A
Forgotten
Record
Turkish
Exotica
ALEXANDRINE
ST. CLAIR
of
FormerlyCuratorialAssistant,Departmentof Prints
e are all familiar with noted artists from the
past whose reputations have suffered reversals over the
centuries. Other talented masters even during their careers were ignored, neglected, or misunderstood. Various
events, some insignificant, some momentous, such as war,
a woman's fancy, an emperor's whim, good fortune or
ill, have brought about the ruin of promising apprentices, proteges, and established masters. Looking back
through history we find they have vanished and the
facts of their later years remain shrouded in speculation.
One such unfortunate craftsman was Melchior Lorichs
of the Danish town of Flensburg. He was a restless man
of numerous talents whose great aspirations commanded
his entire life's energy. Lorichs was born in 1526 or 1527
of noble parentage. He had the benefit of a good education and an apprenticeship with a goldsmith in Liibeck.
The young artist wasted no time in launching his ambitious career. In I547-1548 he established contact with
the court of the Holy Roman Empire at the Diet of
Augsburg by entering the employ of the deposed Count
Palatine Ott Heinrich and, oddly, the man given control of Ott Heinrich's domain, Otto Truchsess von Waldburg, Bishop of Augsburg. Apparently not satisfied with
these conquests, Lorichs contrived an agreement early in
I549 with King Christian III of Denmark whereby the
king - long acquainted with Lorichs's family - consented
to support Lorichs for four years of study in Italy. In
return, Lorichs promised that he would settle in Denmark, but he dallied in Nuremburg for a year before
carrying out the contract. During that year he illustrated
a broadsheet with a poem by Hans Sachs entitled Sibilla
Tiburtina. Lorichs extended his Italian sojourn to I553,
W
and then, further ignoring his agreementwith King
Christian,he soughtout hisformerpatronOtt Heinrich,
who had been reinstatedandwasat his residencein Neuburg. Lorichs's failure to return to Denmark in I552 as
agreed had brought swift retaliation from Christian, who
commanded the city of Flensburg to withhold the funds
due Lorichs from his late sister's estate. Lorichs may thus
have foreseen more promise in returning to his reestablished patron than to the angry Danish king.
During this period of involvement with the court of
the Holy Roman Empire, Lorichs appears to have succeeded in arousing Emperor Ferdinand I's displeasure
rather than his patronage. Ferdinand ordered him to join
the entourage of Augier Ghiselin de Busbecq, chief of
the embassy sent to the court of Sulayman the Magnificent in I554 to settle a dispute over the control of Siebenbiirgen. The purpose of Lorichs's presence on this
arduous mission to the Ottoman Empire is unknown,
but a later letter by Ferdinand I, written in February
1564, indicated that the suffering and hardship caused
Lorichs were results that had been anticipated by the
Emperor. Busbecq does not enlighten us on this matter,
as he never mentioned the artist in his private correspondence, which was published in 1589.
During his stay in Turkey, Lorichs developed an enduring interest in the East and its relationships to Europe. On his return to Vienna in I559, he immediately
Lorichs
wrotea poem, Liedtvom TiirckenundAntichrist.
sensed that a perpetual friction between East and West
was unavoidable, and the Liedt expressed his strong feeling that the West must be well informed about the Turks,
particularly about their military prowess and equipment.
4II
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lamic traditionsand concepts.In spite of his conviction
that accurateknowledgeof the Turkswas vital to Europe, eleven yearswere to passbeforeLorichsbegan to
preparethesecopiousdrawingsfor publication.
During the I56os Lorichs was again involved in jock-
eying for the attentionof the royalhousesof Denmark
and Austria.ChristianIII, Lorichs'sformerDanish patron, had died in I559, and his brotherHans, Duke of
wrote to Lorichsin ViennarequestSchleswig-Holstein,
services.
Lorichs
his
compliedand used thiscommising
sion
re to Frederick II, Hans'snephew and
ent a an
Denmark'snew king. In 1563,while still in the circleof
the imperialcourt, Lorichssent a letter describinghis
careeras an artist,followedby samplesof his work, to
King Frederickas part of an attempt at reinstatement.
