Ä°znik pottery

Iznik ceramics is the name for the products manufactured in the western Anatolian city Iznik between the 15th and 17th century glazed earthenware. Through significant support from the Ottoman court and the inspiration of Chinese porcelain blue and white style that was introduced in large quantities, it was soon known and appreciated throughout the Ottoman Empire and beyond.

In the 16th century, the color palette of the first ceramic monochrome held to a pale purple, turquoise and sage green was later supplemented by the characteristic bolus Red and emerald green. As architectural decoration Iznik tiles have now been used in numerous buildings for cladding the walls, including in more than forty mosques in Istanbul alone, approximately in the Rustem Pasha and the Sultan Ahmed Mosque, the outer lining of the I. Süleyman restored Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem, but also in palaces and mausoleums, especially in the circumcision of Topkapi seraglio salon. Due to the exemplary character of Ottoman architecture clad with tiles interiors were also in the Balkans, in Egypt and the Maghreb extremely popular.

In the 17th century continued due to increased pricing pressure, lack of promotion on the part of the ruling family and the absence of new works, the decline of production a. The town located east of Iznik Kutahya then became the new center of ceramic production in Asia Minor.

  • 2.1 Kütahya
  • 2.2 Istanbul

History of Iznik ceramics

Seljuk pottery and Chinese influence

The Iznik ceramics was followed in the early 14th century Seljuk first models. Subsequently, a phase of imitation of Chinese porcelain began, which was highly regarded by the Ottoman sultans. However, the production of genuine porcelain failed to ceramists, as neither qualitatively sufficient starting material was still present the required temperature has been reached for porcelain firing; Instead, it is the vessels are frits goods, consisting mainly of quartz and glass. Latest in the middle of the 16th century, however, delivered a typical Iznik style, which clearly demarcated from the earlier models, developed new forms and motifs and symmetrical design in favor of freer and livelier picture compositions gave up.

This development process can be broken down into different phases; the goods produced there were mostly the often misleading name of the city where European collectors discovered the first specimens or acquired. The chronology of the ceramic is the lead back on Arthur Lane, who on previous studies about Gaston Migeon, Robert Lockhart Hobson and Katharina Otto -Dorn pointed out based that the goods found in such diverse places were almost all originally made ​​in Iznik.

The earliest form of Ottoman ceramics was named after a broken Fund in Miletus, which was discovered by Friedrich Sarre in the early 1930s during his excavations. Excavations of Oktay Aslanapa in Iznik showed in the 1960s that the city was a center for ceramic production before the production of the blue - white frit goods and the Sarre at Miletus discovered fragments appear to have been originally manufactured there. Further manufacturing facilities spread throughout Asia Minor this type were Kütahya, Akçaalan and apparently the city of Pergamon, still clearly show their goods the influence of Byzantine sgraffito ceramics. The Miletus ware based on red body with white Schlickerengobe, which were covered with vegetal or geometric motifs in cobalt blue, sometimes in black, turquoise, purple or green.

Frits goods

In the late 15th century the red clay body has been replaced by a hard and dense sintered pellet. The manufacturing process in which for the first time in the history of Islamic ceramics managed the production of a body with pure white surface, and the motives are quite different from the previous Miletus ware. The relationship between quartz, finely ground glass frits and sound comes out the details of the Persian potter Abu'l-Qasim on the mix used in Kashan quite close and was about 10:1:1; However, the total amount of glass in the Iznik ceramics was slightly higher. Moreover, the material also contained small amounts of lead oxide. The ceramic vessels were rarely made ​​in one piece, but composed usually of several individual parts.

The clay body was doused with a white engobe, which was similar in the body itself, however, was carefully purified and ground fine in order to avoid color contamination. Presumably, organic binders such as gum tragacanth were used. The pigments were mixed with glass frit and then either freely or by using stencils applied to the objects. In the early stages of Iznik ceramics lies solely with cobalt blue was used, which was probably imported from Qamsar. From 1520 onwards can be found next to Blue sporadically turquoise from copper oxide in the color palette, and shortly afterwards purple of manganese oxide and celadon green, gray and black. The typical for the Iznik ware glowing red bolus was finally introduced in 1560. This innovation can be ascribed to the influence of leading artists of the Nakkaşhane, the Ottoman Hofateliers, attributed, in particular Sahkulu and Kara Memi, on the other hand also to the new requirements of large-scale tiles ensembles that other shapes and colors required as a small-sized vessels.

Plotted on the color glaze consisted of 25 to 30 percent lead oxide, from 45 to 55 percent of silica, 8 to 14 per cent of sodium oxide and about 4-7 percent of tin oxide, which does not seem as previously customary, in ground, it was mixed in a dissolved form. The degree of firing of the ceramic was up to 900 ° C.

