OTTOMAN ISTANBUL, 17TH CENTURY

Details

A SILK AND METAL-THREAD TEXTILE PANEL (KEMHA) DEPICTING CHRIST PANTOCRATOR
OTTOMAN ISTANBUL, 17TH CENTURY
The crimson silk ground woven with green, yellow, white, brown and silver thread with a repeated motif of Christ enthroned holding the gospels, his hand raised in blessing, surrounded by the four winged creatures symbolising the Evangelists, the motif set alternated with double-cross-shaped columns, composite
50¼ x 25¾in. (127.6 x 65.6cm.)

Special notice

These lots have been imported from outside the EU or, if the UK has withdrawn from the EU without an agreed transition deal, from outside of the UK for sale and placed under the Temporary Admission regime. Import VAT is payable at 5% on the hammer price. VAT at 20% will be added to the buyer’s premium but will not be shown separately on our invoice.

Conditions of sale

Brought to you by

Sara Plumbly

splumbly@christies.com +44 20 7389 2374

Lot Essay

In the late sixteenth century, looms producing such textiles with Christian motifs were associated with the Ecumenical Patriarchate in Istanbul. A very similar textile is recorded as having been given to the Cathedral of the Dormition by Tsar Ivan IV of Russia in 1583, (Hali Magazine, issue 116, no. 15, p. 125). Our textile is slightly more stylised than the example found in Russia and therefore it has been suggested that it is slightly later in date.

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