Faces of Kaleiçi (2) - The art of painting Kütahya Ceramics

It also lamented the fact that most tourists who venture into Antalya’s historic quarter of Kaleiçi seldom see the true heart and soul of this delightful old town. Led by tour guides working on tight schedules, they spend an hour or two -- or less -- being ushered from place to place, seeing only what the guides have time to show them. Boarding their buses, they mark off this “must see” destination as “been there, done that” and eagerly look forward to their next stop. Most people just don’t have the time, but to see Kaleiçi in this way is a shame. It’s similar to saying you’ve seen the Louvre in Paris after you only saw the building -- but didn’t go in. To truly know and understand Kaleiçi, it is necessary to explore its most important asset: The people who live and work there.

Although there are several entrances into Kaleiçi, most visitors will enter through Hadrian’s Gate. This ancient, impressive three-arched monumental construction was designed to honor a visit in the first century A.D. by the Roman Emperor Hadrian and has served as an entrance for over two millennia. After passing through the gate and ascending the short stairway back up to ground level, veer slightly to the left across a small plaza and turn right onto a stone-paved street, which eventually leads to the sea. This is Hesapçı Sokak. In Ottoman times, it was considered one of the main streets -- if not the main street -- of the old walled city. Continue along Hesapçı Sokak, past Osmanlı Çarık on the left, until the Broken Minaret comes into view, also on the left.

Now in ruins, in ancient times this site was originally a Greek temple, then a Roman temple, a church in Byzantine times and finally a mosque during the Ottoman period. The minaret of the mosque was struck long ago by lightning, resulting in a fire that destroyed the building. Neither was rebuilt, for historical and archeological reasons.

Leaving the Broken Minaret, follow Hesapçı Sokak once again until, at last, the deep blue of the Mediterranean Sea appears -- depending on the weather, of course -- and Hesapçı Sokak ends. But just before reaching the sea, turn right on the last side street, walk about 20 meters and you will come across the NeNe Collection on the right. This shop houses an authentic assembly of decorative Ottoman ceramic ware, hand painted by Bayan Hülya Polat, who replicates the stylized Ottoman patterns of carnations, tulips and flowing greenery using traditional colors. This type of Ottoman painting is referred to as “çini,” a technique that was perfected by artisans in the 16th and 17th centuries around İznik, a municipality close to İstanbul. Tiles made there featured a unique blue on white effect and became famous in decorating the walls of mosques and public buildings commissioned by the Ottoman government at the time. Interestingly, the exact formula for the blue color used to decorate these tiles has been lost through the centuries and has never been replicated. As tiles for architectural decoration fell out of fashion, the art of çini drifted away from İznik and developed in the area of Kütahya, where emphasis was given to artfully painting decorative household objects. Bayan Polat’s art in Kaleiçi stems from these traditions.

The three qualities of painting

Over the years, three distinct qualities of decorative painting developed in the painting of the plates, bowls and dishes seen in most shops today. The highest quality is “museum quality,” usually reserved for avid collectors and museums. It steers away from the norm with not only more complicated patterns, but also tiles arranged in multiple sets, displaying complete pictures. Next would be “artisan quality.” Often museum and artisan qualities merge and overlap and it takes a trained eye to distinguish between the two. The main differences often lie in the subject matter and the application of the paint itself, with subtle shading and use of color. The differences between museum and artisan pieces are best determined in a side-by-side comparison. Lower quality products are relegated to the category of “tourist quality.” Painting of this quality, found ubiquitously on tables and shelves, is meant for souvenirs alone. These can readily be identified by their unclear, heavy painting with odd and non-traditional color combinations. There is no mistaking their inferior quality when compared to those painted by Hülya Hanım in the NeNe Collection, in which both museum and artisan quality decoration can be found.

