DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.29463#0149
Suleyman Shah, son of Selim Shah — May God make his kingdom
higher and his glory last—commands that this cloak be made. There
is no God but Allah, Moses is His hearer [sic]."^ Also surviving in
the collection of the Topkapi Saray Museum are short cotton shirts
for military use, intended to be worn under armor and entirely
covered with Koranic verses—these providing the best protection in
the perils of war.^ Apart from these, there are caftans with cres-
cents, crescents and stars, and the Solomon's Seal, this last being
attributed to Sultan Mehmed 11."^ Sometimes the czintamani is re-
duced to three discs or balls, as in the case of the caftan of Selim 1.^
The sultan's most important fur was the so-called a large
and most sumptuous mantle of satin, gold, or silver seraser with an
enormous collar and wide sleeves, reminiscent of the Byzantine &T
and lined with sable or black fox. It was placed on sultans'
shoulders, always with great ceremony, with the burning of aloes and
singing pages. On exceptional occasions it was also placed momen-
tarily on the shoulders of princes or viziers. In the seventeenth and
eighteenth centuries the grand vizier, at the start of a campaign, was
given, from the hands of the sultan, a special fur called AwM,
the fur of farewell, as a sign of blessing and the expectation of a
victorious return; and then two aigrettes with diamonds were pinned
to his turban.^
AH these ceremonies were strongly bound with the ancient symbol-
ism of the mantle, which, covering the whole human body, gives
protection and security. Above all, the mantle is also a symbol of
grace. Although imperial and royal mantles or copes be-
longed to the trappings of coronation in Europe, in the world of
Islam, the memory of the Prophet's mantle was vivid—and its ven-
erable relic was kept in the very heart of the saray.
In the late Ottoman period the style of kapani^a developed some
excessive features. In the codex illuminated by Fenerci Mehmed in
1811, Sultan Mahmud II is represented as wearing a fur with the
front regularly set with large diamonds, which, unexpectedly, recalls
the (an ornamental patch) of Byzantine emperors from the
sixth or seventh century.^
All costume accessories were designed and made with utmost care.
For example, a traditional ring worn by sultans was the thumb-ring
or archer's ring (zzAgir), used in drawing and loosing the bow.^ It
was made of ivory, horn, jade, or gold and was sometimes inlaid with
125
higher and his glory last—commands that this cloak be made. There
is no God but Allah, Moses is His hearer [sic]."^ Also surviving in
the collection of the Topkapi Saray Museum are short cotton shirts
for military use, intended to be worn under armor and entirely
covered with Koranic verses—these providing the best protection in
the perils of war.^ Apart from these, there are caftans with cres-
cents, crescents and stars, and the Solomon's Seal, this last being
attributed to Sultan Mehmed 11."^ Sometimes the czintamani is re-
duced to three discs or balls, as in the case of the caftan of Selim 1.^
The sultan's most important fur was the so-called a large
and most sumptuous mantle of satin, gold, or silver seraser with an
enormous collar and wide sleeves, reminiscent of the Byzantine &T
and lined with sable or black fox. It was placed on sultans'
shoulders, always with great ceremony, with the burning of aloes and
singing pages. On exceptional occasions it was also placed momen-
tarily on the shoulders of princes or viziers. In the seventeenth and
eighteenth centuries the grand vizier, at the start of a campaign, was
given, from the hands of the sultan, a special fur called AwM,
the fur of farewell, as a sign of blessing and the expectation of a
victorious return; and then two aigrettes with diamonds were pinned
to his turban.^
AH these ceremonies were strongly bound with the ancient symbol-
ism of the mantle, which, covering the whole human body, gives
protection and security. Above all, the mantle is also a symbol of
grace. Although imperial and royal mantles or copes be-
longed to the trappings of coronation in Europe, in the world of
Islam, the memory of the Prophet's mantle was vivid—and its ven-
erable relic was kept in the very heart of the saray.
In the late Ottoman period the style of kapani^a developed some
excessive features. In the codex illuminated by Fenerci Mehmed in
1811, Sultan Mahmud II is represented as wearing a fur with the
front regularly set with large diamonds, which, unexpectedly, recalls
the (an ornamental patch) of Byzantine emperors from the
sixth or seventh century.^
All costume accessories were designed and made with utmost care.
For example, a traditional ring worn by sultans was the thumb-ring
or archer's ring (zzAgir), used in drawing and loosing the bow.^ It
was made of ivory, horn, jade, or gold and was sometimes inlaid with
125