Çanakkale ceramics date back to the 17th century. They were born from
Iznik ceramics, which were known as the pinnacle of the Turkish art of ceramics and very popular in the
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman Empire (), also called the Turkish Empire, was an empire, imperial realm that controlled much of Southeast Europe, West Asia, and North Africa from the 14th to early 20th centuries; it also controlled parts of southeastern Centr ...
during the 14th and 15th centuries. Iznik ceramics were sculpted using
earthenware
Earthenware is glazed or unglazed Vitrification#Ceramics, nonvitreous pottery that has normally been fired below . Basic earthenware, often called terracotta, absorbs liquids such as water. However, earthenware can be made impervious to liquids ...
, a clay-based putty substance, and on rare occasions, beige-colored clay. They also contained blue and white decorations, with brush strokes easily visible, sharing characteristics with traditional pottery and elite craftsmanship of the Ottoman era. When they became the favorite style of ceramics, Çanakkale ceramics adopted these elements for their own design.
Appearance
The making of Çanakkale ceramics was often a very time-consuming process. Çanakkale ceramics were often painted with over with creamy
glazes (usually clear). They were, however, very diverse in appearance, including plates, open and closed
bowl
A bowl is a typically round dish or container generally used for preparing, serving, storing, or consuming food. The interior of a bowl is characteristically shaped like a spherical cap, with the edges and the bottom, forming a seamless curve ...
s, long necked
bottle
A bottle is a narrow-necked container made of an impermeable material (such as glass, plastic or aluminium) in various shapes and sizes that stores and transports liquids. Its mouth, at the bottling line, can be sealed with an internal ...
s,
gas lamp
Gas lighting is the production of artificial light from combustion of a fuel gas such as methane, propane, butane, acetylene, ethylene, hydrogen, carbon monoxide, coal gas (town gas) or natural gas. The light is produced either directly by ...
s,
vase
A vase ( or ) is an open container. It can be made from a number of materials, such as ceramics, glass, non- rusting metals, such as aluminium, brass, bronze, or stainless steel. Even wood has been used to make vases, either by using tree specie ...
s, and even animal figurines, (mostly the 19th and 20th centuries), among many others. The ceramics would be coated with either red earthenware or
engobe
A slip is a clay slurry used to produce pottery and other ceramic wares. Liquified clay, in which there is no fixed ratio of water and clay, is called slip or clay slurry which is used either for joining leather-hard (semi-hardened) clay body (pi ...
, then left out in the sun to dry, after which they would be painted. The technique of cross-hatching was used to design the patterns on the ceramics.
Popularity
It wasn't until the 17th century that Çanakkale ceramics became very popular. When production of Iznik ceramics decreased, Çanakkale ceramics took their place. Much of their popularity stemmed from their use as
souvenir
A souvenir ( French for 'a remembrance or memory'), memento, keepsake, or token of remembrance is an object a person acquires for the memories the owner associates with it. A souvenir can be any object that can be collected or purchased and trans ...
s. Because of Çanakkale's geographic location, many foreigners would travel there and purchase these ceramics not for their daily use, but instead as gifts.
Çanakkale
Çanakkale is a city and seaport in Turkey on the southern shore of the Dardanelles at their narrowest point. It is the seat of Çanakkale Province and Çanakkale District.[Anatolia
Anatolia (), also known as Asia Minor, is a peninsula in West Asia that makes up the majority of the land area of Turkey. It is the westernmost protrusion of Asia and is geographically bounded by the Mediterranean Sea to the south, the Aegean ...]
, and the prefix, "Çanak," comes from the Turkish words for bowls, which may explain the name of the town (the place where pottery is made). Çanakkale ceramics also became very popular in Western society, as well, in the 19th century. The popularity of Çanakkale ceramics, however, decreased greatly in the 20th century.
References
{{Webarchive, url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170221005549/http://seramik.kaleicimuzesi.com/canakkale_en.php , date=2017-02-21
ÇANAKKALE CERAMICS Turkishcutlure.org
Islamic pottery
History of ceramics