Osmanlı Tılsım Mühürleri

A GROUP SEAL TALISMAN OF THE OTTOMAN PERIOD FOUND IN GİRESUN MUSEUM

Human beings have long been making talisman according to their beliefs and traditions for some purposes such as; protecting themselves against evil eye, illnesses or harm, as well as meeting their expectations or wishes. Talismans, written or drawn on an object, are believed to have positive effects and empower the people. Although talismans have been changed in terms of preparation and application throughout the history, they are always referred and rooted to religion. In the Ottoman Empire, some important talismans were engraved as a seal for healing purpose by a group of craftsman who engraves silver based seals (Esnaf-ı Mühürkünân-ı Sim Heykel). There are some prayers respecting certain period of time and some vefks (charms) on these seals by which an abstract talisman is formalized by a scientific art in order to seek solutions to physical and mental problems of people. Vefks on these seals have equal number of lines and columns, and the vertical and horizontal sum of the numbers in the lines and columns are also equal. With the craftsmanship on the single side of various mines, engraved talisman seals are important style and ornament artifacts for History of Art. Seven-Sleepers, four big angels and four caliphates are the names most widely used on the border frames of the talisman seals and on the corners of vefks. In this study, 14 talisman seals in Giresun Museum are investigated which belongs to Ottoman period (11), non-Muslims (2) and Egypt hieroglyph characters