– EXHIBITIONS –

Lines in gold. Ottoman Calligraphy from the Sakip Sabanci Museum of Istanbul

4th April – 15th June, 2008

Real Alcázar, Seville

No. of exhibits: 96

Visitors: 250.000

In the foreground, Sultan Selim III's "Ferman" (imperial edict). In the background, portrait of Selim III as a prince, by Rafael Manas (18th century). Oil on canvas.
In the center of the image, prayer book hand-copied by Hafiz Osman (17th century). One of the most beautiful examples of thuluth writing.
Left to right: "Levha" (calligraphic panel), a mirror writing composition realized by Ismail Hakki Altunbezer. Next, the work "The caligrapher Rifat Efendi", by Feyhamen Duran (1886-1970), a famous painter belonging to the Generation of 1914. On the right, two-line "Lehva", hand-copied by Mehmed Hulûsi.
A detail of a paper roll contaning Qu'ran suras and prayers
On the right, Qur'an hand-copied by Ramazan bin Ismail, a 17th-century calligrapher. On the left, Qur'an copied by Nefeszade Ismail (17th century).
"Divit" (writing tools). 18th century.
A set of inkwells (19th century). Four inkwells and a little jar for water (for diluting ink)
Ottoman Calligraphy
This exhibition gathered together a selection of 96 pieces belonging to this prestigious calligraphy collection consisting of almost 400 works of extraordinary value. It offered a complete overview of Ottoman calligraphic art over a period of 500 years, from the 15th to the 20th centuries. It included handwritten Koran pages, prayer books, calligraphic panels, imperial documents and calligraphic instruments.

A part of this collection had also be displayed at the Metropolitan Museum of Art of New York in 1998, at the Louvre Museum in Paris in 2000, at the Deutsche Guggenheim in Berlin in 2001 and at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts of San Fernando in Madrid in 2008.

The exhibition was sponsored by the Sabanci Holding, one of the biggest business groups in Turkey and promoter of the Sakip Sabanci University of Istanbul, to which the Sakip Sabanci Museum (SSM) belongs. It relied on the special collaboration of El legado andalusí Foundation (Regional Government of the region of Andalusia)

Its presence in Seville was also possible thanks to the collaboration of the Spanish Ministry of Culture, organizer of the exhibition at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts of San Fernando in Madrid, and to “PopArt Acción Cultural”, responsible for its celebration in Spain.

Qantara. Mediterranean heritage
Lands of Olive Groves

OTHER EXHIBITIONS:

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