Blue and white goods (1480-1520)

In the last decades of the 15th century Iznik pottery began in the production of blue-white frit goods. The motives of these objects were directed by templates from the Hofateliers in Istanbul and met the taste of the ruling elite, who ordered the ceramic vessels to hundreds about to use for diplomatic receptions, which made them very soon popular with foreign merchants and diplomats. Beginning of the sixteenth century began the manufacture of ceramic mosque lights, which were first used in place of lamps made ​​of metal and glass previously used almost exclusively. The first mention of the use of ceramics from Iznik were the order of 97 vessels for the courtly cuisine in the Topkapi Palace from 1489 to 1490 and the mention of two objects in the inventory of the treasury of 1496th The earliest surviving and datable blue and white ceramics wall tiles in Mausoleum of Şehzade Mahmud, one of the sons of Bayezid II, who died in 1506-7.

To denote the early blue and white Iznik ceramics, the term Abraham of Kütahya - ware is often used by the same name in the year 1510 dated pitcher. The pot is but stylistically rather atypical, so that alternatively, it has been suggested the term Baba Nakkas -Ware, named after the leading Ottoman court artists. This concept also is misleading.

The vessels carry a dense decoration in white on cobalt blue ground on where in part on Byzantine models declining Ottoman arabesques are combined with Chinese flower compositions, known as Rumi Hatayi style. However, mere copies of Chinese models are rare. An important predecessor of the Iznik - style was the Timurid art, which contained Turkish and Iranian elements. In many stylistic changes in the ceramics were prepared by the metal art. In the first two decades of the 16th century began a creative change: introduced A brighter blue, white areas were used more generous and floral motifs increasingly replaced tendril pattern of older vessels. Examples are the ceramic mosque lights in 1512 erected mausoleum of Bayezid II, the lean in shape of Mamluk glass lamps and lighting were less than the decoration.

Patronage by the Ottoman court: Süleyman the Magnificent

After the conquest of Constantinople in 1453, the Ottoman sultans began many monumental building projects. Especially in the Magnificent, his favorite wife Hürrem and his Grand Vizier Rustem Pasa given by Süleyman buildings commissioned large amounts of ceramic tiles were used. Alone in the Sultan Ahmed Mosque in Istanbul the walls and bleachers were used over 20,000 individual tiles for cladding. Also in numerous other mosques and Topkapi Palace, the walls were tiled ceramic. As a result, now dominated the production of tiles of the production yield of the Iznik potteries.

However, vessel and utility ceramics has been increasingly in demand. Especially with large plates of the decor in the composition was now free, relaxed and naturalistic, ships, animals, trees, flowers and symbols like Chintamani were the motives. Many of the plate appear to have been used for wall decoration; they have anklets, where they could be suspended, but traces are also been detected in many dishes. Since 1520 the saz style dominated with his long, toothed, dynamically arranged leaves, which were balanced by static rosette. In the later 16th century, the Quatre Fleurs style prevailed with his repertoire of stylized roses, carnations, tulips and hyacinths, which from then on were the main motives of Turkish ceramics.

Golden -Horn- style ( for 1530-1550 )

The so-called Golden Horn style was a variation of blue and white goods, prepared especially 1525-1555. It is named after the fragments have been unearthed around 1905 as the first evidence of this style in the renovation of Sirkeci - post station on the Golden Horn in Istanbul. A comparison with the motifs very similar blue and white Iznik department revealed that they were also made in their factories. They must, however, in contrast to this even more Islamic than Chinese artistic traditions. Characteristic of the Golden Horn are the style of small leaves interspersed spirals, which are often served on scrolls as a background motive for Herrschaftsinsignie of the Sultan, which is why this variant is also called the Tughra style. Subsequent vessels were already multi-colored and used in addition to cobalt blue and turquoise, olive green and black. Some of the goods, especially the smaller bowls with ausgreifendem rim, offer similarities to Italian majolica.

Pear-shaped water jug ​​to 1530-1535

Plate similar to Tondino majolica to 1530-1540

The so-called Damascus goods were very popular 1530-1550. Here was first used in addition to blue and turquoise on a larger scale celadon green and manganese violet, so that this style represents a transitional form to a complete polychrome ceramics. Also in this case, directed the designation after the first locality of the ceramics, the 1516 conquered by the Ottomans in the Syrian city of Damascus, in the apparently long time copies of ceramics were made ​​of Iznik.

A key object of this period is a mosque lamp, which was precisely dated and signed as one of the few ceramics by their Creator. The lamp was found on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem and donated to the Dome of the Rock over the under Süleyman I carried out in the Sanctuary restoration work. The inscriptions refer to the Sufi master Eşrefzade Rumi and his home town of Iznik and mention the name of the decorative painter, the "poor and humble Muslims ", and the month of completion, Dschumādā l - Ula in the Hijri year 956, ie 1549. Comparison with other similar objects thus enables the precise dating and art-historical classification. The lamp is colored in green, black and two shades of blue and shows not only designed calligraphic friezes cloud band ornaments in combination with playful Arabeskenmalerei.

