Introduction:
This paper is about a particular object in the Houston Museum of Fine Arts. I have chosen the item known as ‘Glazed Fritware Bottle’ from Iznik in Turkey dating from the 16th Century and pertaining to the Ottoman Empire. The paper will attempt to analyse the object in detail with regards to its form, line, shape, color, texture, mass and composition and will also provide a detailed artistic appraisal of the object. The Glazed Fritware Bottle carries catalogue number: Lns 327C and is part of the famed Al Sabah Collection of Kuwait, which is on permanent exhibition at the museum. There are several other objects in the collection, but this bottle is particularly interesting since it demonstrates skilled craftsmanship as well as quite unique functionality. These two aspects are occasionally difficult to find in the work of art dating from this period.
The bottle has a striking form and is beautifully designed. The rich coloring is a particular shade of blue and demonstrates the technique that was used by the Turkish craftsmen in those times. The shape is particularly intriguing in that it is a bottle with an elongated neck that is also ideal for pouring. The texture is also unusual since it is made from glazed fritware which is a type of porcelain that has a hard feel to it while its mass is also quite heavy. The composition of the bottle is glass although the technique used by the craftsmen in this object is quite innovative as well as being highly original. The pattern is also pretty striking in its dense use of white colours that integrate quite well with the main blue colour of the bottle.
The bottle is essentially a useful object although it also has some striking visual elements in it. The work suggests a direct viewpoint especially with its striking colour and very original shape. It definitely suggests the viewer to move around it since it is circular in shape and also lends itself to visual appreciation. However the viewing position which is best suited to the piece is from the front since one can really appreciate its composition and color. The material used is glazed fritware, which can be described as a type of porcelain and which lends itself to intriguing color composition. The objects form is also very practical, and it was probably used as some sort of storage for wine or other alcoholic liquids which would be dotted around the Turkish court. Light reacts very beautifully to the object and the brilliant blue is particularly attractive when seen in the light. Perhaps the museum authorities could see it fit to move the location of the object since it was rather in the dark when first viewed. Light certainly affects the perception of the object’s form since it can be examined in far greater detail when it absorbs light and one may also note the fastidious craftsmanship of the work when it faces the light.
The function of the Glazed Fritware Bottle is immediately evident since it was probably used to store liquids in it. The bottle is also designed to be functional although it is constructed from exquisite materials and involves a lot of craftsmanship but it also reflects the lavishness and painstaking detail which was present in the courts of the Ottoman Empire in those days. Upon careful examination, there do not seem to be any particular features which hinder the bottle’s functionality although it seems to be quite elaborate to be used regularly. The materials are used sparingly although the craftsmanship of the design adds to the whole allure of the piece. There is also an emphasis on the richness of the glass, while its design places particular emphasis on the decorative aspect. The flowers and leaves on the vase create an intrinsic pattern which is immediately striking and is in itself, very decorative. The decorative elements of the work are not particular related to its function as a storage bottle although one would argue that they portray nature and its variances. The neck of the bottle is also particularly interesting since it is wider than the tube that makes up the upper part of the bottle and this basically enables the liquid to spill over in a more fluid manner thus increasing its functional nature.
The Glazed Fritware Bottle was produced in mid-16th century Turkey during the Ottoman Empire. It forms part of the famed Al Sabah collection from Kuwait which contains a large number of precious objects such as carpets, sculptures and suchlike. The Ottoman Emperors were persons of a vast cultural standing, and they employed several skilled artisans and craftsmen to create artistic objects to fill their palaces. This led to an immense flourishing of the arts during the period when the Ottoman Empire was at its zenith which would have been from the 14th to the 16th centuries. This bottle brings together several of the most important elements from the Ottoman period which are functionality and beauty of design. The Ottoman Turks were undoubtedly extremely cultured people, and they also had considerable scientific knowledge which enabled them to use advanced techniques for the creation of particular objects such as this bottle. When one views this collection, it can only be concluded that the Ottoman Turks were a highly cultured and extremely sophisticated society which took delight in art for its own sake.
The Glazed Fritware Bottle is definitely an object of high art, and it is also an excellent example of how this art can portray different sectors of society. The innovative and original design of the bottle demonstrates particular technique whilst the use of glazed fritware shows how advanced the Turks were in taming raw materials to create objects of great beauty. The sultan Suleiman the Magnificent brought a huge number of skilled artisans and craftsmen to his empire and patronised the arts in a highly innovative and original manner which demonstrated his vast powers, as well as his munificence. The object is beautiful to look at and is also quite advanced for its time although the pattern can also be described as traditional. To sum up, this bottle is a beautiful piece which demonstrates the skills and talents of the craftsmen who worked during the Ottoman Empire, whilst it also shows the importance given to the arts by Suleiman the Magnificent. It is also a classic combination of an art piece with functionality, something which may not always be apparent at first glance. The Al Sabah collection is certainly the richer for it.
Works Cited:
Houston Museum of Fine Art; Al Sabah Collection, Kuwait. Retrieved from: http://www.mfah.org/exhibitions/al-sabah-collection/
Eli Shah. "The Ottoman Artistic Legacy". Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Retrieved 26 August 2010.
Faroqhi, Suraiya (2005). Subjects of the Sultan: culture and daily life in the Ottoman Empire (New ed.). London: I.B. Tauris. p. 152. ISBN 1-85043-760-2.
Faroqhi, Suraiya (2005). Subjects of the Sultan: culture and daily life in the Ottoman Empire (New ed.). London: I.B. Tauris. p. 153. ISBN 1-85043-760-2.
Halil İnalcık (1997). An Economic And Social History of the Ottoman Empire, Vol 1 1300–1600. Cambridge University Press. p. 24. ISBN 978-0-521-57456-3. Retrieved 12 February 2013.
