Paper as Artistic Medium at the Ottoman Court

Abstract The arts of cutting and joining paper (katʿı and vas·s·¯ale) were much prized at the early-modern Ottoman court in Istanbul. This essay takes a single folio of katʿı prepared by the Ottoman paper joinery master (vas·s·¯al) Kalender Efendi (d. 1616) as a starting point from which to explore the essential role of paper in the administration and unification of the Ottoman Empire, shaping the state’s relationships with its subjects, and making possible the environment in which Kalender was educated and rose to prominence. Through his skillful manipulation of paper, Kalender created intricate artworks that served as resting place for the eye and mind, astonishing viewers with his skills, and encouraging them to engage in insightful looking. Paper thus served as the locus of intellectual, artistic, and economic encounters, and gave shape to relationships both in the moment and over time