Three harness or belt elements - Lot 371

Three harness or belt elements Gilded and chased iron Turkey, late 15th century L. 3.5 / 3.2 / 6.5 cm The belts or harness elements of the 15th and 16th century Ottoman world are objects of great refinement. A number of ivory belts are among the most refined objects of this period. An ornate ivory belt is preserved in the collections of the Museum of Turkish and Islamic Art in Istanbul (483, 482). The first element is decorated with flowers in a spiral on a gold background, the second with palmettes framing a central frieze, and the last with a delicate multi-relief decoration of palmettes, arabesques and composite flowers. The use of gilded and chased iron has few comparables for objects of this form, which can be dated to the reign of Sultan Bayezid. Nevertheless, the use of this type of technique and decoration can be found on the hilt and guard of a precious dagger, probably produced for the court, in the collections of the Hermitage Museum: V. Obraztsov (2015), Oriental arms and armour in the Hermitage collection, The State Hermitage Publishers, Saint-Petersburg, pp. 98-99.