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Sema's Art Corner
The Zenith of Sophistication in Woodwork: Mother-of-Pearl Inlay
The technique of inlaying woodwork with mother-of-pearl and ivory and embedding with mother-of-pearl
mosaics is an Ottoman heritage. Some young artisans of today are trying to keep this traditional craft
alive.
Which visitor to Topkapi Palace hasn't been fascinated by the mother-of-pearl inlaid gate of the Baghdad
Kiosk or the thrones of Ahmet I and Murat IV in the Topkapi Palace museum? Which visitor hasn't admired
Mehmet IV's mother-of-pearl and ivory inlaid royal caique in Istanbul Naval Museum or the Koran cases
in the Museum of Islamic Works of Art?
These masterpieces, formed by the striking combination of the grave beauty of the woodwork with the gay
lustre of the mother-of-pearl, represent the perfection reached by centuries of fine workmanship from the
days of Central Asia throughout the 18th century and are the most distinguished examples of classical
Ottoman wood workmanship.
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Wood workmanship has a quite long history. Various woodwork items obtained from excavations in Central
Asia mounds and in Pazirlik have indicated that the Turks were interested in this craft from very early
periods of their history. Woodwork has reached its highest perfection in Anatolia in the 12th and 13th
centuries, during Seljuk rule.
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In the Ottomans, wooden mosques have gradually disappeared, leaving their place to other building
materials. Thus in "wood", 'mother-of-pearl inlay" and inlay, embedding and mother-of-pearl mosaic
techniques have started to be employed on wooden furniture and articles instead. In this technique,
classified into "wood" "mother-of-pearl inlay' and "ivory inlay" groups, the patterns are traced on the
varnished wooden surface. Then, inlays are scrupulously placed in the prepared hollows. The smoothness
of the finished surface is particularly important in the inlay technique. In general inlays are
distinguished from the ground by a difference of material and color, thus producing a pleasing contrast. |
In the inlay technique, mother-of-pearl and ivory inlays are used in shutters, doors and closet doors,
whereas mother-of-pearl and ivory inlays are used in combination with tortoise shell in furniture
decorations. After being placed in the hollows prepared on the wood surface, inlays are glued firmly.
In another technique known as Damascus work the mother-of-pearl patterns are contoured by metal wires.
On the other hand, in the technique of mother-of-pearl mosaic all the surface is covered by mother of
pearl in geometric patterns. This technique was usually employed in the decoration of such small items
as Koran cases, turban cases, jewel boxes, and musk cases.
In the Ottomans, special attention was given to perfecting wood workmanship and inlay. Workshops were
established in Topkapi Palace in the 16th and 17th centuries to teach this craft. In these workshops,
equivalents of the present day academies, such architects as Hayreddin, Sinan, Davut and Mehmet were
trained in the mother-of-pearl workmanship and carpentry, after receiving their professional training as
architects.
Ottoman wood workmanship has reached its zenith in the 17th century. Soon after, a degeneration has
started to be observed from the 18th century onwards. In this century, the influence of European Baroque
and Rococo styles, as in other branches of architecture, has made itself felt in wood workmanship as well
and the traditional style has started to disappear.
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Like so many crafts, the technique of mother-of-pearl inlay is being kept alive today by a small number of
artisans. In the Mother-of-Pearl Workshop in Istanbul Artisans' Bazaar, young artisans are working
diligently to meet the demand of their customers. No doubt, it is through the hard work and skill of these
young artisans that the traditional Turkish crafts will survive and be handed down to future generations.
Kosova, My Beautiful Love
Your sweet smelling flesh is miles away,
yet your pain is felt within.
In the depths of your courage you released your emotions
and died for what you believe.
But dry the weakness in your eyes,
for I ache with every drop.
Come to me with your worries
because I realize your need, your longing to be free.
You never wanted more than what was offered to you,
yet you were stripped of your rights.
Let not darkness become your fate.
Let the wolves disappear and their macerated bodies wither away.
Seek refuge in me,
unveil the sorrow you encompass.
Let the strength of evil be gone.
Give me your pain,
be free.
Let me cry with you,
and with every frightening breath you take,
as short as some might be,
let me die with you,
if that is what is meant to be.
by Yesim Ozel,
A Turkish-Albanian American
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Hande Yeltekin Meissner, a Turkish American Poet
Hande Yeltekin Meissner is a Turkish Poet from California. Born
and raised in Istanbul, Hande came to California in 1996. She
published 100 poems in her first Turkish book “Well of Dreams”.
One-thousand copies were sold and the profits were donated to a
charity for homeless children.
Hande Yeltekin Meissner’s poetry illustrates life in unique
personal manner. Since she is far from her homeland, Hande often
writes about her favorite city, Istanbul. “Poetry is one of the
best ways of describing everything,” says Hande.
Hande has just finished her first English book (cover page
above) and the sales are doing well at Barnes and Noble, Amazon,
etc. With over 500 poems written since the age of 12, this is
the first English translation of her published and unpublished
poetry. She plans to donate the profit from the sales to a
homeless kids charity.
Hande lives with her husband Ken in Costa Mesa, California. In
the future, they plan to retire and move to a seaside town in
Turkey.
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Poetry:
It's been a while since I had an apple tea
Can't remember it's better to drink it cold or warm
There was something we sprinkled over it
Can't remember what it is called
When home is an ocean away
Things fade slowly but surely
You forget the awful smell of the trains
You remember the city walls you watched on the way
You forget simple things
Like eating olives for breakfast
You don't put yogurt on your rice
You have salad before dinner not after
Istanbul fades away every day
You don't even know how much is a dollar
You think every body and everything stays the same
Yet, Istanbul is no longer yours to claim.
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Monument to the Republic
July 8, 1928
Built by the Italian sculptor Pietro Canonica the Monument to the Republic at Taksim Square in Istanbul is
composed of burnished bronze and pink and blue porphyry marble depicting the birth of Ataturk's Republic.
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The monument is 11 m high with a
circumference of 54 meters
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The monument consists of two large Turkish style portal facades and two smaller Turkish niche style
facades. Each façade depicts a different page in Turkish history. The Kocatepe façade (North façade)
depicts Mustafa Kemal Ataturk followed by a Turkish woman representing the role the Turkish women played
during the War of Independence.
The Republic façade (South and main façade) depicts Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, Ismet Inonu, and Field
Marshall Fevzi Chakmak surrounded by the Turkish people and represents the birth of the Turkish Republic.
East and West facades depict the "Mehmetcik," one representing the Unknown Soldier as the guardian of the
Turkish nation and the other as a soldier of peace integrating Ataturk's motto of "Peace at home, peace
abroad.".
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Sema Karaoglu
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