Ottoman tent

The Ottoman tent from the estate of the Czech nobleman and diplomat Heřman Černín of Chudenice (1576 – 1651) is a European rarity. Its artistic and craft qualities are perhaps overshadowed only by the manner in which it was acquired.

Černín, sometimes referred to as Tureček, undertook two diplomatic missions to the Sultan's court in Constantinople (Istanbul) on behalf of the Habsburg emperors Matthias II and later Ferdinand III. The first mission took place from 1616 to 1618 to visit Sultan Ahmed I, and the second from 1644 to 1645 during the reign of Sultan Ibrahim II.

During his travels, he passed through Pressburg and sailed around Komárno and Štúrovo. During his second journey, in Buda, the center of the Ottoman province, the governor Osman Pasha gifted him a magnificent residential tent (Turkish: kalitka). Černín reciprocated this generous gift with the finest ship he sailed on the Danube.

The tent's decoration evokes Islamic palace architecture with characteristic geometric and floral ornamentation and vibrant colors. The decoration technique is also unique—textile appliqué, where ornamental elements are sewn and even layered onto the coarse base fabric in a light shade with decorative stitches. Thanks to these, the atmosphere of the tent created a sense of safety and rest in a blooming paradise garden surrounded by graceful arcades complemented with small fountains.

Jana Švantnerová ● Book guide for an exhibition Fruits of Discord: Portraying the Ottoman Presence, SNG 2024.