The floral motifs On the Algerian numismatics during the Ottoman era
الزخارف النباتية على السكة الجزائرية في العهد العثماني
Hamza sabahsTamelikesht hadjira/ Institution of archeologie , Algeria
صباح حمزة، تيمليكشت هجيرة/ معهد الآثار، الجزائر
مقال منشور في مجلة جيل العلوم الانسانية والاجتماعية العدد 75 الصفحة 161.
ملخص:كان للمسكوكات الجزائرية في العهد العثماني طابعها الخاص الذي إنفردت به عن بقية المسكوكات التي سبقتها، وقد شهدت تنوعا ملحوظا من ناحية المواضيع الزخرفية لم تشهده من قبل. ومتحفي أحمد زبانة بوهران الجزائر، ومتحف الآثار القديمة بالعاصمة تحتويان على مجموعة كبيرة والتي لم تستوفي حقها من الدراسة الفنية.
وتلبية لنداء العقيدة الإسلامية والتي حرمت التصوير أصبحت الزخارف النباتية أحد المواضيع الرئيسية التي لجأ إليها الفنان المسلم في أعماله الفنية. وأبرز ماستُخدِم هو زهرة اللالة وزهرة السوسن وعباد الشمس، وكذا المراوح النخلية والثمار والأكاليل.
الكلمات المفتاحية: الزخارف النباتية، المسكوكات الجزائرية، والزخارف العثمانية.
Abstract:
Algerian coins in the Ottoman era had their style, which was unique from the rest of the coins that preceded them. And the museum of Ahmed Zabana, Oran, Algeria, and the Museum of Ancient Archeology in Algiers contains a large collection that artistically it is not studied yet.
In response to the Islamic faith, which prohibited portraying, floral motifs became one of the main themes that the Muslim artist took refuge in his artworks. The most prominent uses are lale flowers, iris, sunflowers, as well as palm trees, fruits, and wreaths.
Keywords: floral motifs, Algerian coins, Ottoman motifs.
Introduction :
Islamic art was known for its distinctive shapes and decorative units. The Muslim artist, in his reluctance to simulate nature and portraying in response to religious belief, found a new art known as abstraction. Even if the floral decoration was the result of previous civilizations, the Muslim artist enriched its subjects and sources with the use of trunks, leaves, stems, flowers, and petals that were repeated, opposite, and symmetrical, they were used on buildings, applied arts, books, manuscripts, and even money.
The Algerian coins during the Ottoman era had a share of the richness in decoration in general in terms of the accuracy of the lines and the ingenuity of implementation under the small Space of the coin for decoration, to reflect the artistic development experienced by Algerian artist in light of the Turkish presence. The models that we relied on in our research were: the collection of the Ahmed Zebana Museum in Oran, Algeria, and the collection of the Museum of Ancient Archeology in Algiers, which varied between the coins of the Beylerbat era until the Daiyat era.
What are the units and floral decorative elements that were used on the Algerian coins? Were the floral motifs on the Algerian coins a continuation of the floral ornamentation that came on the Islamic coins in earlier periods, or a creation brought by the Turks? What is the symbolism of the decorative units and their historical origins? What are the artistic influences on the Algerian coins during the Ottoman period?
