A Rare Ottoman Imperial Coat of Arms with the Tughra of Sultan Abdulhamid II (R. 1876-1909) Carved On Wood

A Rare Ottoman Imperial Coat of Arms with the Tughra of Sultan Abdulhamid II (R. 1876-1909) Carved On Wood.

Ottoman Empire.

Reign of Sultan Abdülhamid II (r. 1876-1909).

Dimensions: 49 x 44 cm.

The tughras of Ottoman sultans were rarely carved on wood and located above the entrances of palatial chambers and in ships of the Ottoman naval forces. Some examples which belong to this small group are preserved in the Naval Museum in Istanbul. The application of the imperial coat of arms on wood, on the other hand, is extremely rare. The only comparable one with the tughra of Sultan Abdulhamid II, known to us, is in the reading room of the Rare Manuscripts Library of the Istanbul University.

This example is located at the top of the main bookcase, produced by Sultan Abdulhamid himself who was a master carpenter. The book-case was originally located in the Yildiz Palace Library, founded by Sultan Abdulhamid II.

Every sultan of the Ottoman Empire had his own monogram, called the tughra, which served as a royal symbol. The Ottoman imperial coat of arms in the European heraldic sense was created in the late 19th century. Hampton Court requested from the Ottoman Empire the imperial coat of arms to be included in their collection. As such an imperial coat of arms had not been previously used in the Ottoman Empire, it was designed on this request, and the final design was adopted by Sultan Abdulhamid II on April 17, 1882. It included two flags: the red flag of the Ottoman dynasty with a star and crescent, and the green flag of the caliphate, largely obscured by a cornucopia. Behind the flags are a number of spears and other weapons representing stately authority. The coat of arms in hand is a finely executed, rare example of its kind. The letters of the tughra of the sultan are clear and legible.

Price on application

This object is eligible for a Certificate of BADA Provenance