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In Turkey, the most important media forms
happen to be applied art, meaning that pieces were not simply expected to look
beautiful but also serve a specific, functional purpose.
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| via Flickr by G.OZCAN |
Everyday objects and belongings that also
make lives more beautiful? We’re all about that here at Robin Street Market!
Today we’ve decided to highlight three of these stunning applied art forms: ebru, Iznik pottery, and carpet weaving.
Ebru
Ebru, or paper marbling, is a fascinating process that results in
one-of-a-kind pieces of artwork. This technique originally flourished under the
Ottoman Empire in the 15th and 16th centuries; at
this time book-lovers came to prize and cherish this art form, and it made a
significant impact on book art in Europe. It has since maintained its popularity.
The technique actually involves creating a
painting on the surface of a water and tragacanth bath using ox-gall paints and a horse-hair brush. The tragacanth acts as a thickening agent
that allows the paint to be manipulated on the surface. Once complete, the
artist carefully lays the paper over the bath and the picture is transferred.
Are you still curious about the traditional
ebru technique? Check out this quick
video to see how it’s done:
Iznik Pottery
Originally named after a town in Western Anatolia, these decorated ceramic pieces were produced from the end of
the 15th century to the end of the 17th century. At this
time, the town of Iznik was already an established centre for basic pottery,
but towards the end of the 15th century, the craftsmen began to
produce pottery with a fritware body and a trendy cobalt blue paint
underneath a transparent lead glaze. This change was likely a result of the
high value that the Ottoman court placed on Chinese blue and white porcelain.
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| via Flickr by Jean-Pierre Dalbéra |
As time went on, the Turkish craftsmen added
more colours and the style of pottery evolved to more closely reflect the
Turkish culture. Today, most of the surviving Iznik pottery is held in museums outside
of Turkey and, even though this particular type of pottery is no longer being
produced, the value and appreciation for ceramic arts is still highly visible
throughout the country.
Carpet Weaving
Kilim,
Soumak, Cicim, Zili – these are all different terms
for Turkish carpet weaving. Whether hand-knotted or flat woven, Turkish carpets
are some of the most renowned hand-crafted art works in the world. Carpet
weaving began out of necessity, but quickly developed into a highly specialized
and regarded art form.
The oldest known Turkish carpet, fondly
referred to as the Pazyryk rug, dates from 500 B.C. and is now kept at the
Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg. This important part of Turkish
history depicts horsemen, deer, mythic animals and floral motifs. By the rise
of the Ottoman Empire, carpets became a very important export item with reach
throughout Europe.
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| via Flickr by Shankar S. |
The carpet designs reflect Turkish culture,
daily lives, as well as climatic and geographic conditions. Turkish rugs have
distinguishing features that set them apart from Persian carpets – primarily
the double knot technique and distinct colour scheme.
