The bronze medal bearing the oldest known image of the Ottoman Sultan Muhammed Al Fatih was sold for 1.4 million pounds (about 1.78 million dollars) at an auction in the British capital, London.
Oliver White, director of Bonhams Auction House for Islamic and Indian Arts, spoke on Tuesday about the details of the medal, which was put up for sale at a starting price of 900,000 pounds sterling (approximately 1.14 million dollars).
White noted that the medallion, which was displayed separately from all the works in the exhibition at the auction house, is believed to have been made in Italy during the Renaissance.
He explained that the painting “Al Fatih” by Gentile Bellini was known as the oldest portrait of the conqueror until the discovery of the medal in a collection 20 years ago.
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He said: “Al Fatih is described in the medal as ‘The Great Prince,’ and the expressions surrounding the medal show us that it was made in his youth because this is not an imperial title.”
He added: “This description was also used in the Ottoman Empire in the 1540s, so we attributed the date of the medal to the year 1450.”
White pointed out that the medal was requested by Al Fatih personally because no one could have a medal made in his name.
He added: “The hole in the middle of the medal in its original state made us believe that it was hung somewhere or even worn around the neck.”
He stated that swords, decrees and publications from the Ottoman era will be sold at the auction, along with many works from the Islamic world and India.
