Title
Gold Damascend steel pencase
Year/Period
Ottoman period, 1876
Region
Turkey
Material
Dimension
Object size: 28.4 x 5.7 x 3.8 cm
Accession No.
1998-01539
Collection of
Known as a divit, this penbox has the most unusual shape. The surface of the penbox is decorated with Qur’anic verses in gold thulth script and scrolling motifs .The barrel-like container attached to the rectangular pen box, seen here with its lid closed, is the ink well. A lika or wad of raw silk threads is placed in the inkwell over which ink is poured. The lika acts as sponge to prevent ink from spilling over should the divit be accidentally knocked over. On the inkwell the tu?ra (calligraphic emblem) of the Ottoman Murad V (reigned May-August 1876) is depicted. This inlaid metal pen box is portable and may be hung from the waist with a cord.
