Textile Museum found in Washington, D.C. started to host an exhibition focused on the Ottoman textile and visual arts in September. The exhibition named “Sultan’s Garden: Blossoming of Ottoman Art” will be visited between September,21 2012 and March,10 2013. Basic focus of the exhibition is the developments recorded in the Ottoman textile art for years and the effect of the empire on the other countries. While isolated art style of the Ottoman Empire which was one of the greatest empires of the era is highlighted in the exhibition, the art movements effecting the empire will also be presented to the visitors.
Textile and ceramic works of art displaying stylzed tulip, rose, carnation and other flowers will be waiting the visitors, in particular, within the Ottoman art known to attach importance to flower and nature depictions. 58 works of art can be seen closely in the exhibition focusing on the Ottoman art which has also influenced and inspired today’s Turkish art thinking.
Ottoman Palace Has a Rooted History
Art experts point out to the fact that the Ottoman art is extremely rich. The empire which ruled in three continents for 700 years is especially known with the lifestyle of sultans and the works of art found in the palace. It is known that, prior to 1550, geometrical shapes and important depictions such as fantastic animal figues dominates the ottoman art. However, in the reign of Sultan Süleyman the Magnificient, the most important artist was Kara Memi who created a new design repertoire by being inspired from forms found in the nature. Therefore, tulip, carnation, hyacinth, honeysuckle and rose gained high popularity in the Ottoman palace. The age-old Turkish culture and this new art style of the Ottoman palace evoke wide admiration. When the importance attached to the flowers and flower gardens by the ruling class of the empire is taken into consideration, these works of art draw attention. While it is observed that floral designs are intense in the courts where the sultans rule, opulent textile products such as velvet are also seen.
These cultural developments also enabled the empire to take its lifestyle to the communities that it reached. This artistic revolution taken place in Istanbul, in particular, has influenced all regions of this expansive empire. In the course of years, the floral lifestyle culture has been maintained in the all Turkish territories. In Turkey, many municipalities and Turkey’s tourism bureau still prefer a tulip logo to promote Turkish culture to the world.
A Symposium Will Be Held Concurrently With the Exhibition
‘Sultan’s Garden” exhibition that will promote the Ottoman culture in the U.S. by the Textile Museum presents this cultural heritage which left lasting impacts on the Islam world and some regions of the Europe in the last 400 years for the art-lovers and textile experts. The exhibition was supported greatly by Coby Foundation, in particular, and Art Mentor Foundation, Luceme, Bruce P. and Olive W.Baganz. Among the other names contributing to this event are Sylvia Bergstrom and Joe Rothstein, BHP Billiton Petrol, Walter B. Denny and Alice Robbins, Alastair and Kathy Dunn, Marshall and Marilyn R. Wolf.
In parallel to the content of the exhibition, Textile Museum will organize the 40th Fall Symposium with the title of “Ottoman by Design; Branding an Empire”. In the symposium to be held on October 12-14, many personalities including Prof.Dr. Walter B. Denny who is one of the curators of the exhibition will deliver special lectures. Besides, Denny will be awarded the 2012 George Hewitt Myers prize for his contributions to the Islam Art and Architecture in addition to adding textile into these fields. The exhibition is also one of the “Turkish Heritage Month” events to be held by the American Turkish Society based in Washington in September.
Textile Museum to be established by George Hewitt Myers in 1925 in Washington has become a globally important brand both owing to its collections and the exhibitions that it hosts. Various activities will be organized in the museum within the framework of 10th Turkish Festival.
