Anatolia, its rich waters, magnificent mountains
and lush forests have always attracted peoples. The rich cultural
diversity here arises from the role Anatolia plays as a bridge
between continents. That is why Anatolia is called the cradle
of civilizations. Each new civilization followed the traces
of the previous one, even going so far as to restore elements
of its predecessor, using holy places regardless of what the
original religion was. With the works of art and handicraft
they produced in these lands, all the civilizations that were
founded and established in Anatolia have secured a place in
the world art history, creating a magnificent mosaic. It is
the blend that we call the genuine Anatolian style, and the
motifs and their meanings mentioned in this book are a small
part of it. The symbols that have been handed down to us through
the ages have been successfully maintained to this day and are
still a part of the living traditions and lifestyle in Anatolia.
Guran Erbek, the late husband of Mine Erbek,
started his research on Anatolian motifs in the 70's and maintained
this endeavor until his death. According to Guran Erbek, these
motifs were almost like the words of a symbolic language that
enable the weavers to communicate with their environment. The
combination of this need to silently communicate feelings that
cannot be translated into words, along with notions of technique
and aesthetics, have resulted in magnificent kilim rugs and
carpets, which have a unique narrative language.
According to Guran Erbek, the research of the
meaning of a motif required compiling the different names given
to a motif in different regions and classifying them. In his
research, Erbek established the relation of the names and meanings
of the motifs with various other subjects, such as folklore,
mythology, history and anthropology. While constituting his
own archives, for which he used interviews and field survey
methods, he paid special attention to have examples of Anatolian
handicraft motifs applied on kilims, cicims, rugs and embroideries
and on wood, stone and metal work. This book is the sequel of
his intense studies.
Thanks to Mine Erbek, Mr. Guran's studies has
been completed and his dreams come true with this long-awaited
reference book published in July 2002.
Please contact us at sales@kilim.com
for purchasing information.
About the author
Mine Erbek was born in Adana, Turkey. After
graduating from university she worked as a high school teacher
in various parts of Turkey. At the start of her teaching career
in Kars in Eastern Turkey, she began to study and collect traditional
costumes, weaving and embroidery. After four years of service
as an art teacher, she continued her studies in the handcrafts
departments of the ministries of tourism and culture, during
which she was actively involved in the efforts to improve and
enrich the production replicas and examples of vernacular artifacts
for touristic markets. Ms. Erbek is a stage-costume designer
in the State Opera and Ballet in Ankara since 1980.
She has designed and realized costumes for
numerous productions of classical as well as Turkish operas
and ballets. She is the art consultant of the State Ensemble
of Folk Dances, Foundation to Promote Turkey and The Foundation
of Stage Artists. Ms. Erbek has presented reports on "The
Anatolian Belief of and Protection Against Evil Eye", "Female
Costumes and Headgear in Anatolia", "Traditional Folk
Dance Costumes", "Motifs and Their Meanings in Anatolian
Vernacular Arts", " Anatolian Motifs from Catalhoyuk
to the Present" at national and international congress,
seminars and conferences. Between 1982 - 1984, she has organized
exhibitions handicrafts in several cities in Germany and prepared
a presentation for the Turkish Pavilion at the 1985 Hannover
Fair. With her late husband Guran Erbek, she has prepared the
Anatolian section of the Anvers Ethnography Museum in Belgium.
She made displays and gave speeches in New York and Chicago
within the framework of "Suleyman the Magnificent Exhibition"
in 1988. She displayed a Bride's Room in the "Tulip Festival"
of Canada and realized a show featuring "Anatolian Female
Gowns" in Singapore. She prepared an exhibition on "Anatolian
Motifs From Catalhoyuk to Present" in the Turkish House
in New York Plaza.
Ms. Erbek is the author of "Traditional
Turkish Design and Handicrafts" and numerous articles in
periodicals. She and her husband Guran Erbek has filed thousands
of samples recorded in drawing or photographs and amassed a
collection of about 10000 artifacts from Anatolia including
costumes, knitted ware, embroidery, needlework, carpets and
other flat weave, stoneware, glassware and copperware.
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