Klasik Dönem Tezyînat Geleneğinin 18. Yüzyılda Tezahürü: Hacı Selim Ağa Vakıf Kütüphanesi’ndeki Üç Müzehhep Yazma Eser Örneği
The Manifestation of Classical Period Ornamentation Tradition in the 18th Century: Three Illuminated Manuscript Examples from the Hacı Selim Ağa Waqf Library

Summary/Abstract: This article focuses on three illuminated books dated to the 18th century, found in the library established by Hacı Selim Ağa. These books offer valuable examples of the extent to which the classical tradition was maintained in Turkish decorative art during the period when Westernization trends began in the 18th century. The three works examined in this article (HSA 00223, HSA 00314, HSA 00385) have not been previously discussed in the existing literature on the subject. Another notable aspect of these works is that they were copied in Istanbul in the 18th century. The Ottoman Empire managed to remain protected from external influences until the 17th century; however, following the political developments of the 17th and 18th centuries, it was forced to open to the outside world. The consequences of this process began to be observed in the field of art. Although new practices emerged in Ottoman ornamentation in the second half of the 18th century, it is observed that classical motifs, colors, and patterns were preserved to a certain extent in Ottoman bookbinding and illumination art. The books included in this article have been examined in terms of their bookbinding and illumination characteristics. It has been determined that the bindings of the works maintain the form and technical characteristics of 16th century classical bookbinding art. All the bindings are gilded using the ground separating gilding technique frequently encountered in classical-period bindings. Vegetal and cloud motifs are prominent in the ornamentation of the bindings. 18th century Turkish illumination art represents a period within Ottoman decorative arts where the classical style was maintained, but significant changes in form, composition, and motif understanding were observed. The title page illuminations in the books are maintaining the characteristics of the classical period, but also exhibiting partially deformed motif and design features found in the illumination art of the period.

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