Portret van de Turkse generaal Ali-Bassa 1579 - 1615

This engraving by Dominicus Custos portrays Ali-Bassa, a Turkish general, captured near Tulnam in 1602. Note the elaborate turban, a powerful symbol of status and authority within the Ottoman Empire. The turban’s form echoes motifs found in earlier headdresses across various cultures, from ancient Persian tiaras to papal mitres, each adapted to signify power and identity. This transformation reflects the cultural memory embedded in such symbols, a collective understanding passed down, yet constantly reshaped. Consider the visual weight the artist has given the sitter: the subject's piercing eyes, the dignified set of his beard, and the meticulously detailed turban, all conveying a sense of captured pride. This creates a dynamic tension, engaging viewers on a subconscious level. The symbol of the turban, like many others, displays a non-linear progression through history, resurfacing, evolving, and acquiring new meanings in different contexts.