THE MIRROR IN TURKISH ART

 
The desire to see on's own face probably goes back to the beginnings of human history. The first mirror must have been the still waters of a pool, and the astonishment of the first human being to see their own reflection can be imagined. The next step was the production of mirrors made of polished metals, and in medieval times the Seljuk Turks used mirrors of this type made of iron and bronze. Glass was first made by the Sumerians, and they used its reflective properties to make the earliest mirrors. From Asia mirror making was introduced to Europe, where the first mirrors were made in Venice.
Our subject here, however, is not the mirrors themselves but the frames and backs made to hold them, which were often made of precious materials and richly worked.

Among the Turks mirrors were traditionally turned to face the wall when not in use, and not until the 19th century were the tall wall mirrors known as pier-glasses in baroque frames introduced from Europe as a furnishing in the houses of the wealthy.
 
Prior to that mirrors were only used when people were dressing their hair or getting ready to go out, and young people were taught that it was sinful to look more than briefly at their reflection in the mirror. In the different dimension of mirror reflections, the Turks saw a moral and religious significance which caused the mirror to be used symbolically in literature, art and mysticism. Since mirrors were turned against the wall after being used, ornamenting their backs was a natural development, and Turkish craftsmen produced a wide diversity of mirror frames made of wood, ivory, iron, silver, mother-of-peal and gold, decorated with floriate and animal motifs in techniques like carving, inlay, relief and engraving.

The loveliest of all these precious works of art is an ivory mirror in Topkapi Palace said to have belonged to Süleyman the Magnifi-cent. But a work of such delicacy seems better suited to a womn'sd hand, and was perhaps made for his wife Hürrem Sultan.

This is a masterpiece of classical Ottoman art at its zenith, with an inscription running round the edge, a field of intricate scrollwork with haayî blossoms, and a central rosette surrounded by a narrow band of haayîw and rumî scrolls.
Great artistry was required to preserve a balanced harmony in the complex designs of classical Turkish art. It was impossible to resolve a flaw in a design by inserting a flower or a stem, as could be done in baroque art, for instance. Viewed from this point of view the skill demanded in designing a mirror back can be better appreciated.
Until the 18th century mirrors remained within modest dimensions and had restrained decoration. Then, quite suddenly, mirrors produced for the rich and court circles altered in character to become decorative symbols of luxury, opulence and pleasure. Haluk Sehsuvaroglu wrote on this subject, 'From the 18th century onwards, mirrors began to play an important role in interior decoration.
 
A number of pier-glasses and console mirrors were included among gifts presented to the Ottoman sultans by foreign ambassadors. A large mirror in a silver frame was one of the gifts presented to Mustafa III by the Austrian ambassador in 1762, and around the same time the Prussian ambassador gave the sultan a large mirror with a double silver frame. Gifts brought by the Polish ambassador in 1777 included a Parisian type pier-glass and several Polish mirrors with amber frames.

'Later it became customary for Turkish statesmen to present mirrors to the sultans, and mirrors were to be found applied to a great variety of objects in the palaces, such as cupboards and chests of drawers, while at the same time rooms with mirrors,
pavilions with mirrors, carriages with mirrors and even shops with mirrors came into fashion. Aynalikavak Palace [Palace of the Poplar with Mirrors] on the Golden Horn was adorned with mirrors imported from Venice.'

Mother-of-pearl and silver were the commonest materials for Turkish mirrors. The former were made of wood, one side carved out to take the mirror itself, and the edge and back inlaid with mother-of-pearl which was further decorated with engraving. Some mirrors were made with a chain for hanging on walls, and others with handles as hand mirrors. Both these types were known as 'cushion mirrors' because when not in use they were laid or hung against the cushions of the divan.
Most silver mirrors had chased decoration or were sometimes made of filigree. Copper gilt mirrors were also produced, while the wealthiest families had gold mirrors studded with precious gems.

Very few antique silver mirrors have survived, most having been melted down to mint coins or for reworking into other objects, and those that have date only from the last couple of centuries. Mother-of-pearl mirrors went out of fashion and were put away in damp attics where the wood rotted and the inlay disintegrated. It can only be hoped that those that remain are better cared for. In the words on a panel inscribed by the celebrated calligrapher Ali Efendi in 1876, 'Break not the mirror, or it will cause you to shatter into fragments.'

 

Source: Sky life 04/2000 
Prof. Dr. M. Zeki Kusoglu is a lecturer at Marmara University

 

 

 
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