Traditional handicrafts are a unique heritage carried from humanity’s past to the present. Since the existence of humans, they have turned to handicrafts to meet various needs such as shelter, protection, and clothing. Over time, they have been used as a means to carry the tastes, artistic riches, and cultural heritage of the society in which they emerged, becoming a heritage produced by hands rooted and mastered over centuries.
Let’s take a look at the history and current uses of some of these arts:
Quilting Technique: A Warm Touch from Past to Present
The quilting technique is one of the handicrafts where cotton or wool is matured, collected, cleaned, fluffed, covered with a cover, and then patterns such as geometric or floral are embroidered with satin, silk, and quilted fabrics.
Quilting, which has a widespread use in traditional arts, among the nomadic Turks, is a traditional handicraft that has a wide range of uses as a product of agricultural and livestock activities and then as a product of settled life and civilized culture. It is also the name given to a cape that shepherds wear at night or an aba they put on top of themselves.
Today, the quilting technique is still widely used, especially in rural areas and traditional houses. Moreover, with the increasing demand for handmade and natural products, quilts made with this technique have gained popularity.
Wire Bending Art: Touches Carrying Traces of the Past to the Present
The art of wire bending, whose historical roots go back to the 17th century and known as Bartın work, is an art of embroidering silver wire onto fabric with a special needle without the use of scissors.
Having its origins dating back to the Middle East, Wire Bending Art was widely used in the Ottoman Empire. It is one of the important reflections of women’s hand labor with special motifs and patterns.
In the past, this technique was mostly used in home textile products and clothing, and today, it continues to be popular with its widespread use. Especially in home decoration, handmade products, and the fashion world, wire bending techniques have gained popularity. It is possible to see the traces of wire bending art in clothing, bags, cushions, and even wall decorations.
With the increasing interest in traditional handicrafts, wire bending art has regained popularity. Nowadays, this art, which attracts the interest of younger generations, is taught and applied under the name of wire bending techniques in many handicraft workshops and art fairs.
Marbling Art: The Dance of Colors with Water
Marbling(Ebru) Art, one of the Traditional Turkish Islamic Arts, has come to the Ottoman Empire from the Turkistan geography with the migration of Turks to Anatolia and gave its most valuable works in this geography.
Ebru Art is the name given to colored patterns prepared on a concentrated liquid surface and applied to paper. It is thought that the origin of the word Ebru is derived from the meaning of cloud-like in Persian.
Today, Ebru Art is widely used in decorative works such as interior design, souvenirs, postcards, and book covers.
Ebru art is of great importance in preserving and transmitting cultural and artistic values. There are many Ebru artists and workshops in our country. This art has regained popularity with the increasing interest in traditional handicrafts. In addition, Ebru art is introduced in international platforms, increasing its recognition worldwide as part of Turkish culture.
Beadwork Art: Bright Traces of the Past
The origin of beadwork art dates back thousands of years. Beadwork, which was first embroidered on decorative items and clothes in ancient times, has become one of our values that has reached the present day by expanding its field of use over time.
Beadwork art, which has been widely used in Anatolia for a long time, has attracted great interest from the Middle East, Africa, and Native Americans.
Beadwork is a decoration art made by passing bead grains through fabric with a needle or thread or wire.
Beadwork, which has a wide range of uses, is frequently seen in traditional costumes, jewelry, embellishments of bags, and home decoration. In addition, beadwork products are preferred at weddings and special events. Today, beadwork art adds value to handmade products by being used frequently in modern designs.
With the increasing interest in traditional handicrafts, beadwork art has also regained popularity. This art, with its colorful and bright beads lined up next to each other, opens a colorful path from the past to the future.
Author: Fatma AKTAŞ