Prose Exercise #4 - Peacock of the Ottomans

I am stunned how easy it is to find a compelling image on the internet and supporting information about that image.

The beautiful image of a peacock in soft shades of powder blue and gold is an album cover held by the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Dating from 17th century Turkey, it is known as the "Bellini" Album because it once contained a portrait of a Turkish prince by the Italian artist Gentile Bellini.

But the real treasure is hidden from the untrained eye. Around the peacock's tail, the skilled calligrapher has written a message using a specialized script called Divani which was used only for writing decrees in Ottoman chancelleries. Islamic calligraphy was a great source of decoration as much illustration was proscribed, the tradition is still carried on today. This particular inscription, which reverses halfway through, contains a blessing for unnamed Ottoman Sultan.

This album was probably assembled for Sultan Ahmed I (1590-1617) who was known for his mild disposition and pleasure-loving ways and was responsible for the construction of the Blue Mosque in Istanbul.

The soft colored peacock with the stylized tail feathers loaded with good wishes seems ready to jump out of the picture up to the left. The gold framing keeps him (and his hidden message) with us.