Surname-i Vehbi

The original of this outstanding work, which is in the library of Topkapi Palace Museum in Istanbul, contains 137 brilliantly-colored miniatures by Levni, the renown painter to the court of Ahmed III (r 1703-1740). The miniatures illustrate a fifteen-day festival held on the occasion of the circumcision of four of the sultan's sons in 1720. Surname-i Vehbi is in the long-standing Ottoman tradition of preparing specially-written and illustrated books to commemorate the festivities that took place on special occasions such as royal births, weddings, and so on. The activities included parades, musical performances, circus acts, and fireworks displays, all of which were brilliantly captured and executed by Levni in his miniatures. With one exception, the miniatures occupy double pages. The text for the book was composed by Vehbi, a court poet, and appears in full in this facsimile edition. A transcription of the original Ottoman text by Dr Mertol Tulum and a translation into English by Robert Bragner are provided in a separate volume. For the facsimile, handmade paper was specially crafted to duplicate the appearance and texture of the original volume. State-of-the-art reproduction and printing techniques have been employed to ensure that this facsimile edition is a faithful copy of this distinguished work.