Ottoman embroideries

by Alper YURDEMI

Ottoman embroideries spread from the palace to the rest of the country, creating a body of work in which passions, a love of life and a joy of humanity were expressed with the aid of sophisticated symbols and even imported motifs.

The embroidering of towels, bedcovers, tablecloths, headscarves and other home textiles and items of clothing is so familiar today that its origins are rarely called to mind. Many people assume that Ottoman embroideries were originally made by women throughout Anatolia. Certainly, the needlework conveys the joys and sorrows of Anatolian women. But it is also a learned craft through which the styles of ornamentation peculiar to the palace spread throughout society. The first examples were produced at Istanbul’s Topkapı Palace in the 15th century. And it was only when various government officials travelled to different parts of the country and intermarried that a wider urban public became acquainted with the art and adopted it as their own.

Sophisticated symbols

Embroidery designs have little in common with the patterns of Anatolian kilims and carpets, which were first made by the common folk. They resemble more closely the Iznik tiles which lined palatial walls. The same geometrical and floral motifs appear in both genres. A sophisticated symbolism prevails. Lotus flowers indicate happiness; tulips, carnations and roses represent happiness and love. The tree of life is a symbol of a long, happy and healthy life. If embroidered on a mountain, it implies a difficult object to attain. Hence a single leaf, flower or fruit of this tree is sufficient to ensure eternal life. But when shown in a vase or plate, the vase or the plate represents a house, and the tree design expresses the life within the home.

Round flowers represent the sun and the stars - the happiness, health and togetherness of the family. Fruits containing seeds - grapes, pomegranates and melons or apples, quinces and pears - represent richness and fertility, or the expectations of a good harvest, or of coming into money.

Life in miniature

Embroideries also sometimes make use of writing. The word Maşallah – intended to protect someone from evil is common. The sultan’s signature (tuğra) was often copied from coins, expressing the designer’s loyalty, devotion and pride in the sultan. Architectural designs closely parallel Ottoman miniature painting. Professional miniature artists in the big bazaars would sketch architectural designs on material for customers to finish off in thread. If the depiction of human beings and painting was forbidden by the sultan and caliph, embroidery offered a substitute medium of narrative and self-expression.

Noah’s ark

Tents, kiosks and ships generally reflected the royal lifestyle. At the same time, the ship design is the symbol of freedom. Birds and butterflies were most often used by nomads to represent happiness, good luck and freedom, while fish designs were popular near coasts and lakes and represented fertility, good luck and a good harvest. Other everyday animals also appear in the embroideries. Indeed, something resembling Noah's Ark pops up at times – a part of Anatolian mythology. Whatever people talked about to their children they also reproduced in thread.

Fabrics and yarns

Fabrics are of hand-woven linen, silk or cotton. Silk thread was the mainstay of Ottoman embroideries, and in palace work no other yarn was used. Cotton and, occasionally, wool can be found in pieces produced around Anatolia. Gold and silver thread, known as sim or, if thicker, kırma, was used extensively in Istanbul and Bursa, as well as in Bartin, which produced unique items in silver. In Ödemiş a very thin, silk-like precious metal thread was used in conjunction with sumptuous broad metallic strips. The less affluent sometimes worked with copper thread, but the colour deteriorates over time.

Natural dyes

Silk, cotton and woollen thread were dyed to create deep and lasting colours. Onion produced brown, the linden tree provided pink, and walnut shells were employed for greens. Light brown and beige came from tea leaves, and acorns and a copper compound gave shades of blue, while cochineal or red was obtained from a certain insect. The most commonly used colours were various shades of red and green. Embroidered motifs never had to be true to nature – green roses, blue trees and red animals proliferate.

Fixing dates

Older embroideries are distinguished by their large and extensive designs, geometric motifs, architectural representations and a noticeable lack of borders. Only 2-4 colours are used, but large quantities of gold. The older fabrics were quite heavy; the newer more delicate. Later pieces have smaller designs, as thread became expensive, especially in the final years of the empire. Newer work is more colourful because of the abundance of imported thread, and silver is used more frequently than increasingly costly gold.

Cultural encounters

Originating in the Ottoman court, the Anatolian embroidery tradition drew for inspiration on the gifts sent to the Ottoman sultan by foreign rulers – unusually decorated vases, clocks, tiles or textiles. Chinese porcelain designs abound: the lotus flower, grapes, snakes and peacocks all took on new shades and new roles in Ottoman embroidery, of which they eventually became an intrinsic part. From the 18th century onwards, the European influence became pronounced. No national culture exists in isolation. This cultural heritage has borrowed from others and evolved and is there to offer fresh inspiration to all who are willing to get to know it.

(DIPLOMAT  -  December 2004  -  Ankara)