The return of the historic Turkish art
Güncelleme Tarihi:
Anatolian Agency
Oluşturulma Tarihi: Kasım 26, 2008 00:00
BURSA - An exhibition featuring Turkish handicrafts forgotten by developments in technology has opened at the Bursa City Museum (Kent Müzesi).
Works on display include the most recent examples of gold and silver ornamental inlaying by Abdülkadir Sür, taken from his small workshop in Bursa’s Yeşil district.
The manager of Bursa City Museum, Ahmet Erdönmez, said the art of inlaying is a traditional Turkish art, a method of ornamentation practiced in the fabrication of furniture and artistic objects, in all varieties of wood, metal, shell; and ivory, colored and hard stone. The art of gold and silver inlaying came from Central Asia and then became a part of Turkish art, blooming particularly in the 18th century, Erdönmez said. Historically, most works of inlaying art were designed to decorate palaces.
"The artisanship was brought by world-renowned Ottoman veterans to the Grand Bazaar, still home to many artisans. But the technique stopped being practiced at the end of the 19th century. Ornamental inlaying attracts many people from around the world, but it has already been forgotten in Turkey," Erdönmez said.
Sür, however, has continued to make pieces throughout a 65-year career. Some of his work will be shown at Bursa City Museum in the exhibition, "Altın Ellerin Demirdeki Gölgesi," (The Shadow of Golden Hands at Iron).
Sür, 77, learned the artisanship of inlaying from his family. Spending summer holidays from the age of 11 practicing with the artisan Makasçı Ömer (Scissors Man Ömer), Sür eventually became an expert in the technique.
The manager of Bursa City Museum, Ahmet Erdönmez, said the art of inlaying is a traditional Turkish art, a method of ornamentation practiced in the fabrication of furniture and artistic objects, in all varieties of wood, metal, shell; and ivory, colored and hard stone. The art of gold and silver inlaying came from Central Asia and then became a part of Turkish art, blooming particularly in the 18th century, Erdönmez said. Historically, most works of inlaying art were designed to decorate palaces.
"The artisanship was brought by world-renowned Ottoman veterans to the Grand Bazaar, still home to many artisans. But the technique stopped being practiced at the end of the 19th century. Ornamental inlaying attracts many people from around the world, but it has already been forgotten in Turkey," Erdönmez said.
Sür, however, has continued to make pieces throughout a 65-year career. Some of his work will be shown at Bursa City Museum in the exhibition, "Altın Ellerin Demirdeki Gölgesi," (The Shadow of Golden Hands at Iron).
Sür, 77, learned the artisanship of inlaying from his family. Spending summer holidays from the age of 11 practicing with the artisan Makasçı Ömer (Scissors Man Ömer), Sür eventually became an expert in the technique.