TURKEY, DATED 18 SHA'BAN AH 1214 / 15 JANUARY 1800 AD

Details

A ROYAL OTTOMAN FIRMAN OF SULTAN SELIM III (R. 1789-1807 AD)
TURKEY, DATED 18 SHA'BAN AH 1214 / 15 JANUARY 1800 AD
A firman of Selim III regarding the Prophet's tomb at Medina, Turkish manuscript on paper, with eight lines of alternating red and green diwani within gold clouds, with gold cintamani header, gold tughra of Selim III between lines one and two, and gold roundels throughout, with later marginal annotations in diwani, the reverse plain, mounted, framed and glazed
30 3/8 x 20 7/8in. (77 x 53cm.)

Provenance

Private German collection since the early 20th century, from whom acquired by the present owner

Conditions of sale

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Lot Essay

This firman is an award of half a share (qirat) of the honorary role of Office of the Sweeper (ferrashet) of the Prophet's tomb in Medina. The document awards the post to Mahmud bin Ibrahim Üsküdari. Although the duty of ferrash was normally considered a low-level service, the sanctity of the Prophet's tomb made it such a highly prestigious post that was split up into shares and granted to members of the Ottoman elite.

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