A PORTRAIT OF THE OTTOMAN SULTAN MEHMED I (R. 1413 - 1421)
Possibly Italy or France, 16th - 17th century

Oil and opaque pigments on vellum, the vertical composition portraying the Ottoman Sultan Mehmed I seated on a rug whilst leaning against a large madder red bolster, wearing an embroidered robe with floral design and a green brocaded and gold-thread embroidered overcoat, a tall white turban over his head enhanced with heron's feathers aigrette to the back and another long feather in the front as turban ornament, the golden inscription below the illustration reading Sultan Mehmet Han in Western characters, stretched vellum mounted on wooden board, 16.5cm x 10cm.

Another depiction of this Sultan showing a similar pose and attire, with his lavish brocaded coat open and only worn on one side, can be seen in a Turkish 16th-century manuscript miniature illustrating the Ottoman rulers' dynasty, currently preserved in the Istanbul University Library (MS Yildiz 2653, fol. 261).