Ottoman Armenian Company Envelope O. Öksüzyan & A. Arslanyan Merzifon Armenia

Ottoman–Armenian Company Envelope - O. Öksüzyan & A. Arslanyan, Merzifon (Amasya)

Description:
An original company letter envelope, printed with both Ottoman Turkish and Armenian script, belonging to the partnership of O. Öksüzyan (Oxouzian) and A. Arslanyan (Arslanian), based in Merzifon (Marsovan), Amasya Province.

This envelope, with its company letterhead, reflects the presence and active role of Armenian entrepreneurs in the economic and commercial life of late Ottoman Anatolia. Both surnames, Öksüzyan and Arslanyan, are distinctly Armenian names, and their use in both Ottoman and Armenian scripts underscores the bilingual, multicultural character of business life in the region.

Historical Context:
Merzifon, in the late Ottoman period, was home to a significant Armenian population, active in trade, education, and cultural life. The presence of such company stationery provides material evidence of how Armenians operated within the Ottoman economic system while maintaining their cultural and linguistic identity.

This envelope is also a valuable example of commercial ephemera, documenting the networks of trade and communication in provincial Anatolia.

Key Features:

• Type: Printed company envelope 

• Company: O. Öksüzyan (Oxouzian) & A. Arslanyan (Arslanian)

• Location: Merzifon, Amasya Province (Ottoman Empire)

• Languages: Ottoman Turkish & Armenian

• Date: Late Ottoman period (likely late 19th – early 20th century)

• Historical Significance:

  • Demonstrates the presence and economic activity of Armenians in Merzifon

  • Bilingual commercial correspondence material

  • Rare survival of provincial Ottoman-Armenian business ephemera