The resultswere favorable,and in the sameyear FredawardedLorichsa large subvention.Despite this
trueerick
~~~~~[A
victory, Lorichs remainedin Viennaand continuedto
satisfythe pleasureof the Hapsburgroyalty.He designed
Y
1~~?~
N 011~~~TY
archesfor the entry into Viennain I563 of
triumphyal
K
the Romansand heir
new King of
~~~eric
presumpo
II,~~Maximilian,
tive to the imperialthrone. A title page and two ini. Titlepage, 575, by MelchiorLorichs
fJbrhis Turkish
for fountainsindicate that
had
Lorichs
6li6
x 13i inches.Reproduced scribeddesigns
esoure
Woodcut,
bookmp
to
been
preparing
a
publication
also
Melchior
the
Colleccommemoratethe
from vEvelyn
Lorck:
Drawingsrom
event. A yearlatera coat of armswasgrantedto Lorichs's
tionat StonorPark,England,andfrom TheDepartment
family and a letter from Maximilian'sfather, Emperor
of Printsand Dratwings,The RoyalMuseumof Fine
Ferdinand,
confirmedand renewedthe nobility of the
Arts,Copenhagen
i962), by ErikFischer
(Copenhagen,
Within a few yearsof his return,Lorichsalsowrote a
book that he called SoldanSoleymanTiirckischen
KhayundBildtnuss
sers... wahreundeigendtliche
Contrafectung
[A true and properpictureand likenessof SultanSulayman, Emperorof Turkeyl. It containedan autobiography, a dedicatoryletter to the new Danishking, Frederick II, and a brief political and military description
of Turkey.
Otheraspectsof his infinitefascinationfor Turkeyare
exemplifiedby the numerousdrawingsLorichsbrought
back; the variety of subjectshe sketcheddemonstrates
the scopeof his interests.Militarycostumeand weapons
werehis primaryconcern,but he alsorecordedmodesof
transportation,marriageand burialcustoms,tradesmen,
and the trappingsof beastsof burdenas well as costume
and architecture.He also portrayedsultanas,but these
pictureswereprobablyinventions,aswomen'sfaceswere
carefullyconcealedfrom the gaze of all but their husbands.Most of his observationswere of a practicalnature, but at times he becameintriguedby peculiarities
-the legendaryharpy,for example-associated with Is-
fourLorichsbrothers.The letter, in additionto remarking on the regrettablesufferingLorichsenduredduring
his Turkish sojourn,praisedLorichs'spainting ability
and "the vast buildings"he had designed.The latter
remarksraisea question:these buildingsare unknown
andwe have no evidenceof any otherworkLorichsmay
have done for the Emperor.
Lorichs'soscillationbetweenthe two monarchieswas
the solesubjectof a letter fromthe new Emperor,Maximilian, to King Frederick,dated December I, I566.
Their decisionabout their problematicalprotegeis unknown, but in 1567 Lorichswent north to Hamburg
and becameinvolved in the constructionof the Scartor, a city gate, and undertookcartographical
projects.
At this time, and duringthe I570s, Lorichsturnedhis
attentionsto a creativeexpansionof his earlierTurkish
experiences.While in Hamburghe had his Liedt vom
Tiirckenund Antichristpublished,and his SoldanSoleymanwaspublishedin Antwerpin 1574.In 570,he began
to formulateplansfor his most ambitiousproject, Woland
undgeschnittene
Figuren. . . [Well-engraved
gerissene
cut figures],a book of Turkishsubjectsthat was to be
a compilationof printsfrom the sketcheshe had made
more than a decadeearlier.Lorichsclearlyintendedthe
book for artistsand loversof the arts. His illustrations
wereto providethemwith accurateobservationsfor subjectswhosedetailsthey often improvised.Over a period
of thirteen years beginning in 1570, the original sketches
were redrawn in a less fluid manner more suitable for
woodcutting and the inscriptions upon the sketches were
transposed to these working drawings, probably in preparation for an explanatory text that was never realized.
We do not know the exact number of drawings Lorichs
made or the number redrawn for the publication, but
each of the known copies of the book contains about 125
woodcuts; most are approximately nine by six inches.
Lorichs's I575 title page (Figure I) is considerably larger
than most of the published woodcuts, lending support
to the contention that Lorichs planned to accompany
each illustration with a text.
