A food-bowl with lid, of Ali Pasha of Tepeleni

Silver plated brass with broad, moulded border, the outside, engraved with two broad, calligraphic Tughras, one with its oval, filled with engraved dedication in calligraphic, Arab script, that can be partially and approximately translated into “To Malik Tepedenleli Ahmed Ağa Director of the Affairs of his Holiness Ali Pasha”, the other one, with a Coranic verse, that can be translated into “And the Victory doesn’t come if not from Allah, the Excelse, the Wise”; the lid, engraved with a further tughra, similar to the one of the base, its inscription erased in ancient times, with a dotted pattern; moulded top, ending with an olive-shaped pommel; the piece is also struck with the maker’s mark.
An extremely rare piece, presenteed from one of the most interesting and controversial personalities of the Ottoman Empire, that can be dated to the period of the highest power of Ali Pasha of Tepeleni (1650-1722), also known as “The Lion of Giannina”, now venerated as a national hero in Albania.
Dim.: Dia. 265,0 mm; height 180,0 mm.
This piece, remained by descent in the property of a noble family whose ancestors arrive to the legendary Albanian Leader. Ali Pasha Tepelene of Ioannina (1740–1822), had a life strictly connected to the complicate history of the Balkans during the Ottoman rule. Firstly an infamous bandit, thanks to his skills and brilliant mind acquired the trust of the Ottomans, rising to even higher ranks in the administration, until becoming the ruler of the Balcanic region of the Ottoman Empire: he used both brutality and an intelligent opening to modern ideas acquired by the acquaintance with European travelers and men of culture, one of them Lord Byron. His political downfall began in 1819, when The Ottoman Court feared Ali Pasha’s increasing power in the Balkans and soon a struggle began, being almost an internal war. Eventually, during a truce between the troops sent by the Sultan and those of Ali Pasha, at a meeting with the chief of his opponents, he was fatally wounded and then beheaded; the head, presented to Hurshid Pasha, who respectfully bowed to it and kissed the beard. Ali Pasha is still considered one of the forerunners of Albanian independence. Provenance: Previously owned by the late Dr. Zia Sofu (1918–94).Mustafa Zia Sofu, son of the painter Fatma Melek Sofu (1896–1976) and Sefik Bey (d. 1946), was the last descendant of Ali Pasha of Yanina. (1741–1822), the infamous ruler of the Ottoman province of Yanina in Northern Greece. He studied law but never practiced, and by the 1970s, he had moved to London. From there, he divided his time each year between homes in Paris, Switzerland, and Istanbul. His mother in particular had significant aestheticand intellectual interests, and he grew to be an expert on and collector of Ottoman artwork. He also had a deep interest in Ottoman manuscripts and calligraphy. Of the highest rarity and historical importance! II RR!