Turkish Tiles

by Özlem Iney Erten, OguzErten

The Art of the Tile : Alchemy Achieved Through Firing Earth The first examples of tiles are found in ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia and extend back in the history of the Turks to the ninth century. It is undoubtedly one of the mysterious branches of art when one thinks of the methods of production like the shaping of he earth at various levels, the coloring, firing and baking it. Because, while the artist fires the earth in ovens at hundreds of degrees, he produces colors and motjfs without mixing them up and this seems virtually like alchemy. Today the motifs on a pottery plate that we pick up or on the tile squares that we observe with astonishment on the wall of a mosque offer us the artistic style of a period. They reflect he experience used in pottery production passed without a mistake from father to son and from generation with their gleaming magical appearance.

155 pages, Paperback

Published January 1, 2022

Reviews

[Jesse · Rating 3 out of 5]

The collection of photos is stunning and printed in ultra-high quality. The information is passable but often lacks substance and devolves to paragraphs of lists at the end of each section. The English translation is jarring at times and requires careful attention.

I've seen very few books in this format on Turkish Tiles, so it's still unique to the topic and may be one of the few places you can see such a wealth of motifs and descriptions side-by-side.

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

@Topkapi, Istanbul. Tiles are now officially my third favorite (quasi-)painting art form (ranking just under fresco & mosaic). They are a linguistic beauty.
How to read a tile -
First, patterns are coded calligraphy. Each "symbol" almost resembles a letter and integrates so finely with the Arabic language. (e.g. Cypress & the letter elif; tulip & Allah; hilah & Allah; sunburst & sun; and, of course, Rumi)
Second, try to find the maximum unrepeated unit in one entire picture. Imagine you are instructing someone (/ChatGPT) to reproduce the whole pattern with a textual prompt. It would be much harder a task than expected - there are just so many complicated variations beyond simple axis symmetry & plain reiteration. A large panel of tiles voluminously equals a multiple-versed long poem. Or a symphony.

That's why large-scale tiles preserved in mosques and mausoleums are such a gem. They differ from fragmented, small pieces of tiles (e.g. those exhibited in Palermo, Sicily) in the way that long proses differ from a single letter / half a sentence. Nonetheless the fact that someone spent so much time completing all those intricacies makes me mysteriously sad.

P.s. in case you still doubt whether miracles exist, go see the "reverse tulips" design on p. 138.

[Kristina Stangl · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great introductory book into the world of Turkish ceramic art. From Ottoman tulips to Chinese cloud designs, to floral roses and cypress trees, these patterns all have deep symbolic meanings and cultural significance rooted within Turkish society. It's a fascinating book that covers each design, pattern and style pertaining to the rich history associated with this grand, famous and spectacular form of art.

This book is a real national treasure and if you've ever been curious to learn more about the hidden meanings and storytelling behind Turkish mosaics, then this is a fantastic read. Highly recommend to all readers.

The graphic designs and pictures found within this book were lovely, too. And if you've ever traveled to the cities of Istanbul, Bursa, Iznik, Izmir and Cappadocia, then you'll really come to appreciate this book all the more.