Lot Essay
The inscription reads ya hazra sultan 'Abd al-Qadir Jilani. 'Abd al-Qadir Jilani (1077-1166 AD) is the founder of the Qadiriya Sufi order and it is in fact tughras with his name that decorate the cornices of the Ottoman room included in this sale (lot 265).
Mehmed Sevki Efendi (AH 1245-1304/1829-1887 AD) studied thuluth, naskh and riqa' under his uncle Mehmed Hulûsi Efendi (d. 1874 AD), but developed his owns style which would later be known as the 'Sevki school' (M. Ugur Derman, Eternal Letters, exhibition catalogue, Sharjah, 2009, pp.192-193). A very similar work to the present is in the Khalili Collection (Stephen Vernoit, Occidentalism, London, 1997, no. 47, pp. 91-92). It is there suggested that the shape of this calligraphic composition is designed to recall the Qadiriya head-dress.
Mehmed Sevki Efendi (AH 1245-1304/1829-1887 AD) studied thuluth, naskh and riqa' under his uncle Mehmed Hulûsi Efendi (d. 1874 AD), but developed his owns style which would later be known as the 'Sevki school' (M. Ugur Derman, Eternal Letters, exhibition catalogue, Sharjah, 2009, pp.192-193). A very similar work to the present is in the Khalili Collection (Stephen Vernoit, Occidentalism, London, 1997, no. 47, pp. 91-92). It is there suggested that the shape of this calligraphic composition is designed to recall the Qadiriya head-dress.