In the context of Calligraphic Galleon, explain the Calligraphic Galleon of the Description.
The Met's galleon is done in ink-and-gold on paper. The prominently displayed ship depicted by the calligram is a galleon, a large warship famously used by the Spanish and Portuguese empires during the Age of sail. Due to the Ottoman navy frequently encountering the large Spanish ships in the Mediterranean, the empire's navy built a number of their own galleons to counter the Spanish threat. Thus, the Met's calligram was likely created in honor of the commissioning of new galleons into the Ottoman navy. An example of a similar calligram, depicting a 17th-century oared ship, is in the collection of the Topkapı Palace Museum in Istanbul, Turkey.The calligram's creator inscribed characters representing the story of the Seven Sleepers (the Ashab al-Kahf in Arabic), a group of seven men who were given refuge in a cave by God, onto the galleon; it has been posited that such an inscription on the work was intended to protect the ship from harm, just as God protected the seven sleepers. In addition, the Ottoman navy was dedicated to the Seven Sleepers, all of whose names can be seen on the galleon's hull and deck.
Istanbul, Turkey Age of sail Seven Sleepers Ottoman navy Galleon Portuguese Topkapı Palace Museum Spanish Istanbul Topkapı Palace galleon