Résumé :
This article considers the nature of acrobatic performances in Ottoman Turkey, as represented in illustrated records of circumcision ceremonies. The circumcision of the sons of the Sultans Murad III in 1582 and Ahmed III in 1720 were the occasions for weeks of festivities, including parades and presentations by guild craftsmen, interspersed with other entertainments, such as music, dancing and various acrobatic entertainments. These two circumcision ceremonies were documented in lavishly illustrated histories, part of a growing tradition of Ottoman historiography, consisting of exquisite miniature paintings accompanied by text.

Although a century and a half separate these two celebrations, the snapshot they present of entertainments indicate both the continuity of types of acrobatic performances and their development. The illustrated records of these celebrations also reveal acrobatic traditions that combine performances familiar in early modern Europe and which continued into the development of the early modern circus, alongside performances that are now usually associated with the Chinese acrobatic tradition. [editor summary]

Localisation : Traitement documentaire

DOI  : 10.1080/17460654.2018.1490194