Motif from the Sadberk Hanim Museum Collection = Sadberk Hanim Muzesi Koleksiyonundan motif.

SANER, TURGUT - SEBNEM ERYAVUZ - HULYA BILGI Motif from the Sadberk Hanim Museum Collection = Sadberk Hanim Muzesi Koleksiyonundan motif. Istanbul: Sadberk Hanim Muzesi, 2020. 4to., 474 p., color ills. In Turkish and English. Original binding. New 2700 ISBN: 9786059606165 CATALOG: Turkish & Islamic arts KEYWORDS: History of art Turkish art Islamic art Ottoman art Traditional arts In 2020, its 40th anniversary, Sadberk Hanim Museum is justly proud of its position as Turkey’s first private museum and aware of the responsibility that this entails. This significant anniversary is being celebrated by an inspiring exhibition and accompanying catalogue. The exhibition and publication project in this instance does not present a specific group of objects in the museum collections. Under the title ‘Motif,’ the panoramic diversity of every category is represented by bringing together historical motifs from different cultures that have encountered one another in very different regions. Up till now all of the museum’s exhibitions have focused on strong aspects of the museum’s collections. However, our anniversary project links objects together through their motifs, displaying the exceptional range of our relatively small yet outstanding museum. Motifs are the mainstays of works of art. The motifs of a novel, a story, a symphony or a folksong carry the work forward and bring it to life. The Latin word motivus encompasses several meanings: to set in motion, movement and flow. This project displays the historical depth, flow and cultural movement of the beautiful motifs on works of art in Sadberk Hanim Museum, both in the Archaeological Section and the Turkish-Islamic Section. In antiquity spinning motifs were used on coins that passed from hand to hand, while lamps illuminated cornucopias, vine branches and bunches of grapes that represented abundance and fertility. Garlands and acanthus motifs were introduced to Ottoman art. The rose (rh?don) featured on the coins of ancient Rhodes still conveys meaningful messages to us. Legendary creatures instilled fear but also gave protection; human figures on coins represented gods and rulers. The ancient lotus and palmette motif was applied to tile decoration by Ottoman artists. Motifs travelled back and forth along the caravan roads; much as today, for example, they wander the world on our clothes and bags. In the past motifs were passed down from master to apprentice and from older to younger generations, while now they gain new identities in the creative hands of designers. Our aim is to increase knowledge, arouse curiosity and share the beauty of 466 selected objects from the Sadberk Hanim Museum collection. These artefacts, each with a powerfully expressive aesthetic, represent nearly 500 motifs. Looking at these it becomes clear how closely connected Turkey is to both East and West, with Anatolia at its centre. The motifs have been divided into five main concepts, arranged from the general to the specific: Perception of the world and the universe (‘Life and Power’); scenes of nature and the world of plants (‘Nature’); images of human beings and animals in art (‘Figurative Decoration’); expression in art of the principles governing a large and majestic system (‘Order and Harmony’); and the ways in which people shape their surroundings (‘Space’). One of the most important achievements of the project has been to give visibility to hundreds of motifs that might ordinarily escape attention. We invite visitors of every age and every occupation to establish an intellectual tie with what these historical motifs have to tell, and present a new visual palette and opportunity for intellectual exercise in relation to the world of art and forms. We developed this project in order to share the story of motifs with both art history and contemporary art circles, and to set the scene for a fresh look at many subjects, such as ‘rules, inspiration and evocation in creativity’. Drawing attent.…