Seals of Hattat Mehmed Şevki Efendi

Authors : Yusuf BİLEN

Pages : 22-29

View : 17 | Download : 18

Publication Date : 2023-09-29

Article Type : Research Paper

Abstract :Inscriptions on hard materials such as precious or semiprecious stones, which are engraved on the reverse so that they appear properly when printed, are called seals. In Ottoman society, a seal showing their status was used by almost everyone, men and women, who had a certain authority and position in social life. The oldest seal known in the history of Islam belongs to our Prophet and has the inscription Muhammedu’n- Rasulullah on it. This seal is a sample of later periods in terms of both the forms of seals and calligraphy. The sealed envelopes and letters on the official writings, letters, etc. in the estate of Hattat Mehmed Şevki Efendi were transferred to the Süleymaniye Library through his grandson Süheyl Ünver. In these letters, remarkable information about the design stages, excavation, and use of seals emerges. At the same time, we see the use of artworks with different calligraphy types on the seal with an esthetic pleasure. Scribbles, essays, and sketches in the estate are likewise important with their free forms.
Keywords : Sanat, hat, istif, Mehmed Şevki Efendi, mühür