Ottoman Silver Creamer with the Tughra of Abdülhamid II

A silver creamer, or sütlük, made during the reign of Sultan Abdülhamid II (r. 1876–1909), a period that saw the formalization of Ottoman assay systems and the continued refinement of domestic silverware for elite urban households.

The vessel is of baluster form, raised on four individually modeled floral feet and fitted with a sculptural branch-form handle. The body is entirely hand-engraved with scrolling foliage and floral motifs characteristic of late Ottoman decorative vocabulary, Islamic ornamental tradition adapted to the tableware of daily use.

The underside bears a zigzag Ottoman assay mark, a saf mark, and the imperial tughra of Sultan Abdülhamid II, confirming both period and official assay. The purity is marked “٩٠” for 90% silver (.900), consistent with Ottoman standards of the period. Weight is approximately 213 grams.

Domestic silver bearing legible tughras and assay marks from these years is increasingly scarce, and such pieces carry real evidence of late Ottoman taste, domestic ritual, and the regulated production of precious metals within the empire.