The Egyptians performing to the accompaniment of the military band

 

132a

 

131b

Hajji Şahin and his assistant Hajji Mehmed are back again for the last time. For their final act, each is bound hand and foot and then put into separate baskets, one yellow the other green. The baskets are closed and securely tied with ropes to keep their lids from opening. The baskets are then set in a tent, which we see near the lower right corner of (131b). Guards are stationed around the tent to keep anyone from entering. After fifteen minutes the tent is lifted away and the audience sees that the baskets are standing where they had been left. The lids are untied and out pop Şahin and Mehmed: not only are their hands and feet free but each is now in the other’s basket. In (132a) Levni depicts a military band playing music while the Egyptians perform. A line of white capped janissaries stands around the field while spectators look on. The silver vessel full of coins that was placed at the top of the mast at the left with such great difficulty in (84a) is gone. According to Vehbi, the silver vessel was brought down in a competition on this, the tenth day of the festival (October 2nd), the last day of the proceedings at Okmeydanı before the court returned to Topkapı Sarayı and everything on the festival-ground was dismantled and hauled away.


Images index

Return to Surname-i Vehbi index

Return to Kanyak's Doghouse