Szilágyi András (szerk.): Ars Decorativa 15. (Budapest, 1995)

GERELYES Ibolya: Oszmán-török dísztőrök az Esterházy-gyűjteményből

tes, and inscribed with a Turkish couplet on one side and a Persian one on the other, which has a jade hilt and scabbard incrusted with gold and rubies.

16 (111. 7). The last mentioned two objects, the motifs on the blades of the Esterházy dagger, and the quality of their artistic execution show significant similarity, which may also indicate that they were made in the same workshop. The hilt, hand-guard and scabbard of the Esterházy dagger represent a separate style in the sixteenth-century goldsmith's art - a style different from that of the blade. Two outstanding objects, both made in the workshop of the sultan seray in the second half or at the end of the sixteenth century, can be regarded as its closest companions. One is a ceremonial mace chased and embossed with rosettes, lotus flowers and sedge leaves on a punched background and enriched with turquoises and rubies in appliqué settings forming six-, or eight-petalled rosettes. The other is a helmet with identical style and decoration. Both represent a new trend in Ottoman goldsmith's art, one that has already broken free of the Persian influence typical of the beginning of the century (111. 8). A great number of objects representing a similar style but enriched with incrusted jade or nephrite, or - occasionally - emerald were made in Ottoman workshops during the early seventeenth century. As an example, we could mention another piece from the Esterházy Collection (Inv. No. E 60.8), a stiletto dagger decorated with incrusted nephrites and bearing the signature (tugra) of Sultan Murád IV ( 1623-40) impressed at three places

17 (111. 9). The hilt, hand-guard and scabbard of the Esterházy dagger described above can be placed in the same category. Summary: The dagger was manufactured in an Ottoman workshop. Its blade was not made before the second quarter of the sixteenth century, and followed Persian models. The hilt, hand-guard and the scabbard, on the other hand, were made at the end of the sixteenth, or in the first quarter of the seventeenth century. The other dagger introduced in present study has a hilt of black ebony, decorated on its whole surface with inlaid gold network.

18 The sections of the net are enriched with small turquoises, rubies and emeralds in rosette-shaped gold settings. The head of the hilt has a similar decoration in the middle of the rectangles created by the net. Below, the midlle of the rectangles are enriched with small gold dots. The edges of the hilt are enframed by identical gold doots. The scabbard of the dagger is made of embossed, chased and punched gilt-silver, appliquéd on wood. The front is covered with lotus flowers and sedge leaves on a punched base, creating a background for the three rows of alternating rubies and turquoises. The appliqué settings of the jewels form eight-petalled rosettes. Seven of the jewels are missing (111. 10). The back of the scabbard depicts flowers and leaves arranged in cartouches that are connected with an "endless-knot" pattern. The back of the scabbard lacks the ring for hanging: only the fitting for holding it has survived (111. 11). The pressed, gilt-silver and embossed handguard ends in curved dragon heads, with parts missing from one side. The decoration is identical to that of the scabbard, except for the emeralds embellishing the rows of turquoises and rubies: the stones are all held in strongly protruding appliqué settings. One jewel is missing from the front and the back. The plain iron blade is a latter replacement. The scabbard and the hand-guard of the dagger were made at the same time and in the same style. It is identical in all respects to the dagger described previously, thus its date of manufacture can be placed in the late sixteenth or early seventeenth century. Analogies suggest that it was also made in Ottoman workshop. The ebony hilt groups the object together with Ottoman goldsmith's pieces of the early sixteenth century. The jewel box of dark jade, which is also decorated with alternating gold dots and jewels in rosette-shaped settings", indicates a similar artistic approach. The blade, the hilt and the hand-guard and