Öz
Sarcophagus covers are the quilts on tomb sarcophagus belonging to state rulers and esteemed Sufis held highly in society by virtue of their religious status. In all stages of history, textile was extolled as a status symbol. Ottoman dynasty, once again, immortalized the value of textile object by means of sarcophagus and via current models and documents as well as human journey from birth till death, the samples functioned as a means to help us witness the indispensable value oftextileobject for humankind.
Clothes ornamented with motif sand scripts, royal fabrics, sacred quilts from Mecca and Medina which were all believed to have symbolic meanings on sarcophagus were thus endowed with a second function and quilts, kaftans, magical shirts, covers embroidered with brocade, scarves, kerchiefs, prayer rugs and self-colored fabric played a vital role.
Ottoman State enriched their Oriental art style in Anatolia without forsaking their innate dynamics and aesthetic tastes. Socio-economic conditions shifting in every period of the Empire helped the royal art constantly update their existence. It turned into a process experiencing Ottoman royal art. Traces of Rococo and imperial art directing Ottoman royal art in the 19th century are exhibited not only in architectural structures but also in textile works; just is the case in all branches of art.
The purpose of this study is to promote sarcophagus cover tradition in Ottoman dynasty tombs and to analyze 19th century models at most in which covers with brocade embroidery technique are engraved on atlas, leather or silk velvet fabric specifically created for the deceased names. In particular, Sultan Mahmud II's sarcophagus cover was analyzed in an attempt to contribute to researches conducted in this area.
Sarcophagus cover of Sultan Mahmud II., who was the innovative and reformist sultan of the last period of Ottoman State is, by virtue of its elegant ornaments, one of the samples in which Rococo style in Ottoman textile art can be visualized.