On May 19, I575, Lorichs wrote to Frederick II, requesting subsidies for this project, for which he had
already made printing arrangements and invested in paper. His efforts failed, however, and Lorichs was never
able to persuade either of his royal patrons to directly
support this valuable publication. This is peculiar, for
at that time the menace of the Turks was paramount
and European curiosity was at a peak. Furthermore,
source books and similar publications providing ideas for
artists were popular and had a wide circulation. Enchiridion Artis pingendi,fingendi & sculpendi . . . [Manual
of the arts of painting, modeling, and sculpting], one of
several such source books by Lorichs's famous contemporary, Jost Amman, was first issued in 1578 and went
OPPOSITE
PAGE:
2. Polish mercenaryor delly. From the
Turkish source book by Melchior Lorichs,
(born 1526 or 1527), Danish. Woodcut,
912 x 64 inches. Harris BrisbaneDick
Fund, 32.86
LEFT
AND
ABOVE:
3, 4. Detail, and completeend panel from
Entratain Roma dell' eccelmo
Ambasciatoredi Polonea, by Stefano
della Bella (1610-1664), Italian.
Etching,6 x 1 6Y inches.HarrisBrisbane
Dick Fund, 47.0oo.779
throughthreemoreeditionsby the turn of the century.
Lorichs,too, had begunto compiledrawingsfor at least
one other type of sourcebook- on worldcostume,both
ancient and contemporary.He workedon this concurrently with the Turkishsourcebook until 1574, when
he abandonedthe costumebook to devote most of his
time to the other volume.
Even though royalty had declined to support the
Turkishpublication,it is strangethat someenterprising
publisherdid not seek to issuethese accurateand useful
woodcuts.Lorichstraveledwidelyandknewmanyinfluential publishers,among them SigmundFeyerabendof
Frankfurt,whosepraisefor Lorichswas expressedin the
dedicationsof twoseparatepublications.Duringhis 15731574 visit to Antwerp, Lorichs established a relationship
with Christophe Plantin, designing five plates for Plantin's 1575 Roman Missal. It was in Antwerp that Lorichs's
Soldan Soleyman was published by Gillis Coppens van
Diest. These men could have seized the opportunity to
use Lorichs's woodcuts, but the works remained virtually
unknown until they were published by Michael Hering
in Hamburg in 1626, forty-three years after the last block
was cut and probably more than a quarter century after
Lorichs's death. In 1646 they were published again, this
time by Tobias Gundermann of Hamburg. An inscription with the date I6I9 added to the I575 title page is
an indication that the cuts were intended for publication
in 1619. Unfortunately, however, no copy of such an
edition exists.
Even after their publication, the woodcuts do not
appear to have had any great impact. The works of contemporary artists-volumes on travel and costume, and
designs for theatrical presentations and fetes-show no
knowledge of Lorichs's work. By contrast, a popular
travel book by Nicholas de Nicolay issued in I568 was
reprinted in several languages and was the direct model
for numerous plates in Abraham de Bruyn's famous Omnium pene Europae, Asiae, Aphricae atque Americaegentium habitus ... [The costumes of all people in Europe,
Asia, Africa, and America] (Antwerp, I58i).
Scarce indeed is any evidence that Lorichs's Turkish
woodcuts did not slip into obscurity. Rembrandt mentioned "Turkish buildings by Melchior Lorichs, Hendrick van Aelst and others illustrating Turkish life" in
item number 234 of an inventory he made in i656. He
did not, however, borrow any of Lorichs's motifs, preferring the actual costumes in his collection for inspiration.
Only one possible exception to Lorichs's lack of influence appears in an etching by the versatile Stefano della
Bella. In his six-paneled etching recording the Polish am414
bassador's
entry into Romein 1633,is a delly whosepose
and trappingsarenot unlikethoseof a delly renderedby
Lorichs(seeFigures2, 3, and 4). The differencesareprimarily stylistic, and one might be tempted to assume
that della Bella had seen Lorichs'sdetailedwoodcut of
this fierce Polish mercenary.Della Bella witnessedthe
lengthy procession,however,and waspracticedat swift,
accuratesketching.Furthermore,he relieduponhis own
inspirationand was not often inclined to borrowfrom
other artists.Yet one cannotentirelydismissthe possibility. By 1633 the Hamburgedition of Lorichs'sWolgerisseneundgeschnittene
Figurenhad been in circulation
for sevenyears.