Bayan Polat (Hülya Hanım) radiates the traditional gracious hospitality of old Turkey. Her flashing smile, grace and charm light up the room as she welcomes visitors into her studio. A native of Denizli and a graduate of Ankara’s Hacettepe University, she holds a degree in fine arts with an emphasis on sculpting and painting. As an art teacher, she taught at university level for a time while attempting to break into the sculpting market. Although her highly talented work in wood sculpting is still shown at exhibitions throughout Turkey, she decided the field of wood sculpting had become highly competitive and overpopulated with aspiring artists like her. Additionally, finding materials to sculpt with was becoming a problem. On a visit to Konya, she discovered the delightful art of traditional Ottoman çini and realized she had found her calling. To better promote her work, she moved to Cappadocia and developed her talents in decorating ceramic porcelain. While working in Cappadocia, she established a niche in reproducing plaques of a religious nature, but eventually found herself more and more enthralled by the old Ottoman art of ceramic painting. She remained in Cappadocia for over three years before moving to Antalya, where she established the NeNe Collection to exhibit her remarkable talents. She lives in Antalya with her husband, Oktay, who works within the tourism sector. But she has not totally abandoned sculpting, she admits, and still keeps a few sculptures about. That was her first love, she says, but now she is equally passionate about Ottoman style painting -- and for good reason. Her talents in this field truly excel.

Hülya Hanım scrupulously adheres to every aspect of traditional Ottoman çini painting. Following in the footsteps of generations of çini painters, even the process of transferring a particular pattern to a blank, unfired item follows traditional techniques. The transfer of a pattern to a plate, for example, is made by first reproducing the pattern on a blank paper. Pin-hole dots are made in the paper, carefully following the pattern in its entirety. The pattern is held over the unfired piece and very fine charcoal dust is lightly sprinkled over the paper, allowing the dust to sift through the holes onto the porous white ware. When the pattern has been successfully transferred, the paper is removed and set aside for future projects. The white ware shows only a series of dots, but the pattern is fixed firmly in the artist’s head. Using an ultra-fine paint brush, the artist connects the dots in either black or navy blue paint, following along until an outline of the pattern emerges complete. The project is carefully set aside to dry. Once dry, the ware is ready for further painting.

Paint mixed according to centuries-old traditions

When asked if the paint she used was purchased locally, Hülya responded by gently raising her eyebrows and tipping her head back slightly in typical Turkish gesture implying the negative. All her paints are brought from Kütahya, she said, where they are mixed according to centuries-old traditions. In almost all cases, colors are derived from natural products, like minerals, plant extracts and combinations of other natural materials. Some are rare and are difficult to find. For example, there is the special green that requires the essence of an apple-boring insect. One by one, colors are applied to the white unfired ware, which seems to come to life under the trained hand of the artist. The final step before firing is now at hand.

After being closely examined once again for even the slightest imperfection, the piece is dried again and a silicate-based slip is applied, giving it a frosty, almost opaque appearance. This slip, or coating, Hülya explains, will transform under the intense heat of the kiln into a hard, clear, porcelain glaze, ultimately protecting the finished piece from wear and tear. Satisfied that the art and coating are perfect, Hülya puts it aside with a stack of other unfinished pieces, all waiting for a future firing in the kiln.

The NeNe Collection fills two rooms with artistic quality ceramics, creating a kaleidoscope of color as the afternoon sun floods into the room. The reds, greens, blues and yellows are joyfully showcased with airy traditions of true Ottoman painting, and visitors are invited to browse at leisure. If you can’t find exactly the right piece, special orders are taken.

The plates, dishes, bowls and vases, with their clear and jewel-like colors, are all wonderfully pleasing to the eye, but some of the works stand out as distinctly museum quality. This is especially true with her tiles mounted in sets, which depict a single historical scene or pattern. These tile sets, or plaques, have been internationally exhibited and have won critical praise for their beauty and execution. Take a moment or two and ask to see some of the tile sets Hülya has tucked away in a special tray-like cabinet she stores them in. You will not be disappointed. It is good to know that another form of fine Ottoman art is being preserved for future generations.

The NeNe Collection can be found at: Hıdırlık Sokak No. 39. Kaleiçi, Antalya (Tel.: 0 [242] 241 68 31; www.nenecollection.com)