Antique 18th Century  Turkish Ottoman Islamic Military Copper Standard Alam 

Antique 18th century Turkish Ottoman Islamic large military copper standard Alam.
Entirely handmade of solid copper, very thick and sturdy, "ALAM" is comprised of a central panel cut into the openwork with the prominent symbol of the Ottoman Empire, a crescent moon with a star.

The crescent moon has been finely hand chiseled with elegant thuluth Arabic calligraphy inscription in old Ottoman writing, "Osmanlıca yazı." The inscription is against a punched ground, and I could decipher only two words from it: Sultan and Han. However, I am unable to read the other writing.

The crescent moon with a star, rests on a decorative base intricately cut with openwork. The base is decorated with a small star in the center and scrolled floral patterns. At the top is a finely hand-chiseled finial in the form of a spearhead blade, which is adorned with flowers and checkered patterns on the punched ground.

The base is with integral conical shaft screw with handmade thread for screwing the Alam into the wooden pole. The back surface of the Alam is completely hand-chiseled with floral designs on a punched background.
A narrow border with a notched pattern encloses the edges of the Alam.
The Alam is mounted on the contemporary custom-made marble stand.

NOTE: The adoption of the star and crescent as the Ottoman state symbol started during the reign of Mustafa III (1757–1774), and its use became well-established during the periods of Abdul Hamid I (1774–1789) and Selim III (1789–1807).

Most of the Islamic metal standards Alam, which can be seen in museums and on the international Islamic art market (including Ottoman and Indo-Persian Alams), are made to be used in religious ceremonies, mainly by Shia Muslims but also by Sunni Muslims. These Alams are decorated with religious scripts.

This specific Alam is decorated with the official titles of the Turkish Ottoman monarch Sultan Han. These titles are inscribed on the Ottoman sultan's emblem, Tughra, representing the sultan's authority. These official imperial items, including military objects, are not typically found on the ceremonial religious Alam.

DIMENSIONS:
Height: 57 cm (22.44 inches).
Width at the widest point: 15.4 cm (6.06 inches).
Weight: 1.316 kg (2.901 lb.).

CONDITION: It is in good condition, showing age and use. There are no cracks or repairs. The surface has a dark brown patina, and it is slightly bent.