In the late nineteenthcentury RaphaelJacquemine
copied three of Lorichs'swoodcutsfor his Iconographie
Generaleet Methodique . . du Iv au XIX siecle. With
Victoriansuperficiality,JacqueminecreditedLorichsbut
did not indicatewherehe had seen the woodcuts.
We knowmoreaboutLorichs'sworkduringthe I57os
thanduringany otherperiod.Laterevidenceabouthim
is scant indeed:in I580 he was finally appointedcourt
painterto King FrederickII; he receivedregularpayments,enablinghim to producewoodcutsfromhisTurkish drawingsmoresteadilythanhe had done at any time
sincehe beganthisworka decadebefore;and he madea
portraitof the king for an engravingthat he produced
in 1582.It is to our surprise,therefore,that in the same
yearFrederickissueda decreewithdrawingLorichs'ssubvention.The last paymentwasmadeon March4, 1583,
and fromthat time on Lorichsdisappearsfromthe pages
of history.We have no furtherrecordof him with the
exceptionof two inscribeddrawingsdated 1583: one a
womanof Nigeria and the other a womanof Gambia.
PerhapsLorichstook one step too far in toying with
royalty, or perhapshis restlessnature enticed him to
abandonhis deviousgamesand seek adventureinvestigating the Gold Coast.
Despite his versatility,his conniving,his connections
with royalty,andhis greatreputationwith artists,poets,
publishers,and humanists,Lorichsnever did clearlyestablishhimself,and he slippedoff into obscuritywithout
ever seeingthe completionof his most earnestendeavor,
the Turkishsourcebook.
Fiund geschnittene
Like its creator,the Wolgerissene
gurenis now lost in obscurity.We do not know how
many copieswereproducedby Heringor Gundermann,
but only five, none exactly alike, exist today. One of
these books has been in the Metropolitan'scollection
since 1932, but it is relatively unknown since, with
the exceptionof a few cuts, it has not been published
previously. It consists of 125 woodcuts on 17 leaves;
it has no title page; and, like the other four, it has no
text. The copy in the Albertina in Vienna contains a
list of subjects, not precisely keyed to the illustrations;
and this was not added by the author but by Tobias
Gundermann for his I646 edition.
Clues to the meaning of many of the plates are given
by a seventeenth-century author, E. G. Happel, who
used a majority of Lorichs's woodcuts (with monogram
and date erased) rather than commission new pictures
for the Turkish portion of his travel book, Thesaurus
Exoticorum oder eine mit AussldndischenRaritdten und
GeschichtenWohlverseheneSchatzkammerFiirstellendDie
AsiatischenAfricanischenund AmericanischenNationes . ..
[An exotic thesaurusor a complete treasury of curiosities
and history from the foreign lands of Asia, Africa, and
America] (Hamburg, Thomas von Wiering, i688). Despite unexplained differences with Lorichs that Happel
alluded to in his introduction and an interim of more
than one hundred years since Lorichs's Turkish adventures, Happel did not shrink from using the woodcuts
to illustrate his commentary. One is tempted to surmise
that in most cases the prints determined his selection
of topic.
Much of Happel's narrative seems to have been drawn
directly from another chronicle about the East, Der
TiirkischeSchauplatz, issued three years earlier by Happel's publisher. The anonymous author of this workmost likely Happel himself-cites the Voyages en Turquie, en Perse et aux Indes (Paris, i677) by the famous
traveler, Jean-Baptiste Tavernier, as one of his principal
sources, thereby identifying for us one of the ultimate
sources for the Turkish section of the ThesaurusExoticorum. In his introduction Happel justified and defended
his extensive borrowing from other authors, but he failed
to mention Der TiirkischeSchauplatz on which he had
depended so heavily.
The captions for the following illustrations from the
Metropolitan Museum's copy of Lorichs's Turkish book
are partially derived from Happel's ideas and interpretations. His observations are inclined to be inaccurate
but are a fascinating revelation of a European's view
of the East. Lorichs, too, gives a European's view of
Turkey, but he conscientiously tried to provide a complete and accurate portrayal of what he observed, as the
woodcuts reproduced here demonstrate. They show that
Lorichs's neglected book is significant not only as a testimony to a forgotten artist's ability but also as a visual
record of a culture of major interest to Europe in the
sixteenth and seventeenth centuries and still of great
interest today.
NOTES
I would like to thank Mrs. JohnH. Sichel for her kind assistance in reviewingmy translationsand interpretingseveral
difficultpassages.
