Portrait of Sultan Mustafa I (r. 1617–18; 1622–23)
Unknown Artist
late 17th–early 18th century
Medium
Opaque watercolor on paper
Dimensions
H. 6 1/2 in. (16.5 cm) W. 3 1/4 in. (8.3 cm)
Classification
Codices
Department
Islamic Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Purchase, Friends of Islamic Art Gifts, 2012
Accession Number
2012.135
Tags
Art Historical Context
This exquisite miniature portrait depicts Sultan Mustafa I, the Ottoman ruler who reigned briefly in 1617–18 and again in 1622–23. Created by an unknown artist in the late th or early 18th centurylong after his tumultuous time on the throne—it captures the sultan in traditional regalia, embodying the idealized grandeur of Ottoman imperial portraiture. Measuring just 6½ by 3¼ inches, its intimate scale suits the portable world of Islamic manuscripts, where such images often adorned album pages or codices, preserving dynastic histories for scholars and elites. Rendered in opaque watercolor on p...