This tubular, lacquer document case is covered with a roll of painting featuring floral motifs. As firman, or royal decrees of the Ottoman Sultan were usually in scroll-like form, such cases were used to store and transport the firman without damaging it.The naturalistic floral motifs are believed to have been inspired by the sketches made for European botanical studies, which found great favour in the courtly arts of the Ottoman period (1281-1924).In the Ottoman Empire, the Sultan derived his authority from his role as upholder of the Shar'ia, which is the Islamic religious law. However, as the Shar'ia did not cover all aspects of Ottoman social and political life, the Ottoman bureaucracy created firman in order to regulate certain concerns, such as issues pertaining to status, duties and dress of aristocracy and subjects.