The amendedI575 title page of Lorichs'ssourcebook reads:
und geschnitteneFigurenin Kupfferund Holtz
Wolgerissene
durchden kunstreichen
und weitberiimbten
MelcherLorchfur
die Mahler, Bildthawerund Kunstliebenden
an Tag gegeben
Anno i619. It impliesthat he intended to includeengravings
as well as woodcuts.
Artispingendi,fingendi
JostAmman'ssourcebook, Enchiridion
& sculpendi:In quod Thesaurusnouus& ingens,variarum
figurarum,virori mulierum,infantum& animalium,in usum
adolescentiacupida adeoq omnium artis huius amantiumest
congestus(Frankfurt,1578), is also in the MetropolitanMuseum. The ElishaWhittelseyFund, 49.10.
The travel book by Nicholasde Nicolay is called Les quatre
orientales. . .
premierslivresdes navigationset peregrinations
(Lyons, 1568). The ElishaWhittelseyFund, 57.521.
Some of those who paid tribute to Lorichsare listed here:
SigmundFeyerabend,the publisher,in I564 composedan
encomiumon Lorichsthat he later printedas a dedicationto
Hans Bocksburger'sNeuweBiblischeFiguren.... In I577 he
dedicatedanotherof his publications,TiirkischeChronica,to
Lorichs.
Conrad Leicht wrote a poem in I567 praisingLorichs's
Liedtvom Tuircken
und Antichrist.
PhilippeGalle dedicatedto Lorichshis first edition (1574)
of twenty-fourengravingsof fountainsafter Hans Vredeman
de Vries.
Hubert GoltziusincludedverselaudingLorichsby Adolph
Mekerch, Louis Carrion,and Andre du Pape in his book
Siciliaet Magna Graecia(Bruges,1576).
The dimensions(height x width in inches) of the woodcuts
illustratedhere are as follows:
Rider, 8' x 68; Janissary,9/ x 5516;saquatz,816 x 5s6;
camel, 8S4 x 51X6;coffins,8 x 5 116; cemetery, 8s x 516;
harpy,9s x 6'; aerialview of mosque, o1 x I4Y2.
For informationabout the simurgh,see Eva Baer, Sphinxes
and Harpiesin MedievalIslamicArt (Jerusalem,IsraelOriental Society, I965).
4I5
I_
ffi
This rider enjoys the comfortsof an ingerainhat
\ f,A,
--nious
^ fashionedwith pleatsto accommodate any size or shapeof turban.He also
wearsa special,long, rainproofridingcoat to
-"protectthe fine garmentsbeneath.
Janissaries'costumesdifferedaccordingto their rank and position, and Lorichssketchedmany of them for his comprehensive
sourcebook. This warriorwearstheir traditionalemblem,a long
cap said to representthe sleeve of their master,the sultan.The
=skirt of his kaftanis drawnup under his belt to facilitatemovement. The jeweled,gilded-silverornamentat the front of his cap
was usuallythe repositoryfor a spoon,symbolof the Janissaries'
dependenceupon the sultanfor theirsustenance.Here it supports
a mirrorto whichis attacheda long featherthat reachesalmostto
the ground.Happelexplainedthis picturewith an interestingtale
about the Janissaries'
plumage:These featherswere from the immense bird calledruck,which was so enormousthat it seizedelephantsand droppedthem to earthfrom the sky so that it could
devour them more easily.Happel'ssourcefor this tale must have
been basedupon two traditionalwritingsthat describea similar
bird,the simurgh,king of the birds.It wasa huge beastwith sharp
claws,a long tail "resemblingthe towerof Nimrod,"and the same
effectivemannerof destroyingits prey. Aloft, its wingswere like
.a ship'ssailsand their beat causedmountainsto tremble.
