Suleiman the Magnificent in Jan Swart van Groningen's stylus

 Salvete Omnes,
a little 'orientalising' as it seems to me to be proper to show before Christmas since 2020 years ago the very Oriental Magi and their sumptuous caravan, following the Bethlehem Star, were in process of traveling to Palestine/Holy Land  in order bow to Baby Jesus at at shepherds' stable at Bethlehem. 

 Northern Renaissance  artist Jan Swart van Groningen is thought to have carved the plates showing the Ottoman emperor (sultan) Suleiman and some of his horse troopers  circa 1526 AD - these are some magnificent pieces of woodcut art, nota bene  so popular in the Holy Roman Empire at that time. 

hence the plates either  from Wiki Commons or  from Rijks Museum :
1. his imperial highness Suleiman the Magnificent
 

2. trumpeters 

3. three horse archers - Turks?

4. Mameluke horse

5. Arabian horse 

We should remember that there are period images that come from the Ottoman artists themselves, and also the Italian and other more eastern European artists as well.

Valete

Pierre Belon. Les observations & Mamelukes, Turks etc

Salvete Omnes,
short entry on this particular XVI century travel - Pierre Belon. Les observations de plusieurs singularitez & choses mémmorables, trouvées en Grèce, Asie, Judée, Égypte, Arabie, aux autres pays étrange.(AD 1588 edition at the French national Library Gallica and English introduction & synopsis with images). English translation (2012) here - but to be purchased not free.

Already an illustrious scientist Pierre Belon, a Frenchman in his country service and protege of the Montmorency family, was sent along with the grand French embassy under Gabriel de Luetz, Baron et Seigneur d'Aramon et de Vallabregues   to the High Porte & the sultan Suleiman (even went to see the campaign against the Saffavids) - here Gabriel d'Aramon portrayed with the Turkish arrows, presumably. Jean Chesneau, who was the secretary to the ambassador, wrote Le Voyage de Monsieur d'Aramon dans le Levant  that we may take a look at  but  at some other time.
 
The scientist voyaged within the Ottoman Empire and upon return in 1549 monsieur Belon may have started composing the aforementioned work for publication, first printing in AD 1553, many later editions. He, being a Roman Catholic, was murdered by some protestant/s in Paris (Bois) in 1564, as France was inherently dangerous place due to the wars  between the Catholics and the protestants.

There are many woodcuts in this work, and two are interesting more than others as they show:
a Circassian  lord on an Arabian horse.


and an Egyptian couple, the faris (knight) with his lance and next to him his wife mounted on a mule, modestly riding side-saddle.


 Arabian nomad? from the Syrian desert, with the bow and arrows.
 

very interesting images worth studying

Valete

Waclaw Rzewuski - sketches I

Salvete Omnes,
emir Waclaw Rzewuski and his manuscripts - hopefully soon will be published for all to enjoy -
Meantime, some sketches from these manuscripts - 3 volumes, including two self-depictions in two different costumes

emir Taj al-Fahr Abd al-Niszan as a Bedouin - Rzewuski pinxit

emir Taj al-Fahr Abd al-Niszan as a prince of the Mountain Druze - Rzewuski pinxit

small camp -Rzewuski pinxit

Rzewuski pinxit -Bedouins traveling

stallion - Rzewuski pinxit

Rzewuski pinxit - little caravan

Rzewuski pinxit - Hajj - detail of a larger camp scene

Valete!

Davenport's Arabians - CMK

Salvete omnes,
breeding Arabian horse in the American studs is an art and long tradition/
Homer Davenport was a writer, cartoonist and  ... breeder of the pure [asil] Arabian horses in the US. Interview from 1905 in Pacific Monthly vol 14.
In 1906 returning from Asia master Homer brought 10 mares and 17 stallions, purchased during his trip to the desert Bedouins of the Ottoman Syria.

Upon his death, in 1912 the Arabian horse breeders Herbert & William Brown bought some of his Arabians, like the imported *Abu Zeyd and mares and added them to the newly established Maynesboro Stud located near Berlin, New Hampshire, while other Arabians from his stud eventually were acquired by W. K. Kellogg for his stud at Pomona, California.

Eventually those American bred Arabians were grouped under the acronym 'CMK' (Crabbet, Maynesboro, Kellogg) which signifies the 'Domestic Arabians' - article here.- and Davenport's Arabian horses constitute the integral part of this CMK breeding heritage. Davenport Arabians also figure high in the American Morgan horse bloodlines.

Finally, I would like to point your attention to some page-images from his  book My Quest of the Arab Horse (1909 - books is available via archive library), where is recounted his trip to the Syrian Desert, shared his knowledge of the Arabian horse and also mused about the history of the Arabian horse in the US.

enjoy

French army as saviors in Syria and Lebanon 1860AD

Salve,

almost 157 years ago French emperor Napoleon III sent his troops to save the Christians in Ottoman province of Syria (including Lebanon,) where they were under the direct  assault from their  Druze feudal lords and also local Muslim population as well as the Bedouins and marauding Kurds, trying in vain to protect their own villages and towns ( article from 1860 New York Times ). Historic image of the French troops marching to Damascus. Two books from the period - from 1860 and 1885.

There is some interesting artwork from the era

emir Abdelkader (full name Abdelkader ibn Muhieddine ) ,

an Algerian warlord living in exile in the Ottoman Empire, played a heroic role in saving many Christians (and Europeans) from massacre in Damascus - his letter from 1860 AD - eventually he was praised by the Western leaders for his gallant conduct,  including our president Abraham Lincoln, who gave him these pistols

Perhaps our Western democracies should protect the Christians in Egypt by showing some muscle (we pay so much in our taxes for the military) - the last massacre of the Coptic pilgrims (many children like in Manchester ), including these 8 pilgrims from Illinois, USA, was most heinous.
eh...