PNT-00241 > Mustafa Agas (Kasourides) of the Customs Office, Larnaca, watercolour, Unknown (French School), 1828
The watercolour portrays a Christian converted to Islam, identified by a Turkish and a Greek name. He is Mustafa Agas, Kasourides, chief of customs at Larnaca port. A member of the Ottoman administration, the sitter is dressed in Ottoman attire with a green coat (Kaftan) denoting his membership in the Ottoman elite. He is smoking a chibouk, a long thin pipe often used by Ottoman notables. On his head, he is wearing a multi-coloured turban. His posture is typical of that adopted by Ottoman notables at relaxation, seated cross-legged on a sofa with plenty of pillows supporting his back. He has fine facial features with a thin moustache and a well-groomed beard. His delicate fingers point to a privileged background. The watercolour, executed by a French artist, is inscribed in French and Arabic and bears the artist's studio mark.
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