The Ottoman Court Workshops

April 4

Nakkashane: court scriptorium

Nakkash: court painter/designer/calligrapher

Ehl-i Hiref: court workshops (lit.: "the people of crafts")

Calligraphy

angular scripts (Kufic)

cursive scripts (nesih/naskh and sülüs/thuluth)

tughra: Sultan's monogram affixed to firmans or imperial orders

Ahmed Karahisari: famous Ottoman calligrapher who composed the foundation inscription of the Süleymaniye Mosque

Hasan Karahisari: apprentice and adopted son of Ahmed Karahisari; completed the Süleymaniye Mosque inscriptions and designed those of the Selimiye in Edirne

Decorative Vocabulary of Illuminators (nakkash)

Traditional Timurid mode: consists of abstract vegetal scrolls popularly known as arabesques (rumi), geometric interlaces (girih), and chinoiserie motifs (also known as saz).

Saz style: represents a fantastic world filled with twisting leaves (saz), inhabited by fantastic auspicious creatures such as phoenixes (senmurv or simurgh), four-legged mythical animals (chilin), dragons, and angels (peri). Characterized by self-piercing "suicidal" leaves and bold calligraphic lines. Shah Kulu: Ottoman illuminator associated with the saz style

Ottoman floral style: a profusion of semi-naturalistic spring blossoms and flowers (including roses, tulips, carnations, hyacinths, and blossoming trees). Kara Memi: Ottoman illuminator associated with the floral style

Other popular chinoiserie motifs (Khatai or Cathayan): Chinese cloud bands and çintemani (Chinese-inspired triple-dot motif with auspicious royal associations, often combined with wavy lines to form panther-skin patterns) April 6

Tiles and Textiles at the Ottoman Court

 Polychrome glazed tiles (cuerda seca)

 Underglaze painted tiles

 Iznik tiles (Iznik: formerly Nicaea, center of Ottoman tile production)

 So-called Golden Horn wares

 So-called Damascus wares

 Classical Iznik wares