Bonhams Auction House in England has announced the upcoming auction of a bronze medal featuring a portrait believed to date back to the princehood era of Ottoman Sultan Mehmed II.
The announcement emphasized that the portrait, rendered on bronze, is thought to be the oldest known Muslim leader portrait created by a Western artist. The estimated selling price for the medal is anticipated to range from 1.5 million to 2 million pounds (equivalent to 61 million to 82 million Turkish Liras).
Discovered within a collection of Italian Renaissance-era medals in 2000, the edges of the medal reportedly bear the Latin inscription “Great Prince, Great Commander, Sultan Mehmet Effendi,” while its reverse side is plain, portable in size, and smooth. The statement also noted the absence of any signature or mark from the artist who crafted the medal.
Oliver White, Bonhams’ director of Islamic and Indian Art, shared his insights, mentioning the lack of significant material evidence pertaining to the period the artifact is dated to during Fatih Sultan Mehmet’s reign.
White emphasized the significance of this aspect, stating, “It is the only known medal depicting the young Mehmed II before the conquest of Istanbul, something previously thought impossible. It is believed that the medal was worn by the Sultan as a personal talisman.”
