AN EXQUISITE OTTOMAN FOUNTAIN FROM THE REIGN OF SULTAN AHMED III (R.1703-1730)

Decorated With Tulips And Ranunculus Flowers In Vases

Carved on white marble, decorated in relief with tulips and ranunculus flowers (ranunculi) in vases. Mirror in the arched niche in the middle is surrounded by reliefs of symmetrically arranged acunthus leaves on both sides and the top.

The present fountain is a rare and important example, displaying the innovative decorative repertoire introduced to Ottoman art in the early 18th century with all its richness and originality. The decoration is typical of the reign of Sultan Ahmed III (r. 1703-1730) with tulips and ranunculi in vases, comparable to those in the so-called Fruit Room (Yemiş Odası) of Sultan Ahmed III in the Topkapı Palace in Istanbul.

The fountain’s decoration is also comparable and very closely related to that of the iconic public fountain of Sultan Ahmed III, built in 1728, in front of the Topkapı Palace, Istanbul. The tulips and ranunculus flowers (ranunculi) in vases on the present fountain are almost identical to those on this famous fountain and allows us to date it to the reign of Sultan Ahmed III. The Tophane fountain in the Tophane district, Istanbul, which was built by Sultan Mahmud I (r. 1730-1754), in 1732, displays a different decoration with other flowers and fruits, placed in niches.

All early 18th century marble fountains of this type in Istanbul share common elements inspired from the Safavid-Mughal interior decoration known as chini-khana. In this particular type of decoration vases are similarly displayed in cut-out mihrab-like arched niches in walls. Remarkable examples of chini-khana decoration in marble relief can be seen inside the Taj Mahal in Agra, and in the Amber Fort (Sukh Niwas [the Hall of Pleasure]), Jaipur, Rajasthan, India. For more information please see, Turgut Saner’s article, “Lale Devri Mimarlığında Hint Esinleri: Çinihane”, Sanat Tarihi Defterleri, Vol: III, Istanbul, 1999, pp.35-49.

In the Ottoman period flowers were a constant part of daily life, grown in gardens everywhere, from palaces to humble homes. Flowers were blessed reminders of the gardens of heaven. Foreign travellers and ambassadors who visited the empire frequently remarked about this love of flowers. The 17th century Ottoman writer and traveller Evliya Çelebi describes how vases of roses, tulips, hyacinths, narcissi and lilies were placed between the rows of worshippers in the Eski Mosque and the Üç Şerefeli Mosque in Edirne, and how their scent filled the prayer halls. As depicted in the present fountain, vases of flowers adorned niches in the walls, dining trays and rows of vases were placed around rooms and pools. For further information please see, Motif from the Sadberk Hanım Museum Collection (written by Turgut Saner, Şebnem Eryavuz and Hülya Bilgi), Sadberk Hanım Museum, Istanbul, 2020, pp. 110-111.

An Ottoman brass tap, almost identical to the one attached to the present fountain, is in the Adell Armatür Collection. Please see the exhibition catalogue, Âb-ı Hayat–GeçmiştenGünümüzeİstanbul’daSuveSu Kültürü, Istanbul, 2010, p. 191.

Provenance:

Ex-Robert Kime Collection, London.

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Venice 1993 - Guardi – Quadri Turcheschi, 28 August – 21 November 1993, Vol: I-II, Fondazione Giorgino Cini, Istituto di Storia dell’Arte, Venice.

Budapest 1994 - Nagy Szulejman Szultan Es Kora, Magyar Nemzeti Muzeum, Budapest, 1994.

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Paris 2000 - Splendeurs de la Ceramique OttomanedesCollectionsSuna-İnanKıraçetdu Musée Sadberk Hanım, Musée Jacquemart- André – Institut de France, Istanbul, 2000.

Istanbul 2001 – Topkapı Palace – The Imperial Treasury, texts by Emine Bilirgen & Süheyla Murat, MAS, Istanbul, 2001.

Indianapolis 2002 - Gifts to the Tsars: 1500-1700, Treasures from the Kremlin, texts by Shifman, B. and G. Walton, Indianapolis Museum of Art, Indianapolis, 2002.