floral ornament :
The floral motifs are considered one of the main topics that the Muslim artist resorted to in response to the Islamic faith, as the plants and fruits were mentioned in the Holy Qur’an as a feature of paradise as they were known as, the paradise of bliss, the garden of Eden, shaded trees and good and delicious fruits. So, embossers mastered the use of botanical themes for most of their artwork.[1]
As for the floral element in Islamic decoration, it was greatly influenced by the Muslims ’departure from the inspiration of nature and its imitation, in a sincere and faithful imitation. they used the trunk and leaf to form motifs that are distinguished by their repetition, correspondence, and symmetry, and they appear to be a rigid engineering smear indicating the supremacy of the principle of abstraction and symbol in Islamic arts. [2]
Floral motifs in Islamic art are among the most prominent manifestations and images that illustrate the devotion of Muslims from the timelessness and imitation of nature in a sincere way, which made him creative in his images and forms until he reached a high degree of art, The motifs are made of floral branches and folded, intertwined and intertwining trunks. These motifs have always known the manifestations of renewal and development, until they reached the hand of the Ottoman artist, who was well employed, so that the stems, wrapped leaves, and interlocking branches were decorative subjects consistent with the Islamic concept..[3]
The great interest of the Ottoman artists in drawing flowers in their decorative themes led to the emergence of different styles, some of which bear the names of flowers, and these drawings became an aid to the history of Ottoman artefacts, depending on the style on which it was painted, such as the flower of Lalla, carnations, lily, and others.[4]
However, we have seen in many places the drawing of plants in their real forms and with extreme accuracy If we consider the space of the coin quite unfavourable for decoration with such precision, which is represented by the following:
Lale flower :
called tulip flower and is also called lavender, it is a bulbous perennial plant from the lily family, while lavender, which was mentioned in ancient Arabic books, is meant for the Cheiranthus of prairie Lavande, a plant with a strong smell and violet flowers,[5] As for Dr Souad Maher, she says that Lale is the Anemone, and its called shaquaiq un Numan, [6] And scientifically known as Anemone coronaria [7] There are some types of Ranunculales, some of which are cultivated and others grow in the wild in late winter,[8] It is said that this flower took its name from King Numan Ibn Munther, one of the kings of Al-Hirah, who was known for his love for the flower, and it grew on his grave.[9] Its called in some dictionaries, the horn of gazelle, Crown of Caesar or the blue pearl, the red Cheeked, the golden cup, and that its names differ in different colours.[10]
The flower of Lale continued to plunder the minds of kings and sultans, as it received great care from Sultan Ahmed III (1703 CE / 1730 CE), as his interest was evident in the gardens and the flower of Lale especially that it was his favourite flower and for the Ottomans, who increased their cultivation, especially during the days of this Sultan whom his reign became known as the era of the flower of Lale (Lalé davrie), and the Sultan created for this flower a private garden within the walls of Topkapi Palace. He also encouraged people to cultivate and crossbreed so that in Istanbul gardens there are many types for them. The competitions were held among flower enthusiasts, and the generous rewards were spent for those who produce the best varieties of the flower of Lale, and the winning flower in the competition was given a name known to it until its names amounted to about five hundred and fifty names. The state’s attention to this flower was manifested in the formation of a council known as the Council of Flowers, which supervises its cultivation and works to protect it from the vagaries of the weather.
It is said that at that time the ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Istanbul transferred this flower to the house of the Netherlands and planted it there. He made sure to keep it for himself, and guarded him against those who saw it and liked it. But despite his eagerness, this was stolen from his garden and planted in various parts of Europe and made famous.[11]
Cevad Ruçtu has written an essay on the flower of Lale, in which he stated that the Turks took it from the Dutches by the Austrian ambassador to Istanbul in the seventeenth century during the reign of Sultan Mehmed III, but this statement is refuted by history and material evidence. History determines that the Dutch knew the flower of Lale from the Turks in the sixteenth century, and this is reflected in the porcelain, textile, and Turkish carpets, since the late fifteenth century, it could be another type of lale that he meant (Ruçtu)[12]
Arsvan sees In his book, Turkish Decorative Arts, that the care given to this flower is not only because of its beautiful shape, but rather due to the letters of its name, which are the same letters of the word Majesty (Allah), and the letters of the word Laleh are the same letters of the word (Hilal) which means Crescent, and the crescent is the symbol that It was taken by the Turks on their flags and uniforms. The symbolism of the flower of Lale appears in the popular legend that says that the pillar in the mihrab hall of the Selimiye Mosque, and which bears the image of the flower of Lale, that the fall of the pillar means the fall of the Ottomans.[13]
This flower emerged on the Ottoman artefacts in the late fifteenth century that it was used extensively during the eighteenth century until this era was called the era of Lale flower, and it worked to crossbreed until it reached the number of more than a thousand species, and spread to the rest of the state, We find it in Algeria, painted on wooden artefacts, on tombstones and utensils copper[14]، We also find it in the collection in our hands that surrounds the collar (Figure No.01)( Figure No.05).
