Determining the Production Date of Ottoman Sultan's Protrait Album Through Watermarks: The Case of Beyazıt Manuscript Library

Abstract

Determining the production date of manuscript works “poses” a significant challenge, particularly when copies lack a colophon, date note, or direct historical context. In this regard, interdisciplinary approaches—especially codicological methods, art history, historical analysis, and watermark studies—serve as key tools contributing to the dating process. This study aims to determine the production date of the album titled Tesâvîr-i Selâtîn-i Osmâniyye, housed in the Umumî Collection of the Beyazıt Manuscript Library under inventory number 5018, which contains portraits of Ottoman sultans by means of European-origin watermarks on the paper and comparisons with similar works. Although a donation record dated 1850 is present in the foundation charter, the exact production date of the work remains unclear. Accordingly, the codicological features of the album were examined, and the watermarks on the paper were identified and dated using both printed and online catalogs. Art historical analyses were conducted to examine the iconographic characteristics of the portraits, while historical sources were consulted to evaluate the reforms carried out during the reigns of the depicted sultans. Additionally, comparisons were made with similar albums held in various museums and libraries to draw inferences regarding the possible production date and historical context of the work. The evidence gathered suggests that the probable production period of the album can be dated to between 1815 and 1828/30.