Fatih Sultan Mehmet's talismanic medallion to be auctioned for a record price

The Ottoman Empire's Sultan Fatih Sultan Mehmet's talismanic medallion, which features his portrait and was thought to have been lost for centuries, is going to auction... 

The bronze medallion, which is being put up for auction by the Bonhams auction house, is expected to be sold for 2 million British pounds (approximately 82 million TL).

The medallion, which features the oldest known portrait of an Islamic ruler created by a Western artist, is believed to have been commissioned to be worn around Fatih Sultan Mehmet's neck. 

'THIS IS A MAJOR DISCOVERY'

The medallion, which is considered to be the only portrait of Mehmed II from his youth, reappeared in 2000. While historians and academics have stated that the medallion is extremely valuable and rare, Oliver White, head of Islamic and Indian art at the Bonhams auction house, said, "This is a major rediscovery."

White stated, "This is the only known medallion showing Mehmed II in his youth, before he conquered Constantinople in 1453. It is thought that the medallion was worn by the Sultan as a personal talisman and provided a physical manifestation of his imperial ambitions as the successor to the Roman emperors."

While it is unknown which Renaissance-era artist created the 92 mm diameter talisman, it was noted that the medallion disappeared after the death of Fatih Sultan Mehmet in 1481. 

The auction for the medallion, which will be held by Bonhams in England, will take place on May 21.

News Source: 12punto