Introduction
Islamic art is in most cases given definitions to by the books of art as being an art that has boundaries that are not based on geography but the boundaries being those based on theology. This is to say that this style of art that is referred to as Islamic art was created in various geographical regions that had diverse cultures but they were brought together or unified by the Islam religion (Rice, Steward and Wilson, Para 1).
In considering ceramics, the Islamic potters engaged in striving to be on an equal level in terms of technical excellence with the Chinese potters who were producing the wares that were very fine. But unlucky enough, these Islam potters did not have the right kind of clay, especially for producing those pieces that were delicate. However, regardless of this obstacle, these potters attained success in coming up with pieces that were greatly beautiful and also came up with several decorative techniques that were original. They encompassed the lusterware technique as well as the minai technique. These decorative techniques were employed in tile production and this industry of tile making; the Muslim people were at least not surpassed. This paper is going to look at Islamic art and more specifically at the tiles in Islamic architecture. This paper is going to look specifically at Turkish tiles. It is going to be demonstrated that the Turkish tiles art, as well as ceramics, takes a position of high standing in the Islamic History of art.
Turkish Tiles and Ceramics
The Turkish tiles and ceramics came up in the Uighurs of the 800s and 900s. The development that followed was a result of the influence of “Karakhanid, Ghaznavid, and (especially) Iranian Seljuk art. With the Seljuks’ victory over the Byzantines at Malazgirt in 1071, the art followed them to Anatolia and embarked upon a new period of strong development fostered by the Anatolia Seljuk sultanate” (Bakir, Para 1).
The form of architectural beautification that was most often was come across in the course of the Anatolian Seljuk period involved utilization of glazed bricks. The glazed bricks were placed in a particular arrangement. This arrangement created some patterns. This was in most cases on buildings’ facades. The color that was regularly utilized for glaze was turquoise. However, such other colors as, cobalt blue, and infrequently black were as well fashionable colors that were utilized.
The tiles that were employed as a form of architectural decoration together with glazed brick were triangular, as well as rectangular tiles among others. Not in a similar way as the bricks, there was a preference for these tiles for the interior appliance and they were appropriate for geometrical arrangement assortment. In comparison with the bricks, the tiles were made from the paste which was harder and had a color that was much more yellowish. A minimal number of examples of gliding do exist.
Consequently, the Anatolian Seljuks had also acquired mosaic tile techniques. This was as well employed in interiors and mostly in mihrab niches, vaults, domes and also in walls. The tile mosaic is made up of tile pieces that are cut into shapes that fit in the pattern one wants. The surfaces that are not glazed of tesserae are somehow conical in shape. There was the arrangement of these pieces with the side that glazed. Downward and after this arrangement, a mortar that was somehow white in color was poured over these tiles. At the time it had set, the plate that came out of this could be set up at whatever the place that was preferred. The compositions of the mosaic tiles are, in general terms, geometrical. However, there are also Kufic calligraphy and floral motifs. The most popular colors here were cobalt blue, black, turquoise, as well as eggplant violet (Brend, p. 80).
On top of the above-mentioned techniques that appear in funerary architecture as well as religious architecture along with underglaze, there were just two techniques that were used in palace architecture as well as in civil architecture. These were the luster tiles and the minai tiles. There was as well a difference in the forms of these tiles. Favoritism was inclined towards the stars and crosses and in the geometrical patterns. There was utilization of the vigorous metaphorical compositions and the vegetal scroll.
The development of the minai technique was carried out in Iran in the course of the 1100s and 1200s, in ceramics on the main basis. Konya was the sole location in Anatolia where the tiles of this kind were found. This was in Alaeddin kiosk. “The colors offered by this technique are far much great and a person finds shades of brown, black, turquoise, blue, violet, and also gliding. There was appliance of some colors underglaze and in turn fired. The minai tiles design is evocative and vigorous of miniatures with themes obtained from court life as well as palace life” (Bakir, Para 8).
“There is painting of the designs on the surface in the underglaze tiles, which in turn glazed before the firing of the tile is carried out: (Bakir Para 9). This technique is most cases was employed by the Anatolian Seljuks. Here the colors that were preferred included such colors as black, green, violet, turquoise and cobalt blue. There were as well cases in which there were tiles that were black-decorated under the turquoise glaze. Clear examples of these have been found in Beysehir, at excavations of the Kubadabad palace. In this place, the decoration of tiles is carried out with plant motifs and also with human beings and animal figures (Giorgini, p. 69).
The luster method was first identified in Abbasid. At some point later in time, this technique was successfully used by the Seljuks of Iran. The region that luster tiles were seen in Anatolia, and which was the only region, was Kubadabad. These days, there is the exhibition of the luster tiles which were discovered at the excavations of the palace in Konya.
There is the beautification of the luster tiles in an overglaze method. In this method, there is painting of the design with a mixture of metal oxides. This involves bringing together copper and silver. This is followed by taking this mixture onto the surface that has been fired and also this surface needs to have been glazed. A second firing is carried out on the tiles but this time around, this is carried out at lower temperatures. This produces various lustrous tones which are mainly yellowish or brownish. The luster tiles of the Seljuk palace are given decoration with the human and animal and human figures as well as with plant motifs (Hattstein and Delius, p. 448).
Conclusion
In conclusion, as it has been looked at, the Turkish tiles art as well as ceramics takes a position of high standing in the history of Islamic art. Turkish art and making of ceramics underwent development in many years bringing in many styles and techniques. Supplemented with the coming in of the Seljuks, the industry of ceramics in Anatolia acquired a reputation that was recognized worldwide having the support of the Ottoman court.
The form of architectural beautification that was most often come across in the course of the Anatolian Seljuk age involved the utilization of glazed bricks. The glazed bricks were placed in a particular arrangement. This arrangement created several patterns. This was in most cases on buildings’ facades. The color that was mostly used for glaze was turquoise. However, such other colors as, cobalt blue, and infrequently black were as well fashionable colors that were utilized.
The tiles that were employed as a form of architectural beautification together with glazed brick were triangular, as well as rectangular tiles among others. Not in a similar way as the bricks, there was the preference for these tiles for the interior appliance and they were appropriate for geometrical arrangement assortment. In comparison with the bricks, the tiles were made from the paste which was much harder and had a color that was much more yellow. A minimal number of examples of gliding do exist.
Works Cited
- Bakir Turan Sitare. “The art of Turkish tiles and ceramics”. Turkish cultural foundation. 2010. Web.
- Brend, Barbara. Islamic Art. Harvard University Press, 1991. ISBN: 067446866X, 9780674468665
- Giorgini Frank, Handmade tiles: designing, making, decorating. Lark Books, 2001. ISBN: 1579902715, 9781579902711
- Hattstein Markus, and Delius, Peter. Islam: art and architecture. Könemann, 2000
- Rice Talbot David, Steward Desmond, and Wilson Pinder Ralph. “Islamic art”. N.d.