.

For more information on Ulvi see Haj. Khal. III, p. 296; and Fleischer, Leipzig Catalogue, p 550v. For more information on Rahmi, see Haj. Khal. III, p. 280.