i
i
ff
I
Lorichs'sdetailedillustrationof a saquatz(a
watervendor)is a usefulpendantto Happel's
description,which was borrowedfrom that
of Nicholasde Nicolay, the famoustraveler
whoseNavigationshad suchan impacton the
Westernworld. Despite his elegant appearance, the water vendorwas a pilgrimdependent upondonationsfromthosewho enjoyed
refreshmentfrom the bag of waterthat hung
underhis arm.The water was drunkfrom a
gilded bowl often richlydecoratedwith lapis
and other stones.While the recipientdrank,
the vendorheld a mirrorbeforehim and exhorted him to considerhis weaknessesand
contemplate the prospect of death. Those
who rewardedthe pilgrimfor his servicewere
sprinkledon the facewith scentedwater.The
saquatzwas not a passivepeddler but pursued his customerswith gifts of flowersand
oranges.Nicolay related that he had been
soughtout at the Frenchembassyby a crowd
of vendorswho would not departuntil he replaced the small coins they gave him with
coins of greatervalue. It was the custom of
Muslims,who abstainedfrom wine, to provide a fountainor well in frontof theirhouses
whereanyonemight drink.Lorichs'ssaquatz
appearsto be availing himself of this free
sourcefor his preciouscommodity.
-
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The camel commandedmuch attentionin travelliteratureof the sixteenthandseventeenthcenturies.Happel
dutifullyobligedhis readers'curiositywith lengthy discussionsof theirstrength,endurance,and longevity.We
learnthat the camelworebellsand his driverplayedthe
cymbalsand sangin orderto keep the music-lovinganimalin goodspiritsandlessmindfulof hisfatigue.Happel
selected this creaturefrom Lorichs'swoodcutsto illustrate an event he claimsto have observedin Constantinople. A largecrowdsurroundeda camel that had just
servedon a pilgrimageto Meccacarryingthe Koranon
its back.The crowdkissedit, pluckedout its hairs(to
be prizedas relics),and wiped the sweatfrom its body.
Finallythe beastwasslain,and the flesh,whichwasconsideredholy becauseof the camel'stask in the pilgrimage, was devouredon the spot by the crowd.
This ceremonyis similarto the sacrificeof a camelin
Meccadescribedby AdamOleariusin the I669 English
versionof his VoyagesandTravells.... Olearius'slengthy
discussionof this event was probablyHappel'sactual
sourceof information,althoughhe says that he himself
witnessedthe beast'sunhappyend.
Turkish burialhabits had changedonly slightly since
the sixteenth century, so Happel could easily explain
Lorichs'sillustrations.The firstpicture,alreadymarked
by Lorichsfor discussion,displayscoffinsdesignedto distinguishthe identity of the occupants.The one marked
A bearsthe decedent'sturbanand is intendedfor a male
familyhead. B is drapedin the garmentsand headdress
of a wife or young woman;her braidswere alsocustomarily hung on the coffin.C is for an old wife or widow,
D for a child, and E for a pauper.WealthyTurksspared
nothingin preparingelaboratetombs,whichthey thought
wouldcreatea goodimpressionin the afterlife.The destitute, on the other hand,were laid upon a plankby the
roadsidewith face exposedso that some passerbymight
recognizethe corpseand bury it.
No burialsite was safe from the ravagesof the wild,
grave-robbingjackal. Coffins,even for the poor, were
sunk deep, and huge stoneswere rolled over them for
protectionagainstthe predator.
In the foregroundof this graveyardstandsa tombstone surmountedby a carvedreplicaof the late Turk's
turban.The varioussizesand contoursof turbansdesignated the wearers'rankor socialposition.
419
tIarpy from Rayy, Persia. Late xiI-early XIlI
century.Luster-paintedpottery, height 2514
inches.Bequestof Cora TimkenBurnett,57.51.1
One is startled to find among the numerous
pagesof detailedcostumesand buildingsa picture
of a monstrousyet statuesqueharpy.This fantastic
beastwas traditionalin Muslim iconographybut
ordinarilyappearedonly as part of a decorative
motif on ceramics,metalware,and textiles.An unusualpiece in the Museum'scollection,illustrated
at the left, is a notableexceptionto the restrained
decorativeuse of the harpy.This kind of imposing
ceramicharpy from Rayy, Persia,would seem a
likely sourceof inspiration,but sucha figureis not
knownto have beenmadeor usedin Turkey. One
can only speculateas to what inspiredLorichs's
"portrait."He may haveprobedinto the complex,
intermingledtalessurroundingthe Islamicharpy,
but it is alsopossiblethat he was interestedin the
harpy or siren of Greek tradition-he may have
admiredisolated,ornamentalsirenfigureson potteryfromthe formerGreekcoloniesin AsiaMinor.
