Miniature
Small size pictures created by engraving an incident, a piece of information or a story on paper in two dimensions are called miniature.
Miniature art from among Turkish-Islamic arts bridges the gap of depiction and story caused by the fact that three dimensional painting is disapproved in the Islamic belief in that it reflected the identity of the era. Miniatures focused on topics such as topographic drawings, ceremonies, festivals or weddings.
The word "minyatür" (miniature) was derived from the word lead oxide known as minimum, its name in Latin, which was used in the middle age for red ink production. Another theory suggests that the word gained the meaning of "small painting" with the effect of "minor", a Latin word meaning small in the course of time. Miniature, which developed as book painting art, does not look out for principles such as anatomy, depth, light and shadow and lacks perspective and dimensioning.
Oldest examples of the Turkish miniature art, found at archives of Topkapı Palace, include miniatures dating back to the 8th and 9th centuries before Turks adopted Islam, where Uyghur princes and princesses as well as Mani and Uyghur priests are being depicted. One unique property of Turkish miniatures is that colors are used in a straight, bright manner freed from shadows, frequently as a means of abstraction.
During the Ottoman Empire era, miniature art was referred to as embroidery or depiction in its early days, and anyone performing this art used to be called nakkaş (miniature artists) or musavvir (literally, shaper), yet name miniature was used in subsequent periods. Turkish miniature art differentiated from miniature art of other Islam countries due to developments of Suleiman the Magnificent era. One of the reasons for such differentiation is the fact that this art turned into an official position under the name of painting of conquers and campaigns, acceptance of foreign ambassadors, religious festival celebrations and şehnâmeci (a person tasked with writing official history of the state). Miniature art kept pace with the westernization trend of the 19th century and was gradually replaced by classic Western painting.
On behalf of Azerbaijan, Iran, Turkey and Uzbekistan “Miniature Art” was registered to UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanityon behalf of Turkey in 2014.
You, too, may examine the rarest examples of miniature art at our store page.
Examples of the works of our artists;
The artists performing miniature art in Istanbul Handicrafts Center are as follows:
Bedia Ünman
Bedia Ünman was born in Istanbul in 1944. The artist, who has been teaching within the scope of European Community Projects, has been working on miniature art since 1987.
In her works, mostly vervain, old naturalist flowers and dervishes are worked on a black background, using abundant gold.
Mihrican Naldöven
Born in Istanbul, Mihrican Naldöven graduated from Istanbul University in 1981. She started the Turkish Decorative Arts course of professor-in-ordinary Süheyl Ünver at the Cerrahpaşa Department of Medical History. In 1983, she took lessons from Cahide Keskiner, Melek Antel, Mahmure Öz and Semih İrteş at Topkapı Palace, and completed her education in 1986.
After Süheyl Ünver's death, she continued his lectures at the Cerrahpaşa Medical History Department under the tutors of Ülker Erke, Gülbin Mesara and İlhan Gökşen. She completed his education in 1994 and received a certificate.
Naldöven participated in various domestic exhibitions and opened two personal exhibitions at the Hagia Sophia Museum in 1991. Her works are in many private collections at home and abroad. In 2012, the Illumination Artist Introductory card was given to Mihrican Naldöven by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, General Directorate of Research and Education.
She has been working in the Miniature - Illumination workshop of the Istanbul Handicrafts Center since 1987.
İffet Koç
Born in Tokat, İffet Koç started her career at the General Directorate of Mint and Stamp Printing House. Her 30-year tenure was spent preparing the compositions of primarily stamps, fees and visas, official stamps, commemorative coin sets, certificates, and valuable documents. There are also commemorative coins, medals, and badges.
She received her education on traditional arts from valuable teachers such as professor-in-ordinary Süheyl Ünver, Cahide Keskiner, Gülbün Mesara, Ülker Erke, and Semih İrteş.
İffet Koc first attended the Turkish Decorative Arts at the Cerrahpaşa Department of Medical History, and then attended the "drawing, illumination, miniature" courses in Topkapı Palace and received her certificates.
In 2011, she received the Miniature Artist Representation Certificate from the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, General Directorate of Research and Education.
She has works in private collections of many local and foreign institutions and individuals. Her exhibitions, especially in Topkapı Palace, were opened all over the country.
Her works have been exhibited in the Istanbul Handicrafts Center since 1987 and she continues to work in workshops.
Büşra Taşpınar Nebioğlu
Büşra Taşpınar Nebioğlu was born in 1990 in Sakarya. She graduated from Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University, Department of Traditional Turkish Arts, Illumination Art Major in 2014, which she entered in 2010. She met the miniature art of she during her university years and she decided that she wanted to advance in this field of art.
Taşpınar says, "It is to transfer his imagination to the paper with the finest detail" for the miniature art, and she attaches particular importance to the feeling brought by the phase of painting the paper in her works.
She participated in various special exhibitions such as the Traditional Arts Academy year-end student exhibitions, the "Taner Alakuş Students" exhibition, Ruberu Art Gallery, Galerie D'art La Visione.
You can visit Büşra Taşpınar Nebioğlu's workshop located in the Istanbul Handicrafts Center and examine her works closely.
