A STEEL ARMGUARD WITH THE MARK OF THE OTTOMAN COURT ARSENAL
TURKEY, 16th CENTURY
£6,300
Auction: Islamic Art | Lots 1 to 66 | 12 June at 10am
Description
formed of three steel plaques chained together, the main arm section with incised decoration consisting of a wide vertical band of elegant entwining arabesques and split palmettes against a ground of very fine spiralling decoration, recto upper centre bearing the ‘Kayi-Boya’ mark, the Ottoman court arsenal of St. Irene
Dimensions
38.5cm (15 1/8in) length x 18.4 (7 1/8in) max. width
Footnote
Note:
The Ottoman court Arsenal of St Irene is located in the inner courtyard of the Topkapi Palace, Istanbul. This high quality armguard is very likely to have been made for a member of the ruling elite.
For a comparable 16th century Ottoman steel leg-guard in the Furusiyya Art Foundation Collection, see Bashir Mohamed,
The arts of the Muslim Knight, Skira, Milan, 2007, p. 305.