Plate in the saz style with peacock motif to 1540-1555

Polychrome ceramics (1550-1600)

The production of polychrome ceramics was the longest and most successful period of Iznik ware. It began in the mid-16th century and ended in the 17th century. Featured in particular it is the significantly expanded color palette and the strong, often aloof plastic bolus red. As before, was still a rich flora characteristic of the ceramic Ottoman taste; The flowers are usually detailed enough that they can be assigned botanically without difficulty. Have been popular as a motive now beside naturalistic decoration but also compositions of sailing ships, a design that was particularly delighted to be offered as part of the Turquerie by European faience.

Polychrome plate, late 16th or early 17th century

Decline (1600-1700)

Towards the end of the 16th Century began a marked decline in the quality of the ceramics produced in Iznik; the color clarity and creative innovation decreases significantly, the Bolusrot is colored uneven and is now only rarely used the free drawing style is almost completely abandoned in favor of conventional pattern. A key factor in this process is mainly the loss of patronage of the Ottoman court and the increasing price erosion in the course of inflation. In addition, more Chinese porcelain was imported, with its quality standards, the potters were no longer able to keep up in Iznik under these conditions. The hitherto virtually unrivaled potential tile production, which had formed the economic backbone of ceramic production, came to a virtual standstill due to lack of construction activity. In addition, decorative wood paneling came increasingly instead of ceramic wall coverings similar to those of Aleppo Room in fashion. The development of new markets, for example, by the restoration of the Aqsunqur Mosque in Cairo, which was tiled from 1654 with Iznik tiles, and export to Europe, especially in the monastery Great Lavra in Greece could slow the decline, but ultimately not stop. Disasters such as large fires within the production area of ​​the city, did the rest. End of the 17th century there were only a few kilns in Iznik, finally, the production was stopped entirely.

Plate with Greek inscription and architectural motif, 1666

Contemporary Turkish ceramics

After the decline of Iznik pottery production in the south-east of nearby places Kütahya became the center of ceramic production. The mainly produced for tourists there to this day Ceramic frit is an imitation of the earlier pottery. Among the more significant modern Turkish pottery counts Ahmet Şahin, whose style was a major influence on an entire generation. Also in Iznik itself, there are again some workshops where ceramic is produced for sale to tourists.

Other production centers for ceramics in the Ottoman Empire

Kütahya

In the recent research is increasingly pointed again to the importance of other production centers for ceramics in the Ottoman Empire, especially on that of Kütahya. The Abraham of Kütahya - jug in the British Museum is not the only object for which an origin is discussed in this outlying location. The glasshouse urine writing a preserved in fragments water jug in Golden Horn style about reports them as an object of Kütahya. Arthur Lane rejected this assumption in his attempt to attribute all Ottoman ceramic production in Iznik, but back. In the course of archaeological excavations in Kütahya, however, could be demonstrated that there early frits goods were made ​​already, which is hard to distinguish the pottery from Iznik and ultimately very similar in design and color scheme of her. Presumably, Kütahya was due to the significantly larger distance to Istanbul for a long time only a subordinate place of manufacture.

Istanbul

During the first half of the 16th century, underglaze blue and white ceramics were also produced in Istanbul. A register of 1526 lists a salaried at the Ottoman court tile manufacturers from Tabriz with its ten assistants. In the tile factories near the Porphyrogenitus Palace all built in the Ottoman buildings in Istanbul The tiles were made up presumably for the edification of the Suleymaniye mosque from 1550. The decoration was carried out almost exclusively using the Cuerda Seca technology. Some tiles in the Circumcision Pavilion of Topkapı Palace will probably go back to this time and show the close cooperation of Baukeramikhersteller with the artists of the Hofateliers. You may also ceramic vessels were produced in their workshops. However, at least since the second half of the 16th century was the competition from Iznik so great that production in Istanbul was finally set.

Provenance of Iznik ceramics and reception in Europe

Already in the 16th century Ottoman ceramics were produced specifically for export to Europe and bear the arms of the prospective owners. David Ungnad imperial envoy in Constantinople, Opel, acquired between 1573 to 1578 large quantities of pottery in Iznik and let them ship then to Austria. In Venice and Padua pottery were made in the 17th century, the copied Ottoman style.

In the 19th century took the European interest in Islamic pottery, which were still consistently known as " Persian " ceramic, yet clearly. Ceramists such as Théodore Deck and William De Morgan tried their hand at a targeted imitation and recasting Turkish motifs and techniques. Ceramics factories like those of Vilmos Zsolnay, but also Villeroy Boch and were inspired by the Iznik ceramics. Frederick DuCane Godman was probably the most important collectors of Iznik merchandise. The goods acquired by him are now mostly in the British Museum, which is come into the possession of the world's most extensive collection of Iznik ceramics.

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