ILLUMINATION - TEZHİP

Illumination refers to the decoration of manuscripts with dyes and gold. All types of decorations in manuscripts and writing albums called murakka, sultan’s decrees (ferman) and plates of calligraphy are called illumination (tezhip).

The term means ‘gilding’ in Arabic. However, illumination makes use of glued water mixtures with madders, coloured earth dyes, dust of some colourful stones, as well as gold.

Illumination produced only with gold is called halkar. Halkar is created by spreading a mixture of jammed golden gelatine and water with a brush.

The maker of illumination is known as müzehhip and the illuminated work as müzehhep.

Illumination is one of our traditional art forms created by collective efforts at the Palace’s Nakkaşhane. Once writing of the book was completed by the calligrapher, cetvelkeş would draw a scale around the margins with black ink or red dye called sürh and masters and apprentices would place the pattern prepared on paper by the müzehhip in a pattern mould onto the base to be illuminated and transfer this to the actual paper by steering through coal dust. Then, one or more müzehhip would complete the dyeing process.

In the art of illumination, the main motifs used were mostly rumi in the form of stylized wing- and beak-like patterns, geometric shapes such as triangles, hexagons and octagons, münhani observed more in Seljuks and created by overlapping curved lines, hatayi with stylized floral motifs, clouds, sazyolu (reed track) with auxiliary motifs in the form of awls. Awls are the outward extending, pointy and arrow-like part of the decoration and provide a balance by relieving the transition of the eye from the decorations to the blank border.
In book decorations, the harmony and proportions of motifs are of great importance.

Historical development

In the Seljuks period, illuminations are dominated by interwoven geometric shapes as was the case in stone, wood and architecture.
The main colours used were golden, dark blue, white and reddish brown.
Awls were either nonexistent or in the form of thin, widely spaced lines. 

In the period of beyliks, the dominant colours were red, green, dark blue and golden. The works resemble Seljuk illumination and bear the first traces of the early Ottoman illumination. 

The richness of samples in the libraries show that numerous works were prepared and illuminated during the reign of Fatih Sultan Mehmet under the supervision of the arch-artist Baba Nakkaş (Father Naqqash) of the palace’s nakkaşhane in the XI Century.
The distinguishing features of this period are simplicity, tones of light blue and the strong balance of gild and dyes. Apart from blue and golden, dark blue, reddish brown, white, green and black were the most frequently used colours. 

The XVI Century represents the peak of illumination. The richness of motifs, colours and compositions, the perfection of technique, diversity and finesse of patterns and the abundant but harmonious use of golden on dark blue base are the predominant features of illumination in this period.
The head müzehhip of the palace during the reign of Kanuni Sultan Süleyman, Karamemi and the head muralist (nakkaş) of the second half of the XVI Century, Nakkaş Osman made their mark in this period’s illumination.

Towards the end of XVII Century, golden is observed to be used more abundantly. Different forms were sought after in decorations. 

Decorations with large floral and complex motifs were used in XVIII Century indicating the beginning of change in classic illumination with the entrance of baroque rococo styles into illumination and the dominance of natural branches and leaves, saz yolu forms and excessive ornaments and curves. 

The art of illumination showed a decline in the XIX Century and survived with the efforts of only a few artists. Today, Departments of Traditional Arts of Faculties of Fine Arts and private courts put forth efforts to keep this art form alive. Since no more manuscripts are written, illumination is not performed in the form of book decorations.
Formerly aimed at accenting and presenting the writing (calligraphy), the art of illumination is performed now more at the edges of Hilye and plates and as individual Plate (Levha). 

Areas of Embellisshments in Manuscripts (see)


For more information on illumination, patterns, motifs, nakkaşhane and muralists ***see***