Cane Handle

Location: Turkey, Istanbul

Materials: gold and silver, translucent champlevé enamel, diamonds, rubies and an emerald

Dimensions: height 7.9 cm

Accession Number: ISL 949

Other Notes:

The hybrid style of this cane handle, which combines elements of European (the applied gem-set garland) and Eastern (the champlevé enamel) decoration, suggests that it was made in a location that was at the crossroads of such influences, namely Istanbul. European goldsmiths and watchmakers had been established in Galata, the European quarter of Istanbul, since the mid 17^th century. Active in both manufacture and restoration, these craftsmen inevitably modified their work to accommodate local demand.

A Qur’an binding, bearing the tuğra of Mahmud I (r. 1730-54), in the Topkapi Treasury, most probably made in a European workshop in Istanbul, demonstrates this adaptability. Within the traditional format of Islamic leather bindings, European decorative motifs, including rather old-fashioned strap-work, are incorporated. The corners and spine are decorated in champlevé enamel with stylised flowers and leaves – similar to those scrolling around this cane handle. This decoration, although alluding to Mughal enamelwork, is a European evocation and as such further demonstrates the fusion of styles that occurred in the Istanbul workshops during the 18^th century.

Bibliography:

Haydn Williams, Enamels of the World: 1700-2000 The Khalili Collections, London 2009, cat. 48, p. 98.