Ottoman furniture, objects sold at auction

ISTANBUL - Hürriyet Daily News

Historical calligraphy work found a buyer for 27,500 liras in the auction.

Hundreds of 18th and 19th century Ottoman and European antiques, including decorative objects, furniture and paintings, went under the hammer on May 25 at Çukurcuma Auction House.

Out of the 600 works up for sale, one of the most attention-grabbing artifacts of the auction was a silk handkerchief, which found a buyer for 6,000 Turkish Liras. The handkerchief is a rare one decorated with the characteristic drawings of Turkish, Arabic, Bosnian, Albanian and Kurdish soldiers. It belongs to the latest era of Ottoman Empire. Part of the money from the sale was donated to the martyrs and their families. The Martyrs Association President Gönül Apaydın said that they were very happy to keep this tradition alive.

Auction at Yıldız Palace

The auction took place in Yıldız Palace, where two mirrors from ancient palaces found a buyer for 190,000 liras. A calligraphy work which belonged to Hafız Abdülahad Vahdet Bey found a buyer for 27,500 liras. An Italian palace desk made in Florence, dating from 1853, was another main attraction.

Calligraphy artist Hafız Abdülahad Vahdeti Bey’s collection, which consists of five calligraphy works were among the most important works of the auction. Three of these works depict hadis-i şerif (hadiths) and the other two versicles of the Quran. Among these versicles it is known that some of these are still in Yıldız Hamidiye Mosque. These works are believed to date back to around 1299 according to the Mohammedan calendar. The calligraphy works are made with the ornamentation art from Ottoman era, and there are also golden embellishments on the works. The works were opened to the lot at the price of 27,500 liras and found a buyer for the same amount.

Among the objects, an Ottoman-style sorbet carafe was another highlight of the auction. The carafe was made from the walnut tree with pearl ornamentation. An artifact very similar to the carafe also exists in Yıldız Palace, according to the written statement of the auction house.