COPPER

Copper is the material most commonly used in the Ottoman art of metalworking. Anatolia is home to rich copper deposits. Copper mines operated before the Ottomans in Anatolia continued to work at the same pace in this period.  

In the 16th Century, copper objects were produced along with silver works. Copper is the material most commonly used in the Ottoman art of metalworking. Copper examples indicate curved branches with lotuses and palmettos on leaves. In this period, horizontal lines covering the base are one of the striking technical views of copper products. Various examples of this decoration are coffee trays designed with concentric geometric surfaces and the fish motif which was quite popular among Ottoman masters of metalworking. 

Copper became an indispensable material for the Turkish kitchen by reason of its resemblance to silver upon tinning, easiness of cleaning and goodness for health. A form specific to the Turkish culinary culture is the sini (large tray). The examples of sini of the 18th Century displayed at Topkapı Palace Museumindicate that there are three categories of these products on the basis of a mode of organization used on round surfaces. The medallion applied in the middle include ‘Mühr-i Süleyman’ (Seal of Suleiman), a motif quite popular among Ottomans.  

In copper works, copper plates generally purchased as ready-made are shaped on wooden and rectangular workbenches with dispersed dents mounted on the workshop floor. For each form, different anvils are placed into the dents of these workbenches of various sizes. The material is placed on the anvil and shaped by hammering with tampers of various specifications.

Copper Pot Making Techniques: There are four main groups of techniques, namely 'hammering', 'casting', 'plastering' (finish-turn) and 'pressing'.  

Ornamentation Techniques in Copper Workmanship: These are scraping, embossing, stapling, openwork and inlaying techniques. Hand tools used in these works are hammer, compass, steel chisel, rubber tamper and wooden hammer.

In the painting technique, ornamentations are both mono- and multi-coloured. Gaziantep is famous for mono-coloured works and Erzincan in multi-coloured examples.  

 see...