TURKEY, LATE 15TH CENTURY

This candlestick belongs to a rare group of early Ottoman metalwork which is dateable to the late 15th century (Esin Atil et al., Islamic Metalwork in the Freer Gallery of Art, Washington D.C., 1985, p.192). Within this group there are a number of candlesticks of similar size and form, including some with tulip-shaped sockets, but which are undecorated. This candlestick belongs to a sub-set of this rare group which displays chiselled decoration. The combination of palmettes and arabesques on our candlestick reflect the visual vocabulary of the ceramics and architecture from the period of Sultan Bayezid II (r.1481-1512) which exhibit the 'Baba Nakkash' style prevalent in the royal workshops of that time. This decorative scheme is found on other similarly dated Ottoman wares, such as a fine tombak flask (matara) which was sold in these Rooms on 2 May 2019, lot 159. Examples of similarly decorated candlesticks can be found in the Freer Gallery of Art (op. cit., p.191, cat.27) and in the Victoria & Albert Museum (inv. 91.1.586).