Iris flower:
In Latin (lys-blanc), also called white-lily,[15] a symbol of purity, according to Greek myth, it symbolizes Juno, the goddess of marriage, as she was known to the ancient Egyptians. We find it at the beginning of the spread of Christianity as a decorative ornament on the wands of Western kings and crowns and coins. [16]
Iris is a plant that has many types and colours. This flower was engraved in most Algerian arts, especially utensils copper and tombstones, in a natural and pivotal style that is difficult to differentiate between them and the triple leaf, and it is the flower most commonly used for Algerian money in ottoman era. Where it was distributed between the lines and words and above the letters and we find it abundantly alongside the word (سلطان) and (ضرب), (Figure No. 02), And the corners of the eight-pointed star (Figure No.03) (Figure No.06).
Sunflower:
Its scientific name Helianthus annuus L, And the scientific name is from the Greek meaning that revolves with the sun and Greece gave this name to plants that have this trait as sunflower, Arabs called it Tarnashul..[17] The Ottomans used it a lot in their decorations, as we find it in ceramics, fabric, and metal crafts [18]، ، This flower appeared on the money of Sultan Mahmud II, and we find it surrounding the centre of the piece (figure No.04)
Palm fan :
The palm tree is one of the oldest trees known to man, especially Arabs of deserts and it has a high value to the Turks for its special religious meaning, as it indicates blessing, happiness, highness, elongation and other meanings, as it was considered one of the trees of Paradise [19] It was mentioned in the Holy Quran{ And from the palm trees – of its emerging fruit are clusters hanging low }[20]. In the ancient world where it symbolized the happiness, abundance, and fertility of the ancient Egyptians, while the Greeks were presenting them to the winners in sports and the Romans for the victors in the battles. As for the Hebrews, it was considered a symbol of beauty and women.[21] The palm tree in the artistic archaeological term means Palm leaves or its fronds, which was used as a building material in the early ages alongside its trunks. Palm fans are considered important decorative expressions that we find in early Islamic buildings such as the Mashta Palace and the minbar of the Kairouan Mosque. The origins of the palm trees, according to Dimand, are Ancient eastern art, which is traced back to the Sassanids, according to plaster decoration found in the Metropolitan Museum, which dates back to the fifth or sixth century, It was found in various forms, half shaped and heart shaped[22].
Then the palm fans and their halves in Islamic architecture played through all the periods an important decorative role, as it is considered one of the most prominent elements because of its ability to adapt and fit with the area to be decorated, and its ability to form, split, branch and repeat.[23]
As for the height of its ages, it was in Andalusia and Qasr al-Zahra and came to Ottoman money as a decorative unit to fill the space between the lines and letters Where we find it opposit to a flower from grains in the middle of the letter (ب) for the word (ضرب) and above the name of the Sultan. ( figure No 02) (Figure No.07)
The fruits:
The mention of fruits and fruits in the holy Qur’an came in several verses, including the verse{And from the fruits of date-palms and grapes, you derive strong drink and a goodly provision. Verily, therein is indeed a sign for people who have wisdom.} [24]
In this sense, the fruits were among the decorative elements that were commonly used in Islamic decoration and formed with different techniques and artistic methods.[25]
It was considered a rich source of decoration so that it became widespread as grapes, as it symbolizes joy in life and hereafte [26] . The fruits did not have a clear effect on the classic Turkish motifs, and their first appearance was in the era of the lale flower in the 12th century AH / 18AD CE, that the fruits were not drawn as a stand-alone topic but were used as a secondary element, and they are often painted on flower pots, or fruit dishes Without leaves or branches. Among the fruits that the Turks used in their decorations are pears, peaches, apples, figs, and pomegranates.[27] And its use in the Almohad coin appeared as two branches ending in a cluster of grapes.[28] Perhaps it is an extension of it because the Almohad money was an unrivalled innovation of the coins from which the coins were drawn.[29] And it came on the coin above the letter (ب) for the word (ضرب) in the form of a granular flower surrounded by two fans formed in a decorative unit a plate of fruits ( figure No 02).
Wreath :
It is a long, delicate, and thick plant that tends to turn black, has a coarse and hard branch, and has a flower between blue and white and has solid fruit and a leaf that smells good.[30] It is a floral decoration in the form of a double crescent formed of two rings resembling a ribbon surrounding the tughra. (Figure No.01), With this, the Ottomans used the Wreath as their symbol and emblem.
