The word tezhip (Ottoman: Tezhib) is derived from the Arabic root zeheb (gold) and means ‘to gild’. Its plural form “tezhibat” means “gold decoration”. Today, tezhip is the name given to book decoration arts of Islamic origin. Men who perform the art of illumination are called tezhip and women are called tezhibe.
It is necessary not to confuse tezhip with miniature. Miniature is more based on depiction. It includes depictions of plants, animals, people and/or places. Miniatures are depictions made in parallel with the understanding of art of the period in which they were made, usually two-dimensional and without perspective. The art of illumination was primarily used for the purpose of decorating the surroundings of calligraphy, and is also used as a panel on its own today. In simple terms, they are sometimes symmetrical designs consisting mostly of stylized plant forms or patterns.
In today’s Turkey, there is a very conservative movement in illumination called the “classical approach”. The classical approach is to repeat the forms and patterns created and used throughout history, and to use them in different compositions without disrupting the main structures of the forms and patterns.
On the other hand, some illumination artists use a freer approach with different compositions and materials by changing the classical forms and patterns according to their own views and perceptions.
This elegant and difficult art, which was abandoned to oblivion over time, has been revived by various groups and individuals devoted to this art in the last 10 years. Today, “illumination departments” in many universities in Turkey train talented artists.
If we are to give a few examples of old artists, the first names that come to mind would be Rikkat Kunt and Ülker Tansı.
Illumination made with gold in calligraphy and bookbinding arts is called halkari. In the Rumi and Hatayi styles, the zahriye, hatime, title, serlevha and mihrabiye sections of books are decorated with illumination. Small stars and flowers are called dots, geometric ones are called jewels, hexagons are called şeşhane and pentagons are called seberk. In the Quran, the places corresponding to the prostration verses are called vakıf gülü, hizip gülü, and cüz gülü. There are masters called varakçı and cetvelkeş. Kalembırça, zermühre, and paints are frequently used tools by the illuminators.
The History of Illumination Art in the Turks
The oldest examples of Turkish illumination art have been seen since the early times when the Turks first appeared on the stage of history, and it experienced its normal development in terms of motifs and colors during the Great Seljuk, Anatolian Seljuk, Principalities, and the foundation period of the Ottoman Empire. After the Battle of Chaldiran (1514), which ended in victory by Yavuz Sultan Selim (1512-1520), significant advances and innovations began to be observed in this art with the artists brought from Tabriz to Istanbul.
The period of Suleiman the Magnificent (1520-1566) is a period when the art of illumination was at its peak. During this period, rich workmanship began to be seen in the pages of zahriye, serlevha, surah beginnings and hatime, gold was used a lot and navy blue became the important color of the period. The forms in the pages of zahriye are hexagonal, octagonal and quadrangular. One of the important characteristics of this period is that the “saz yolu” style was seen and gave beautiful examples. The influences of eastern artists in the palace embroidery workshop are clearly seen as in the saz yolu style. Şah Kulu and Kara Memi are at the forefront of the famous nakkaş artists who created schools during the reign of Suleiman the Magnificent. Şah Kulu, who was active between 1520-1526, was the creator of an original style, the saz style, which spread from book decoration to fabric, from tiles to jewelry in Ottoman Art. His student Kara Memi draws attention as one of the most important artists of Ottoman decorative art. In fact, Kara Memi, who was an illuminator, was the creator of a style that went beyond the classical rules of book art and was not seen until then with new motifs. The colors used are the harmony of gold and navy blue, as well as orange, green, sour cherry, pink, yellow, purple, black and various shades of these colors. Almost all colors were used in the flowers. Roses, narcissus, tulips, hyacinths, irises, haseki earrings, jonquils and spring flowers taken from nature as they grow were used [1].
In the Tulip Period (1718-1730), the influence of Western art began to show its effect in Turkish illumination art. In this context, the influence of French Rococo art was significant [2]. As a result of this influence, the classical form was completely abandoned, large flowers, bouquets, bouquets in vases, pots or baskets, flowers tied with ribbons were used abundantly, and the same style continued until the end of the 19th century.
It was opened in 1914 under the name of “Medrese-t-ül Hattatin” to teach writing and the arts around it. The aim of the school, whose first director was Calligrapher Arif Bey, was to ensure the continuation of our ancient arts such as writing, illumination, carpet, binding, marbling and ahar. The school continued its activities under the name it was founded under until the Alphabet Revolution (1928), then under the name of “Calligrapher School” and then “Oriental Decorative Arts School” and finally in 1936 it was renamed as the Fine Arts Academy.