In somedetails- suchas the headdressandpeacock
tail- Lorichs'sharpyresemblesthe Anqa,Murghi-adamz,andBahriof Easternorigin.The knotting
of the long tressesis not typicalof the Muslimor
Greek motifs. We do not know in what context
Lorichsintendedhis harpy,but Happelofferedan
explanation,whichhe saidwastakenfromthe Koran.While on his famousNight Journey(Mi'raj),
Muhammadwas taken by the angel Gabriel to
Paradisewhere he saw many angelsin grotesque
shapes.One of thesewas of such great size that it
touched the sky with its head and the depths of
the seawith its feet. The bodywasthat of a rooster
and the headwas like a young woman's.God had
commandedthat this beast should periodically
summonthe roosterson earth,who in turnwould
arouseother earthlybeaststo praiseGod.
Happel's extension of Muhammad'sMi'raj is
only partiallycorrect.It does not appearin the
Koran.Furthermore,traditionalsourceshold that
the angel was a white cock and none of the four
elaborationsof this legend in the Hayatal-Hayawan of al-Damirimentionsa humanhead.
7'
(7z<
~
~
~
~
-~
Lorichsdigressedfrom his steady output of usefulsketchesto renderthis peculiarbird's-eye
view of a walledmosquesurroundedby sanctuariesand mausoleums.It appearsto be a conof MeccaandMedina,but Lorichs'ssourceis a mystery,particularly
glomeraterepresentation
since such a subjectis unknownin Islamicart. Happelinadvertentlyclaimedthat this picture
wasinspiredby paintingsof this themethat werefoundin mosques,andhe sayssuchpaintings
were the only exceptionto the Muslim traditionexpressedin the Hadith forbiddingrepresentationalart.
The referencemarksindicatethat Lorichshad plannedto describethe majorbuildings.As
no manuscriptby his hand now remains,however,we do not know if the descriptionsgiven
by Happelwere the productof his own knowledgeor if he had seen a manuscriptby Lorichs.
Happel realizedthat he was discussinga hypotheticalcity, and he tells us that the Turks
called this idealizedwalledarea"Meham"becauseit lookedlike Mecca.
Happel said that the rectangularstructure,covered by systematicallydrapedcloths and
surroundedby a colonnade,was the tomb of "the false prophetMuhammadas it is seen in
Mecca." Happel knew, however, that Muhammadwas buriedin Medina, for he identified
the buildinglabeledG as the "church"in Medinawhere Muhammaddied. At the time of
Lorichs'ssketch (after I555), the tomb, whosewoodendome had been rebuilt,coveredwith
lead, and paintedgreen in I266, would not have appearedat all like the buildingidentified
by Happel as the tomb. Rather, this rectangularbuildingbearsa resemblanceto the Kaaba
in Mecca,which was alsodrapedand encircledby an arcade.
Happelidentifiedother buildingsas the memorialsor tombsof variousfiguresnot only of
the Muslimhierarchyand the Old Testamentbut alsoof suchpillarsof the Christianchurch
as John the Baptist and the discipleJohn!The tent pitched in the left foregroundis that of
Abraham,and the surroundinghills are identifiedas the spots where Christ prayedon the
Mount of Olives and from which he ascendedinto Heaven. The Gothic churchwith four
spiressymbolizesthe Churchof Rome.
Accordingto Happel, the Turks believed that the large white tower in the middle foregroundwas the site to whichChristwouldreturnto reignfor forty yearsbeforethe end of the
world. Informationthat might elucidate this notion is scarce.The Koran states only that
Christwill appearat the Judgmentas a reminderof the final hour. Christ'ssecond coming
was briefly mentioned by Imam al-Bukhari,a ninth-centurytraditionalist.A thirteenthcentury commentatoron the Koran,al-Baidawi,says that Christwill presidefor forty years
over an entirely Islamiccommunity,and at the end of this period he will die for the first
time (a conceptconvenientto the Muslimdenialof Christ'simmortality).The Muslimswill
bury him at Medinaat the feet of Muhammadin the vacant spot reservedfor him. While
the detailsof these Muslimaccountsof this idea differ,it is clear that Happel'sstory is not
without precedent.One might surmisethat Happel emphasizedthe Muslim belief in this
event in an effort to appeaseChristiandisdaintowardthe Turks, whose hostile aggression
Christianshad experiencedfor severalcenturies.
422
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