Conclusion:
The floral decoration that came on the Algerian coins was distinguished by diversity and distinction from its predecessor, where we find abundance in decorative themes as well as diversity in the modification in the single decorative element. It was also a continuation of the previous local style in terms of the use of palm fans of all shapes and flowers. Also influenced by the predominant Istanbul style, which is represented in the lale flower.
Use the abstract form and merge it with the writing, such as mixing palm fans with granular flowers on the letter (ب ) to resemble a plate of fruits.
In conclusion, The museum’s collection is distinguished for its diversity of floral motifs executed between flowers, fruits, and wreaths. The coins were the same as the rest of the Algerian arts in the Ottoman era.
| Figure No.01 |
| Figure No.02 | |||
| Figure No.03 | |||
| Figure No.04 | |
| Figure No.05 | Figure No.06 | Figure No.07 |
Bibliography:
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[1] Sherifa Tayyan: Algerian applied arts in the Ottoman era, Ph.D, university of algiers, 2007- 2008, p.264.
[2] Zaki Muhammad Hassan : In Islamic arts, Hindawi Foundation for Education and Culture, Cairo, 2012 , p.36.
[3] Arseven C.E, Les arts décoratifs turcs, Milli Egitim Basimevi, Istanbul, S.d, p88.
[4] Lakhdar Drias : Algerian artillery in the Ottoman era, ph.d, university of algiers, 1989-1990, p. 286.
[5] Youssef Al-Khayat : Lexicon of Scientific and Technical Terms, Dar Lisan Al-Arab, Lebanon, p . 100.
[6] Souad Maher : Turkish ceramics, Madkour and Sons Press, Lebanon, 1960, p121.
[7] Edward William Lane : Arabic-English lexicon, Volume 1, Part 4, offset conrogravure, Lebanon ,p. 1580
[8] Youssef Al-Khayat : Op. Cit ,p. 361.
[9] Hussein N. Kadhim : The Poetics of Anti-colonialism in the Arabic Qaṣīdah, Brill , Leidon, 2004,p158 .
[10] Hussein Mujib Al-Masry : Lexicon of the Ottoman Empire, Cultural and Publishing House, Egypt, 2003, p120.
[11]Mohamed Abdel-Aziz Marzouk: Islamic decorative arts in the Ottoman era, Egyptian General Book Authority, 1987,p.54.
[12] Souad Maher : Op. Cit ,p.122.
[13] Arsevan celal esaad, Les arts decoratifs Turc, p60.
[14] Souad Maher : Op. Cit ,p.122.
[15]Ahmad Issa Bey : Lexicon of Plant Names, Al-Amiriya Press, Cairo, 1349 AH, p109.
[16] Prieur Jean, Les symboles universels, Fernand Lanore, Paris, 1982, p103 .
[17] Youssef Al-Khayat : Lexicon of Scientific and Technical Terms, Dar Lisan Al-Arab, Lebanon, p366.
[18]Sherifa Tayyan: Op. Cit, p .286.
[19] Arseven C.E, Op. Cit, p.60
[20] Al-An’aam, verse 99
[21] Prieur Jean, Op. Cit ,p. 88.
[22] M.S Demand : Islamic Arts, translated by Ahmed Issa, 3rd edition, Dar Al-Maarif, Egypt, 1958, p31.
[23] Sherifa Tayyan: Op. Cit, p .302.
[24] Surah Al-Nahl, the verse 67.
[25] Hanan Abdel-Fattah Mutawa : Iranian and Turkish Islamic Arts, Al-Wafaa Printing House, Egypt, 1st ed, 2010, p157.
[26] Prieur Jean, Op. Cit ,p. 94.
[27] Souad Maher : Op. Cit ,p.120-121 .
[28] Khadija Nashar : decorative elements on Ottoman coins from the fourth century AH to the eighth century AH / tenth and fourteenth century AD, ph.d in the Islamic monuments, Institute of Archeology, 2008/2009, p253 .
[29]Salih ben kerba : maghrebin coins during the reign of the Almohads, Hafsids, and Marinids during the sixth and eighth centuries of the twelfth and thirteenth centuries AH, part 3, Dar Al-Sahel, Algeria, 2011, p203.
[30] Mahmoud Mustafa Al-Domyati : A Lexicon of the Names of Plants mentioned in Taj Al-arouss of Zubaidi, The Egyptian House of Authorship and Translation, 1965، p13.
