Us in the World

Dear Colleagues,

In January 2023; the respected businessman, who is the tax record holder of one of Turkey’s largest holdings, requested the preparation of a detailed catalogue of approximately 4000 valuable antiques and objects that he had collected over the years.

At the end of the work that lasted approximately 1.5 years, all of the objects were professionally photographed, all of their technical and artistic features were specified in great detail, classified and numbered, and the entire inventory of the collection was collected in a single catalogue.

Mete Demirel
15.06.2024

MY NEW PROJECT

I have shared the results of my research on Iznik tiles and ceramics since 2006 with invaluable academics, artists and art lovers who are interested in the subject over a long period of 15 years. I had an extraordinary communication opportunity in a World wide range from universities to museums, from auction houses to libraries, from collectors to ceramic artists who are interested in the subject. This is my greatest treasure.

As you know, the reason why I started my research on Iznik ceramics was that the existing information about these objects, which is our cultural heritage, was all wrong. Especially; motifs, patterns, compositions, dating, colors, object forms and figural periods were incorrect nearly all the object descriptions. I corrected all of these by publishing my book “Secrets Under Underglaze”. If you check the e-book section of this site, you can see the ”Dear Readers” list of my books.

I have a new project about Iznik ceramics that I have been thinking about for a long time. This project consists of two main parts.

Part 1: The aim is to create a corpus of about 12 books on Iznik tiles and ceramics.

Application: In addition to my books describing Iznik tiles and ceramics, Turkish/English catalogs will be prepared, which have been include the correct descriptions of all objects without errors and have been printed in high quality, by getting permissions from museums and private collections.

For this, mutual negotiations will be made with the collection owners, institutions, museums and people, and agreements will be made. Later, each object will be described without error and the consent of the collectors will be obtained for these comments. Afterwards, the books will be prepared for printing and “proof prints” will be sent to the relevant institutions museums and people for final approval.

In this “corpus”will be include these books:

• “Secrets Under Glaze” 2 volumes, 700 pages book in total.

• “Iznik&Iznic” 1 volume 350 pages book.

• The book “Great Architect Sinan’s Tiles” that I am currently working on and will exceed 300 pages.

• Turkish and Islamic Arts Museum, Tiled Kiosk, Iznik Archeology Museum collection catalog.

• Sadberk Hanım Museum and Mr. Omer Koç collection catalog.

• The British Museum collection catalog.

• The Victoria & Albert Museum and The Ashmolean
Museum collection catalogs.

• Musee du Louvre and Musee National de Ceramique Sevres collection catalogs.

• Musee national de la renessans collection catalogue.

• The Metropolitan Museum, The Walters Art Gallery, The Cleveland Museum Of Art, The Los Angeles County Museum Of Art, Royal Ontario Museum, collection catalogs.

• The Gulbenkian Museum, Museo Civico Bologna, Museo Duca Di Martina, The
Benaki Museum, The Museums Fur Islamiche Kunst, The Fitzwilliam Museum, The Magdalen Collage, The Pergamon Museum, The Freer Gallery Of Art, The Kuwait National Museum, The Aga Khan Museum collection catalogs.

• Private collections catalog.

Part 2: All the important museum collections; To shoot a series of documentaries consisting of 13 episodes, each of which episode will be 25-30 minutes, and will be supported by interviews and visuals.

Application: The principles for books also same for the documentaries. Scenarios, conversation texts, locations to be shot, visuals to be used, music to be used will be formed as a result of joint decisions.

Even the joint decision on which channel to broadcast these 13 documentaries will be.

Preparing the catalogs of both museums and private collections scientifically and technically for publication and publishing them after approval. If necessary, we will not demand a fee in any way or in any amount for the shooting of documentaries. We only expect that museums will help us on our works and shootings.

My project team:

I knew that I needed an international team to believe in this project. I had very
valuable friends of scientists, with whom I have been in constant contact for about 10 years and who are well-expert in the subject of Iznik ceramics. All of these people, whom I brought up for this subject and offered to work with, accepted my offer. My endless gratitude to them.

Karen Koblitz. Associate Professor Emerita, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA.

Nermin Kura. Professor of Art and Architecural History in the school of Architecture and Historic Preservation, Roger Williams University, Rhode Island.

Candan Terwiel. Professor, Hacettepe University Faculty of Fine Arts, Department of Ceramics in Ankara in Turkey.

Catherine Hess. Former Associate Curator, Department of Sculpture and Works of Art, The Getty Museum.

Linda Komaroff. Curator of Islamic Art, The Los Angeles County Museum of Art.

Milica Japunidzic. Chief creator Mimara Museum in Zagreb Croatia.

Serkan Gedük. The director of the Kocaeli Museum, who is the former director of Porcelain and Watches in Topkapı Palace Museum.

Ismail Yiğit. Iznik ceramic artist. The presedent of www.iznik-art.com and his instagram account https://www.instagram.com/ismailyigitart/

Turgay Artam. Founder and the president of Artam Antik A.Ş. Auction House inI stanbul Turkey. www.artam.com

Mete Demirel
15.10.2021

The Avdenture of IZNIK TILES and CERAMICS in SANTIAGO/CHILE

Pablo Gandulfo who is the Iznik Foundation’s Sale and Cultural Representative for Latin America wants to placed 3 İznik panels on the Alcantara Metro Station walls. By the support of Turkish Ambassadress Mrs. Naciye Gökçen Kara in Santiago Chile and the President of İznik Foundation Prof. Mrs. Işık Akbaygil, 3 wonderful İznik panels completed in a short time and placed on the walls of Alcantara Metro Station. It was the first project of Pablo Gandulfo in Santiago Chile as the Representative of İznik Foundation in Latin America.