Istanbul 2003 - Lale Devrinin bir Görgü Tanığı Jean-Baptiste Vanmour, Texts written by Eveline Sint Nicolaes et al, Koçbank, İstanbul, 2003.

Alabama 2004 - Ottoman Treasures: Rugs and Ceramics from the Collection of Dr. and Mrs. William T Price, Birmingham Museum of Art, Alabama, 2004.

Istanbul 2005 – Asırlar Sonra Bir Arada: Sadberk Hanım Müzesi’nin Yurtdışından Türkiye’ye Kazandırdığı Eserler, 4 December 2005 – 28 February 2006, Sadberk Hanım Museum, Istanbul, 2005.

Amsterdam 2006 - Istanbul: The City and the Sultan, exhibition catalogue, December 16, 2006 - April 15, 2007, organised by Stichting Projecten De Nieuwe Kerk, Amsterdam, 2006.

Istanbul 2006 - Sandıklarda Saklı Saray Yaşamı, Exhibition held in the Dolmabahçe Palace, TBMM Milli Saraylar, Mas Matbaası, İstanbul, 2006.

Hong Kong 2007 - Crossroads of Ceramics –Turkey, where the East and the West Meet, World of Ceramic Exposition Foundation, Joseon Royal Kiln Museum, Kwon Doo Yhun, 2007.

Istanbul 2007 - Çatma & Kemha – Ottoman Silk Textiles, Texts written by Hülya Bilgi, Exhibition held between 14 April – 10 June 2007, Sadberk Hanım Museum, Istanbul, 2007.

Istanbul 2008 - Istanbul, Isfahan, Delhi. 3 Capitals of Islamic Art. Masterpieces from the Louvre Collection, exhibition catalogue, 2008.

Istanbul 2008 - The Lure of the East – British Orientalist Painting, Ed. Nicholas Tromans, Tate Publishing, Tate – Pera Museum - Sharjah Museum, 2008.

Paris 2008 - Le Chant du Monde L’Art de l’Iran Safavide 1501-1736, text by Assadullah Souren Melikian-Chirvani, Musée du Louvre, Paris, 2008.

Seville 2008 - OttomanCalligraphyfromthe Sakip Sabancı Museum, Real Alcazar, Seville, 4 April – 15 June 2008, Sakip Sabanci Museum, 2008.

Istanbul 2009 – BirReformcu,ŞairveMüzisyen: Sultan III. Selim Han, Topkapı Palace Museum, TC. Kültür ve Turizm Bakanlığı, Istanbul, 2009.

Istanbul 2010 - Âb-ıHayat–Geçmişten Günümüze İstanbul’da Su ve Su Kültürü, Istanbul, 2010.

Abu Dhabi 2009 - Islam – Faith and Worship, Abu Dhabi Culture and Heritage, Abu Dhabi, 2009.

Athens 2010 - Aspects of Armenian Art: The KalfayanCollection, Museum of Byzantine Culture Thessaloniki, June 11 – October 10, 2010, Athens, 2010.

Copenhagen 2015 - Sensual Delights: Incense Burners and Rosewater Sprinklers from the World of Islam, Joachim Meyer, Catalogue of an exhibition held at the David Collection, March 20-September 6, 2015, The David Collection, Copenhagen, 2015.

Lens 2018 - L’Empire des Roses: Chefs-d’œuvre de l’Art Persan du XIXe Siècle, Snoeck, Louvre Lens, Paris, 2018.

Istanbul 2020 - Motif from the Sadberk Hanim Museum Collection, written by Turgut Saner, Şebnem Eryavuz and Hülya Bilgi. Sadberk Hanim Museum, Istanbul, 2020.

Munich 2020 - The Art of Orientation - An Exploration of the Mosque through Objects, Edited and Written by Idries Trevathan et al, Ithra, Hirmer, Munich, 2020.

Paris 2021 - Cartier Et Les Arts De L’Islam Aux Sources De La Modernité, Musée des Arts Décoratifs, DMA, Paris, 2021.