Tiles In The Miniatures Of Kulliyat-ı Katibi And Dilsuzname

Abstract

Miniatures, originating and developing in Central Asia, are a rich pictorial tradition within the book arts that documents the splendor and deep-rooted tradition of Ottoman culture and civilization. The main reason for the distinctiveness of Turkish miniature art is that a single miniature on a page can convey many things while simultaneously depicting existing events in the finest detail, with a purposeful and documentary quality. In the miniatures found in the Külliyât-ı Kâtibî (TSMK R.989 p.93a) and Dilsuznâme (OBL, Ouseley 133.y.80b) manuscripts, which are important examples of Ottoman classical literary culture, the ceramic and pottery of the period are depicted. It is accepted that these two illustrated manuscripts were produced in Edirne during the reign of Mehmed II (1450–1480). The Külliyât-ı Kâtibî  contains a total of two miniatures. One depicts examples of blue-and-white tiles (TSMK R.989, fol. 93a), while the other—considered a single miniature because the subject spans a double-page spread—illustrates vessels of the period known as “müzehhep”  (gilded) or “altunlı” (gold-decorated) (TSMK R.989, fols. 229b–230a). Consequently, the depictions of tiles and vessels found in these three miniatures across the two manuscripts—which constitute the study's primary data source—were analyzed in terms of color, form, decorative characteristics, and intended use; this process involved a review of the literature and a comparative analysis against tile and vessel artifacts held in museum collections to assess them within the context of the period's stylistic features.