After that Mr Pablo Gondulfo start to prepared the largest exhibition of İznik Tiles that has been done in the continent in Santiago Chile by the support of Turkish Ambassadress Mrs. Naciye Gökçen Kara and İznik Foundation. The aim of the İznik Foundation is to live and introduce the 16th – 17th century classical Iznik Tiles and Ceramics to the world. 12 wonderful panels prepared by highly valued artists and sent to Chile.

In August 2016, the İznik Foundation’s “Latin America Sales and Culture Representative” Pablo Gandulfo communicated with me and asked for information about my book “Secrets Under Underglaze”, and he said to me that they will organize the biggest Iznik Ceramic exhibition in 2017 with the Iznik Foundation in South America. And I’ve been involved in the exhibiton so.

I sent the information about the book and also sent the ebook version of “Secrets Under Underglaze” to him immediately. After that Mr. Pablo Gandulfo wants me to write the descriptons of the 12 İznik panel for exhibition catalogue.

I accepted it without hesitation. The worst part of İznik Tiles and Ceramics in the world is the people who wrote the descriptions of them doesnt know İznik Tiles and Ceramics very well.

By the very important support of Naciye Gökçen Kaya Turkish Ambassadoress in Santiago Chile, Pablo Gandulfo sent me the detailed pictures of 12 Iznik Tile Panels in March 2017 to write the descriptions fort he exhibition catalogue. After 1 week detail study on the panels, I wrote the descriptions and sent it back to Pablo Gandulfo.

Mr. Pablo Gandulfo also asked me to write a short biography of me to use this time in the catalogue.

The catalogue was prepared in December 2017. If you click on the following PDF file, you can download the original exhibition catalogue.

Link: http://www.iznikciniveseramikleri.com/tr/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/broxhure_iznik_v_7.pdf

The exhibition opened in January 2018 in Santiago Chile.

I am proud to be a part of this important exhibition, which introduced our cultural Heritage İznik Tiles and Ceramics to the world

Images from exhibition

News from Chile national tv channels

Original catalogue pages

LECTURE AT MIMARA MUSEUM ZAGREB CROATIA

With the permission of The Croatian Ministry of Culture, Sava Medvescak diving club held a diving camp on the southern part of the island of Mljet during August 2006. They found a shipwreck in the Sveti Pavao shallows during a dive on the southern side of the island of Mljet, around 200 m from the shore. They informed the Ministry of Culture and the Department for Underwater Archaeology of the Croatian Conservation Institiute, and they organised rescue excavations held in 2007 with the support of divers and archaeologists from Universita Ca’Foscari di Venezia. During these diving camp they found that this is a Venetian trade shipwreck under the depth between 40-42 m. Till october 2015 they rescue the 90% of the objects. After the restorations of some objects, they get ready for an exhibiton. Also still the diving camp contiune.

One of the most interesting objects is a small bronze ship’s bell with yhe year MDLCVII (1567) shown in relief. Two silver talers together with 40 Ottoman akches were found also. Ottoman akches are extremely important for t dating of this shipwreck. Akches belong to four different sultan: Sultan Selim I (1512-1520), Sultan Suleiman (1520-1566), Sultan Selim II (1566-1574) and Sultan Murad III (1574-1595). Since Sultan Murat III began minting the coins in 1574, they can be sure that the ship could not have sunk before that year. The most important discovery during this research for us, they found several Iznik potteries. Iznik cargo consisted of vessels, plates and dishes decorated with grapes, tugrakeş, seperators, zümrüdü anka bird, Wheel of fortune, jugs decorated with cintemani, lids decorated with windrose, tazzas, and most important Iznik object found is six small bowls. Till today we know that only in the world has 2 small Iznik bowls. Also they found some bronze artillery pieces, cannons, cannonballs, demijohns glass bottles, green glass bottles, metal objects, amphoras, and animal bones.It is very good that Croatia has a great collections now.

For the exhibition of the objects from this Venetian shipwreck between 18 May 2015-13 September 2015 in Mimara Museum Zagreb, Tugomir Luksic the director of the Mimara Museum and Milica Japundzic the coordinator of the Mimara Museum contact me end of march to help them the descriptions of the Iznik objects for the catalogue.

After sending them the descriptions of the Iznik objects as soon as possible, they invite me to give a lecture about my book “Secrets Under Underglaze” and Iznik ceramics from the Venetian shipwreck in Mimara Museum between 9-10 september 2015. Three biggest newspaper of Croatia announcement the lecture in their culture pages. Turkish Ambassador’s wife in Zagreb and her assistant, the authorities of Mimara Museum, the authorities of Dubrovnik Museum, the authorities of Croatian Conservation Institiute, the authorities from Yunus Emre Institute in Zagreb, underwater archaeologist divers from shipwreck, academicians, restorators, antique dealer, journalists and people came to listen my lecture and honoured me. After 1 and half hour lecture, they told me that they impressed my new founds about Iznik ceramics. It is a great experience for me also. And new freindships for a long life. Thanks for everyone. Mete Demirel 15-09-2015

Milica Japundzic. Coordinator of The Mimara Museum