The object I have chosen isn’t like any ordinary object, since it signifies something important. Something that has such beauty and effort put into it can’t be ordinary, but has to be special or valuable in one way or another. When looking at my object, one would think that it’s an ancient sword.
This sword is decorated in a unique way, as if it were more than a sword. This special sword is referred to as the Yataghan. Yataghan from the court of Suleiman the Magnificent. This type of sword referred to as a “yataghan,” came from the Golden Age of King Suleiman and the Ottoman Empire. It came from the workshop of Ahmed Tekelu, who was Suleiman’s court jeweler in Istanbul, which is in present day Turkey.
“This sword is made of steel and walrus ivory, and inlaid with gold, silver, rubies, pearls and turquoise” (Epstein 1). It contains a picture of a dragon fighting a bird that looks like a phoenix on its double curved blade. “It was created in the Chinese style which influenced Ottoman art through Persian contacts”(Epstein 1). Because of its beauty, it was most likely ordered by a prince or member of the nobility.
What I see before me is similar to a katana. About three to three and a half feet long. From the top you can see a yellowish-brownish handle, which is used for grip and not to cut one’s own hand or make it uncomfortable to handle. A bluish-green jewel is implanted inside the top of the handle. A sharp blade used not for hunting, but for other events. Gold embedded on this weapon provides a rather higher rank. The gem seems to be a pearl.
This weapon hasn’t been used for battle or hunting, since it is smooth, pure and clean. Dimension is three-dimensional. The blade seems to be in perfect shape. From the top to bottom you see a blackish blade and the steel shining, when light is reflected upon it. It is asymmetrical because it does not match the other half or any half you cut.
It isn’t geometric but shapely. This blade seems to have been made for higher standards and people of higher classes and nobility, due to the fact that so much work is placed upon it. Putting a huge amount of work and effort into something that is going to be shattered doesn’t make sense, but the object wasn’t made for hunting or battles. The gold depicts a story, sometime of war a dragon and phoenix going head to head in a battle.
“The gold incrustation on the blade depicts a combat between a dragon and a phoenix against a background of foliate scrolls”(metmuseum);therefore, there’s much more than the sword being a weapon. It has a whole story to it. This figure has Chinese inspiration to it and was introduced to the Ottoman art through Persia. The significance of the Chinese motif to the Ottomans is that they made items similar to theirs. This weapon was among great leaders, such as Suleiman the Magnificent.
“One legend about Suleiman has refused to die until these last few years. It is that he failed to conquer middle Europe” (Lamb 331). It shows how much importance Suleiman had in history and being a legend. A person, of whom people still talk about, also created artifacts and weapons for, such as the yataghan. Nevertheless, this object personifies major importance in history. The objects shape, beauty and history make it more than a sword or yataghan.
The theme I have chosen is Royalty. It is connected to my object for several reasons. It shows the value and meaning of my object or yataghan. For one it is a very well decorated sword. The blade seems to be sharpened to the fullest and you can see the shine of steel, when light is reflected upon it. You can tell this is no ordinary object by examining it.
The sword is overlaid with and inset with rubies, which are really expensive. The sword was made for a person of higher standards or nobility. Likewise, the yataghan was made for Suleiman the Magnificent, who was the leader of the Ottoman Empire. “Exquisite workmanship and lavish use of precious materials distinguish this sword as a princely weapon”(metmuseum). The yataghan was made by a great artist Ahmed Tekelu, who was a court jeweler.
The yataghan has golden crust carved on it. It has a dragon and phoenix going head to head in a battle. This illustrates how an item can have more meaning to it than one can think. It is resembled as war and violence. The yataghan may have taken lives of people. Nevertheless, the yataghan is a beautiful masterpiece and can amaze a person by just a glimpse. “This sword is one of the earliest known yatagans, distinctly Turkish weapons characterized by a double-curved blade and a hilt without a guard”(Zimmer 2001). “Yatagans were commonplace in Turkey and the Balkans in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries and served as sidearms for the elite troops known as janissaries”(metmuseum).
I have seen many swords, but the yataghan is different and unique. It’s not only a sword, but it is ancient history. History of what an Empire and a Sultan, such as Suleiman the Magnificent symbolized and how important people viewed them to be. This sword tells you that a sword doesn’t always have to symbolize conflict/struggle, but it can symbolize royalty and leadership. Under Süleyman, popularly known as “the Magnificent” or “the Lawmaker,” the Ottoman empire reached the apogee of its military and political power(Suzan). “Along with geographic expansion, trade, economic growth, and tremendous cultural and artistic activity helped define the reign of Süleyman as a “Golden Age”(Yalman). “Developments occurred in every field of the arts; however, those in calligraphy, manuscript painting, textiles, and ceramics were particularly significant. Artists renowned by name include calligrapher Ahmad Karahisari as well as painters Shahquli and Kara Memi”(Yalman).
The work of Ahmed Tekelu is amazing. He has showed and illustrated a whole story on a sword. Showing royalty, leadership, violence and more on a single sword. History doesn’t always have to be written on paper, but it can also be written through painting and on objects, such as this sword. This sword has taken its place in history in a positive way.
They say pictures are worth thousands of words and so the yataghan has proven that. There has been so much mentioned about this single sword through a picture. One’s mind can enhance in vocabulary, when visualizing or putting one’s self as the holder of the object. By just looking at this sword you can interpret so much, but other resources help you confirm your hypothesis and interpretations.
